If the target of the camera is significantly overexposed (too much light), which waveform monitor reading is expected?

• A. Significantly above 100.
• B. Significantly below 0.
• C. Around 50.
• D. Exactly 100.

Answer: (A)

A waveform monitor displays image brightness along an IRE scale, where higher values mean brighter pixels and 100 IRE represents pure white. When the scene is significantly overexposed, the brightest areas push past the monitor’s white point, causing the peaks to clip and appear well above 100 IRE. That’s why the reading would be significantly above 100—the signal is saturated and cannot capture more detail in the highlights. If you see readings around 50, that would indicate mid-gray exposure; exactly 100 suggests white but not necessarily clipped, and readings below 0 aren’t meaningful for luma on this scale.