60d metering modes

[Bmwjc]

Been reading the manual on the metering modes and it doesnt come across over clear to me.

in all 4 modes does it take a reading then give it to me to adjust accordingly or does it take a reading itself and apply those settings itself. And what modes does it apply to i usually use M for most things at the moment.

Just feel a bit lost at the moment on what the metering does and if its me that has to adjust or does the camera do that?

 

[Phil V]

Been reading the manual on the metering modes and it doesnt come across over clear to me.

in all 4 modes does it take a reading then give it to me to adjust accordingly or does it take a reading itself and apply those settings itself. And what modes does it apply to i usually use M for most things at the moment.

Just feel a bit lost at the moment on what the metering does and if its me that has to adjust or does the camera do that?

The metering mode will give you what it believes is the 'correct' meter reading in the viewfinder - depending on what you've pointed it at.
From that, in M you would centre your meter, in any of the Auto modes, the Camera will centre the meter automatically based on your choices either;
Choosing the 'correct' aperture in TV
Choosing the 'correct' shutter speed in AV
Choosing the 'correct' aperture and shutter speed in P

Of course - all of that depends on the meter getting the 'correct' exposure for the scene. Which is the really important question.

The meter is essentially dumb and guesses that the world is 18% grey.

So if you use CWA it'll take the average of the scene to be 18% grey, it'll be wrong on scenes that are predominantly bright or dark or that include bright spots or really dark areas.

Evaluative metering will take the average of the scene to be 18% grey, it'll be wrong on scenes that are predominantly bright or dark but will be less fooled by the bright spots and really dark areas.

Partial and spot will expect to be pointed at an 18% grey area. If you use them, you need to understand what average looks like and where it's not available how it compares to your metered area. So for instance, spot meter the back of your hand and presuming you're Caucasian that should be about a stop over average.

 

[dave_bass5]

I just wanted to add to Phills informative post that with evaluative metering the camera locks the exposure when you half press the shutter button. So if you focus on something and while holding the shutter button half down you move the camera, the exposure won't change.

In the other modes the exposure is set at the moment you take the shot. So even if holding the shutter button halfway down when you move the camera you will see the settings change until the very last moment when you fully press the shutter button.

So for example if you are in AV mode and you set the F stop and ISO, half pressing the shutter button will focus and the camera wil set the shutter speed to give what it thinks is the correct exposure. Moving the camera around won't change anything as long as you keep your finger on the shutter button.
In the other metering modes moving the camer around will give you different shutter speeds, depending on what you point the camera at, still with keeping the button half pressed.
It worth remembering how these different modes work, especially if you focus and recompose.

 

[Phil V]

I just wanted to add to Phills informative post that with evaluative metering the camera locks the exposure when you half press the shutter button. So if you focus on something and while holding the shutter button half down you move the camera, the exposure won't change.

In the other modes the exposure is set at the moment you take the shot. So even if holding the shutter button halfway down when you move the camera you will see the settings change until the very last moment when you fully press the shutter button.

So for example if you are in AV mode and you set the F stop and ISO, half pressing the shutter button will focus and the camera wil set the shutter speed to give what it thinks is the correct exposure. Moving the camera around won't change anything as long as you keep your finger on the shutter button.
In the other metering modes moving the camer around will give you different shutter speeds, depending on what you point the camera at, still with keeping the button half pressed.
It worth remembering how these different modes work, especially if you focus and recompose.

That's all customisable though surely?
I don't have a 60d, but I have a 7d and a 40d, and I use BBF. I can set the exposure to lock on half press of the shutter button, or not to lock. I believe I can also set it to lock with the focus, but what would be the point in that? For me, the whole point of BBF is to separate the focus, exposure and shutter functions.


I use exposure lock on half press most of the time, but switch it off sometimes for shooting Rallying.

 

[dave_bass5]

Well you can lock the exposure but you can't change the way the basic metering works as far as I know. I thought all canon bodies work in this way, including the 40D.
Adding in the BBF obviously changes how you go about things but that's not really what the OP was asking about.

 

[Phil V]

Well you can lock the exposure but you can't change the way the basic metering works as far as I know. I thought all canon bodies work in this way, including the 40D.
Adding in the BBF obviously changes how you go about things but that's not really what the OP was asking about.

I'm sure exposure lock works the same in all appropriate modes and its not what the OP was asking, which is why I never mentioned it in my first post.

 

[dave_bass5]

Did you try what I suggested above? I tried it out on my 60D before posting, and I know my 5DMKIII does it as well.
I never mentioned exposure locking other than when its done automatically depending on the metering mode used. I didnt mention the back button or the exposure lock button in my first post, only how the different meting modes work when you half press the shutter botton, as this is relevant to what metering system you use and the OP asked about the different metering modes.

Of course exposure lock works in all modes but only one metering mode does it automatically.

 

[Phil V]

Did you try what I suggested above? I tried it out on my 60D before posting, and I know my 5DMKIII does it as well.
I never mentioned exposure locking other than when its done automatically depending on the metering mode used. I didnt mention the back button or the exposure lock button in my first post, only how the different meting modes work when you half press the shutter botton, as this is relevant to what metering system you use and the OP asked about the different metering modes.

Of course exposure lock works in all modes but only one metering mode does it automatically.

I'd have to take your word for it, I'm not resetting my camera back to defaults to find out

The first thing I do with a new camera is set it up to work like all my others, and I've been using BBF ever since I had to give up eye controlled focussing:shake:.

 

[Neil B]

Been reading the manual on the metering modes and it doesnt come across over clear to me.

in all 4 modes does it take a reading then give it to me to adjust accordingly or does it take a reading itself and apply those settings itself. And what modes does it apply to i usually use M for most things at the moment.

Just feel a bit lost at the moment on what the metering does and if its me that has to adjust or does the camera do that?

To make it real easy to understand, use the histogram and expose too the right hand side without clipping the whites.

 

[dave_bass5]

I'd have to take your word for it, I'm not resetting my camera back to defaults to find out

The first thing I do with a new camera is set it up to work like all my others, and I've been using BBF ever since I had to give up eye controlled focussing:shake:.

Ok, so you don't use the camera with the shutter button set to the defaults mode, but you are arguing that even though I do I've got it wrong?
I can't win then can I? even though I have a 60D and tested it out before posting.
I'm not sure why this has turned in to an argument, all I stated was how the camera works with the different metering modes.
You don't have to take my word for it, this info is easy to find on the web if you wanted to look for it, although it seems like you don't want to.
You dont need to set your camera to default, its a matter of just using the shutter button in the normal way, If you cant even be bothered to do that then I guess you will knever know.

The OP has the info if he needs , I'll bow out now. :bang:

 

[Phil V]

Ok, so you don't use the camera with the shutter button set to the defaults mode, but you are arguing that even though I do I've got it wrong?
I can't win then can I? even though I have a 60D and tested it out before posting.
I'm not sure why this has turned in to an argument, all I stated was how the camera works with the different metering modes. ..

What part of this makes you think I'm telling you that you've got it wrong? Or that I'm arguing

I'd have to take your word for it, I'm not resetting my camera back to defaults to find out
....

I'm quite happy that you know this and I don't. I never pretended I knew everything, despite what some people would have you believe

There's no argument here with me - although I'm always baffled by anyone who doesn't use BBF