Blonde moment! Metering!

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Ferj

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I'm having a funny 5 minutes I think I'm sure of the answer but I might be wrong!

When shooting in manual does the metering mode have any impact on your shot?

In my mind I'm thinking no, because it's helping you find the best exposure and if you're in manual then it doesn't matter, but I started to question myself on whether the metering mode has any other impact on the images I take! Doh! Someone reassure me I'm not losing my mind!
 
The metering mode sets the meter to what it sees as a correct exposure*, so it will give various results under some conditions.

That's why you need to understand your metering modes and what they're doing rather than playing with 'exposure modes' pretending you'll learn something.

I know it's a drum I keep banging, but your post shows my point perfectly.

*if we assume there is such a thing as a perfect exposure! then pointing a spot meter at an 18% grey item will get it. Or using CWA your meter will assume that overall the centre of your scene is 18% grey. Eval or matrix metering is designed to spot bright spots or dark areas and ignore them when looking for 18% grey. Nikons version boasts reading colour as well as brightness in order to guess.

But the best thing for you to do is ignore all that, work out in your own mind what 18% grey looks like and meter using that (lush grass is about right so long as it's not too shiny in bright light).
 
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The short answer is that the metering mode will have no effect in manual mode. You're in control, the meter is just offering advice.

The only exception I can think of is when you're also using auto iso (not possible on all cameras).
 
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gad-westy said:
The short answer is that the metering mode will have no effect in manual mode. You're in control, the meter is just offering advice.

The only exception I can think of is when you're also using auto iso (not possible on all cameras).
Click to expand...

Well, sort of, but the metering mode will have an effect if you're looking at the exposure scale in your VF or on your back screen and using it to decide what aperture, shutter and / or ISO to use. So in that sense the metering mode and the resultant position of the cursor on the exposure scale do matter.

And to the OP. The mode you select, perhaps called spot, centre weighted or evaluative or words to that effect will affect where the little cursor appears on your exposure scale if the lighting is uneven throughout the scene. The best way to see the effect is to point your camera at something and see what happens if you step through the various metering modes your camera offers. Try it, it's free :D One of the great things about digital is you can try something and view the results for very little money. As Phil says, you need to understand what the modes do. It'll be in the camera manual.
 
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Cheers guys! You know that moment when you doubt what you know & have been doing for years? Got a new body & suddenly started doubting all the stuff I know! I'll just stick to manual and trust myself ;)
 
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