In camera metering modes

buzzlightweight

buzzlightweight

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I just wanted to know what your opinions are on the different in camera metering modes?

I tend to use Evaluative most of the time but I am starting to use spot metering and AE Lock a little more.

So what do you use and why?

many thanks buzz
 
Mostly Eval, always have my cameras on at least +1/3 exp comp, Mostly fix my exposure with exp lock. The ETTL metering is set to CWA (to stop it varying too much with the focus point). My regular shooting method in tricky lighting is to point the camera at an averageish scene and lock exposure, before I point at the subject and focus.

I'll switch to other modes as necessary, but tbh, I find my working method with the above so predictable that I rarely have to worry.
 
Phil V said:
Mostly Eval, always have my cameras on at least +1/3 exp comp, Mostly fix my exposure with exp lock. The ETTL metering is set to CWA (to stop it varying too much with the focus point). My regular shooting method in tricky lighting is to point the camera at an averageish scene and lock exposure, before I point at the subject and focus.

I'll switch to other modes as necessary, but tbh, I find my working method with the above so predictable that I rarely have to worry.
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Phil, can I ask how you decide what 'an averageish scene' is when you are shooting?
 
Leslie said:
Phil, can I ask how you decide what 'an averageish scene' is when you are shooting?
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Well, it's easy to say 'experience', but that won't help you.

But grass green, and tarmac grey are both about 18% reflectance (what your meter assumes it's seeing), so if you try to keep those in mind, you can look around and spot something in the right light that corresponds. Use your histogram to double check your guesstimate.

The more common and to me more difficult way to do this is to remember how far from average certain items are (ie the back of your hand is a stop and a half brighter etc.)
 
Phil V said:
Well, it's easy to say 'experience', but that won't help you.

But grass green, and tarmac grey are both about 18% reflectance (what your meter assumes it's seeing), so if you try to keep those in mind, you can look around and spot something in the right light that corresponds. Use your histogram to double check your guesstimate.

The more common and to me more difficult way to do this is to remember how far from average certain items are (ie the back of your hand is a stop and a half brighter etc.)
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Thanks for that Phil. It's interesting that you say experience. I've recently started trying to 'guess' the settings for a scene before I take a shot. The aim being that I should get better at it and will hopefully soon just 'know' what exposure to set.
 
Steve Smith said:
About one stop according to Weston light meters which have a position marker (marked C) just for this purpose.

Steve.
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You did edit before quoting me. As I pointed out I find it difficult to remember, which is why my method works better for me.:thumbs:
 
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Phil V said:
Well, it's easy to say 'experience', but that won't help you.

But grass green, and tarmac grey are both about 18% reflectance (what your meter assumes it's seeing), so if you try to keep those in mind, you can look around and spot something in the right light that corresponds. Use your histogram to double check your guesstimate.

The more common and to me more difficult way to do this is to remember how far from average certain items are (ie the back of your hand is a stop and a half brighter etc.)
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Its better to use the palm of the hand as it does not tan :D
Asian skin is about 18%, Black skin need about a stop less, Caucasian skin needs about a stop more. Remember that your hand needs to be in the same light as the subject. :)

To answer the OP I normally use Matrix (Evaluative) and adjust as required.
 
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Evaluative and experience for me - I just kinda know when the camera is going to get it wrong and usually by how much too, well close enough to not worry about, but even then one 'test' shot and its obvious by using the blinkies :)

If I am having any doubts then I use my external meter - but that is rare

Dave
 
Pookeyhead said:
What's your rationale for that?
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Good question, I wondered if anyone would pick up on it.
Because the Canon meters (on all my (older) cameras) tend to lean towards protecting the highlights for JPEG shooters. I get slightly further TTR by setting +.3 or+.6 exp comp (as a general rule).

I've no idea if this is still the case on newer models - I tend to test when I first get them (and it'll be a while before there's a new camera in my bag).
 
Phil V said:
Good question, I wondered if anyone would pick up on it.
Because the Canon meters (on all my (older) cameras) tend to lean towards protecting the highlights for JPEG shooters. I get slightly further TTR by setting +.3 or+.6 exp comp (as a general rule).

I've no idea if this is still the case on newer models - I tend to test when I first get them (and it'll be a while before there's a new camera in my bag).
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I do the same on my Nikons, mostly + 1/3rd stop; and my pal's the same with his D600 too - we both feel they underexpose a smidge :)

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
I do the same on my Nikons, mostly + 1/3rd stop; and my pal's the same with his D600 too - we both feel they underexpose a smidge :)

Dave
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Probably the same reason, to maintain highlight detail for JPEG shooters.
 
I think it may be dangerous to be advising people who may not fully understand to deliberately over expose according to their meter, especially when using ETTR as a rationale. There are just as many cases and scenarios when ETTL is equally as useful, and unless you understand why you would want to do either, I would recommend actually just trusting your meter. I've seen people "ETTR" when there was adequate range on the histogram to actually give no practical advantage, and as a result clipped highlights that would otherwise be perfectly rendered.

