Zebras
Also known as: zebra stripes, zebra pattern, exposure zebras
Striped overlays on a camera preview that mark areas brighter than a set level, warning you where highlights are close to clipping while you film.
Updated
What it means
Zebras are moving diagonal stripes that appear over parts of the live image above a chosen brightness. If the sky or a white shirt shows stripes, it is close to or past the point of clipping. The stripes only appear on the preview and are never recorded.
They are common on mirrorless cameras, cinema cameras, drones and some phone camera apps. Action cameras rarely show them on the camera itself, though some companion apps and newer models offer exposure aids.
Zebras show exactly where in the frame the problem is, which a histogram cannot.
How it works in practice
A typical setting is around 95 to 100 percent to warn of clipping. Some filmmakers also use a second level, around 70 percent, to check skin exposure on faces. When zebras cover large areas of sky or snow, lower the exposure until only small specular highlights show stripes.
On drones, zebras are especially useful for sunsets and snowy landscapes, where the small screen of a phone controller makes it hard to judge brightness. Combine them with exposure lock for smooth pans.
With a log profile, zebra levels behave differently, so learn where your camera clips in that mode before relying on the stripes.
What to watch out for
Zebras on tiny reflections, chrome or the sun itself are normal and not worth darkening the whole shot for. Focus on large areas that matter, such as sky, snow and faces.
Some cameras apply zebras to the processed preview, which may not match the recorded file exactly. Test a few scenes and review them on a computer to see how the stripes relate to the final footage.
Finally, do not forget that zebras only warn about brightness. They say nothing about shadows, so check that dark areas still hold detail and are not crushed. A quick glance at the histogram covers that side of the picture.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip does not recover clipped highlights or adjust exposure, so using zebras while filming pays off. Upload your well-exposed clips, and the AI picks the strongest moments for one highlight.