Spot metering

Janice

Janice

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Janice
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I was wondering if a future firmware update could enable true spot metering on the Canon 350d or is it a hardware matter?
 
Hi Janice - I think they could do by firmware - if they wanted to. Problem is that would negate people buying more expensive cameras that have it. Its a consumer market, Canon want you to upgrade to a 30D :suspect1:

regards
 
I dont think they could, spot metering is more than just software.
 
I'm pretty sure spot metering has to be designed into the camera from the outset. Nice idea though. :)
 
I'll bow to the more erudite members :thumb: as I only said "I think" :Ponders:

regards
 
Grrr......I'm finding this partial 9% not small enough. Its ok if I am using a reasonable zoom like the 75-300,... I can zoom in and spot meter...but with my Tamron 28-75 it doesnt really work well enough.
 
Spot metering is a big asset - no doubt about it. :)

The ID is fantastic, you can take up to 8 spot readings from different parts of the scene and the camera keeps track of the optimum exposure for the number of readings. Mostly though, just one spot reading is enough. :dizzy:
 
CT said:
you can take up to 8 spot readings from different parts of the scene and the camera keeps track of the optimum exposure for the number of readings.
Click to expand...

The OM4 used to do that as well, I miss that camera :( Even if you didn't need to it was still fun to do, just because you could :D
 
CT said:
Spot metering is a big asset - no doubt about it. :)

The ID is fantastic, you can take up to 8 spot readings from different parts of the scene and the camera keeps track of the optimum exposure for the number of readings. Mostly though, just one spot reading is enough. :dizzy:
Click to expand...

Please dont give me any more reason to desire something I know I can never afford, understand, or have:banghead:

;)
 
If Nikon can build it into the a consumer level camera like the D50, surely Canon could?
 
I dont think its a case of Canon cant, I think before the 30D arrived it was a case of they wouldnt:)
 
Fair does to Nikon for including spot metering in an entry level DSLR. The spot metering in the 30D could easily have been incorporated in the 20D, but as we all know, it's about phased marketing 'improvements' and staying competitive within a particular price range, without giving you all the goodies in one go.
 
I know. :( If I had realized I would be going to use it like I am now.....I wouldve probably got a Nikon.
 
YES come to the dark side....lol
 
You can always save up for a Pentax spot meter (£300ish) or a Sekonic L-608 (even more) :)
 
Hmmm.... I think even the £300ish too rich for my blood!! :D
 
There's a couple of soligor 1 degree spot meters on fleebay at the mo, currently running around the £20 mark.
 
Forgive me for the very amateur question, but I'm only here to learn :)...

Spot metering, is basically a camera's ability to read and recommend a suitable exposure for a very very small particular area, right?
On the 350D, the reading doesn't just come from one sensor (which is true spot metering), instead (dependant upon the metering mode chosen), the size of this area basically extends to about 9% of the image, which for some people is too wide.

Like I say forgive the fact I'm trying to get my head round what should essentially be quite a basic subject, but....
Surely as long as the relevant parts of the image have been exposed correctly, then why does it matter?

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
 
Its just that sometimes the large 9% area covers your important bit (:shock: ) and also covers some other toned parts too...so it doesnt give you an accurate reading. A tiny spot in the centre JUST sits on the tiny bit you want to meter from. Like I said before,,, if you use a decent sized zoom you can zoom in till that particular tone fills the frame and do it, but in landscapes I am using a 28-75 lens and it doesnt work properly with that.

Hope that clears things up............or has it made it worse? :doh:
 
Neither...I think...lol

Don't worry, your explanations are fine, it's just my understanding that is off.

I'm thinking of this from a RAW processing angle, which comes with a train of thought that I think I'd be better staying away from.
When I take a shot, I ignore the review for exposure, I check the histogram, and as long as either end isn't blown, and the histogram is roughly what I would expect to see, then I'm happy with that shot (from an exposure side of things).

Am I being too hasty? Even though neither end of the histogram isn't blown, is there still a chance I have incorrectly exposed it to the point of no return (IE later in RSE / CS2)
 
I just like to know that I am capable of getting it right BEFORE taking the pic thats all. I am very critical and I have to know how things work. I couldnt just take a photo then "hope its right in the histogram and if not then alter the settings and take it again."
 
RAW processing is great, but there really is no substiutute for getting the exposure right in the camera, and with difficult subjects/lighting that's where spot metering really makes a difference.
 
In the interests of the original subject, I do expect that a 350D would be able to do spot metering in software IF the software does the actual metering currently i.e. it does have a special metering chip.

I would expect it to do it in software because that's the cheapest way of doing it and fixing it if you get it wrong.

But that doesn't mean that it will ever be added for the marketing reasons various people gave.

:)
 
Definately better to get right in the camera first, any attempt to recover exposure, be it in raw or otherwise will degrade the image quality or introduce noise, just less so in Raw. The histogram is good for checking you haven't blown or clipped, but it only shows the RGB average, not per channel. I've had exposures, particuarly of sunsets, where the histogram has been fine, but when you open the image later you find it's blown the highlights on the red channel.

You have to look at the histogram in relation to what you are seeing through the lens, a subject that contains mostly dark tones should have the histogram sloping left to right, otherwise you'll have washed out dark tones. the same works the other way. so it is possible to screw the exposure and still have the histogram within no clipping at either end.

I think what janices is getting at, is that she wants to be able to get it right first time, not have to shoot, check and re-shoot by using the histogram. Spot metering will definately allow you to do that.

Having said that though, I tend to use the evaluative metering most of the time and just bracket. Seems to work ok ish most of the time.


Dunno if any of that helps or if I'm just, as I suspect, shooting off down the wrong path!
 
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