What’s in the Pattern
| Area | Content | Checks |
|---|---|---|
| Top half | White, yellow, cyan, green, magenta, red, blue at 100 % or 75 % | Hue accuracy and saturation |
| Gray ramp | 21 steps from 0 to 100 % in 5 % increments | White balance and tone curve |
| Bottom left | Near-black steps, 8-bit values 0–24 | Shadow crushing |
| Bottom right | Near-white steps, 8-bit values 231–255 | Highlight clipping |
Checking White Balance
Every step of the gray ramp should look neutral in the photo. A blue, orange, green or magenta tint shows white-balance error. Compare auto white balance with a fixed setting, or use the white bar as a reference for custom white balance.
Checking Shadow and Highlight Clipping
Count how many near-black steps you can still tell apart: if the darkest ones merge, the camera is crushing shadows. Do the same for the near-white steps: merged patches mean clipped highlights. Adjust exposure compensation or the camera’s contrast / HDR setting and shoot again.
Tone Curve and Contrast
Evenly spaced brightness steps along the ramp indicate a gentle tone curve. Steps that bunch together in the shadows or highlights reveal a strong “punchy” curve that trades detail for contrast — common on phones and webcams.
Your Monitor Matters
The camera can only record what your screen shows. Use your monitor’s sRGB or standard mode, turn off night-light and blue-light filters, avoid reflections, and compare cameras on the same monitor for fair results.
Color Bars FAQ
Are these SMPTE color bars?
They are a simplified seven-bar layout inspired by broadcast color bars, combined with a gray scale and clipping steps for camera testing. They are not a full SMPTE RP 219 signal for calibrating broadcast equipment.
Do I need a calibrated monitor?
Not for comparisons. Any monitor in its sRGB or standard mode is fine for comparing cameras or settings side by side. Absolute color accuracy requires a calibrated display.
Should I use 100 % or 75 % bars?
Use 100 % to check how the camera handles fully saturated colors and highlights, and 75 % to stay inside the range most cameras record without clipping.
Why do the near-black steps look identical on my screen?
Some monitors crush shadows themselves. Increase screen brightness, switch to a standard picture mode, or view the page in a darker room; if the screen cannot show the steps, the camera test will not be meaningful for them.