Exposure Metering

[Tafnana]

I've read the G2 manual many times but still can't understand the differences between "center weighted", "centerpoint" and "AF point metering". Any help would be appreciated.Can anyone help?

[Mind Socket]

Hi Tafnana,

There are several possibilities with these settings. To clarify up front, AE is autoexposure, AF is autofocus.

First there is metering ...
You can set evaluative or center weghted average metering using the menu. (see pg 78 of the manual for descriptions). This can be overridden by pressing the spot metering button. So, in effect, there are 3 metering options, evaluative, center-weighted or spot.

Now, if you are using spot metering (the last of the above listed metering modes), the "Spot AE point" setting specifies whether the Spot AE point is the same as the AF point (which has 3 possible positions). If it's center, then Spot AE will always meter the middle of the frame. If it's set to AF point, then metering will occur at the same point as the autofocus point (this is often center anyway).

If in doubt, find a very contrasted scene, flip out the LCD and look at the location of the focus point, AE point (if using spot metering) and see how different shots come out. It is definitely a confusing subject to get your head around.

[ken-w]

tafnana wrote:
I've read the G2 manual many times but still can't understand the differences between "center weighted", "centerpoint" and "AF point metering". Any help would be appreciated.Can anyone help?

Center weighted exposure reads the entire view in terms of exposure metering but gives more weight to a selected part of the centre (since normally the main subject in somewhere near centre). I don't exactly how the G2 does it, but a simplistic example would be that it would take 40% of the view in the centre portion of the view and give it 60% of the exposure weighting, and give the remaining 40% of the exposure weighting to the outside 60% of the view (are we confused yet :) )

I would presume that "centerpoint" is the same as the spot metering on the G1 - it selects its exposure setting from a very small center rectangle. This is handy if you have a high contrast photo (such as a portrait with a very bright or very dark background) and you can then spot meter the exact area you want properly exposed.

AF point metering is as Roger has explained.

For most purposes, center weighted metering will give the best results but play around with the other settings to see what the effects are.

[Tafnana]

Roger and Ken,

Thank you for your replies.
This has helped considerably

Stuart