A great many people shoot "ETTR" just to be clever when there's no real need to. I'm not saying YOU do.... I'm just saying unless you know for certain that shooting ETTR is necessary, or you know for certain your camera is underexposing and compromising your shadow detail, just trust your meter.
 
My first three Canon digitals - D30, 10D, 20D - all tended to need an extra half stop or so adding. Later models seem fine, whether shooting jpeg or RAW. No idea why, and it wasn't a problem as long as I was aware of it.
 
Pookeyhead said:
I think it may be dangerous to be advising people who may not fully understand to deliberately over expose according to their meter, especially when using ETTR as a rationale. There are just as many cases and scenarios when ETTL is equally as useful, and unless you understand why you would want to do either, I would recommend actually just trusting your meter. I've seen people "ETTR" when there was adequate range on the histogram to actually give no practical advantage, and as a result clipped highlights that would otherwise be perfectly rendered.

A great many people shoot "ETTR" just to be clever when there's no real need to. I'm not saying YOU do.... I'm just saying unless you know for certain that shooting ETTR is necessary, or you know for certain your camera is underexposing and compromising your shadow detail, just trust your meter.
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I hadn't understood that I was advising anyone to do anything?:thinking:
I was answering a question about my metering methods and you asked me why I had my exp comp on a small + as a matter of course:shrug:
Now you're telling me I shouldn't tell people that:cuckoo:
 
Phil V said:
I hadn't understood that I was advising anyone to do anything?:thinking:
I was answering a question about my metering methods and you asked me why I had my exp comp on a small + as a matter of course:shrug:
Now you're telling me I shouldn't tell people that:cuckoo:
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My thoughts exactly ^^^ !!!

I don't ETTR for any other reason than to me the camera needs it as it underexposes a tad, I'm not using the ETTR principle at all - just getting it right for me

Dave
 
Phil V said:
I hadn't understood that I was advising anyone to do anything?:thinking:
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I apologise for that... I know you weren't, but you basically offered it as your way of working, without a rationale to explain why. As you're usually in the thick of it in technical discussion, and the vast majority of the time correct in what you say, there will be peopel who seek out your posts for a definitive answer.

With great power comes great responsibility :)
 
I thought my D7000 slightly underexposes, I understand that setting exposure comp to a + or a - will do just that, what I don't know is what the camera is doing to get this?
 
Pookeyhead said:
I apologise for that... I know you weren't, but you basically offered it as your way of working, without a rationale to explain why. As you're usually in the thick of it in technical discussion, and the vast majority of the time correct in what you say, there will be peopel who seek out your posts for a definitive answer.

With great power comes great responsibility :)
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I didn't realise anyone was taking any notice:shake:

I also have a really odd way of metering that suits me perfectly but when I explain it, it sounds a bit weird to people like you who know proper stuff :nuts:
 
Phil V said:
I didn't realise anyone was taking any notice:shake:

I also have a really odd way of metering that suits me perfectly but when I explain it, it sounds a bit weird to people like you who know proper stuff :nuts:
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You seem to give a good account of yourself in technical threads to me. You seem to know your stuff. Anyway... that was my point.. that you just didn't give a reason why. No biggie... and certainly wasn't suggesting you were telling people what to do :)
 
Pookeyhead said:
You seem to give a good account of yourself in technical threads to me. You seem to know your stuff. Anyway... that was my point.. that you just didn't give a reason why. No biggie... and certainly wasn't suggesting you were telling people what to do :)
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I ought to give the serious response, which is Thanks:). It genuinely means a lot.

Despite a C&G course (20 odd yrs ago) I consider myself largely self taught, and as I've said on many occasions I learn plenty here, which is why I happily share with others.
 
Everything technical I know is self taught too - 'nowt wrong with that :). The Degrees that followed added relatively little that I didn't already know technically. That's not what they were for though, as I tire of explaining in any educational threads. A C&G course is a great place to start to learn technicalities, and once you have the basics boxed off, the only limit to what you learn technically is your own interest and passion to learn it. It may be 20 years since the C&G, but I highly doubt the learning stopped when the course did.
 
Ivan S said:
I thought my D7000 slightly underexposes, I understand that setting exposure comp to a + or a - will do just that, what I don't know is what the camera is doing to get this?
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In AV mode, it reduces/exposes the shutter speed
in TV mode, it opens/closes the aperture
 
buzzlightweight said:
I just wanted to know what your opinions are on the different in camera metering modes?

I tend to use Evaluative most of the time but I am starting to use spot metering and AE Lock a little more.

So what do you use and why?

many thanks buzz
Click to expand...

Horses for courses, or in this case settings for situations.

You probably want to be using the spot meter in high contrast shots, ie very bright background. There's no one setting that's going to cover everything.
 
Lyonspride said:
Horses for courses, or in this case settings for situations.

You probably want to be using the spot meter in high contrast shots, ie very bright background. There's no one setting that's going to cover everything.
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That is primarily where I use spot, and I fully understand its horses for courses but I really want to know what others do :)
 
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