20 - Spot metering or not????

[Jay J]

Just purchased a 20D to add to our (3) 10D's that we use. The manual says it has evaluative, center weighted and spot metering but so did the 10D's manual and that camera certainly does not have spot metering.

Is the same true of the 20D? The manual says it has spot metering but it really doesn't?

Thanks,

Jay J

[pierrot]

Where in the manual did you read it has spot metering? It doesn't. :?

[PacAce]

Just purchased a 20D to add to our (3) 10D's that we use. The manual says it has evaluative, center weighted and spot metering but so did the 10D's manual and that camera certainly does not have spot metering.

Is the same true of the 20D? The manual says it has spot metering but it really doesn't?

Thanks,

Jay J
Nope. It's just partial metering that it's got, just like the 10D. But if you look at that circle in the center of the viewfinder as a large spot, then I guess one might say that it's got a large "spot" metering. :mrgreen:

[scottbergerphoto]

The 20D doesn't have spot metering. You are only going to find that on 1Series Canon DSLR's.
Scott

[LisaMarie]

On what page of your manual is this misprint ?
The 20D only has evaluative, center weighted & partial metering.

[Jay J]

First, thanks for the info. folks!

Pg. 71 of the manual states the 20D offers evaluative, center weighted and partial (covers 9% of the viewfinder).

Perhaps I took poetic license. I took a 9% partial coverage to be spot metering. Now I'm presuming that my assumption was incorrect.

However, if I'm metering a groom in all black am I not better off metering in partial on his face so that the camera isn't thrown by all the black and pump out too much flash?

I've tested this with the 10D and it doesn't have any effect. If you folks think it'll work with the 20D then I'll put my theory to test.

Thanks everyone.

Jay J

[PacAce]

First, thanks for the info. folks!

Pg. 71 of the manual states the 20D offers evaluative, center weighted and partial (covers 9% of the viewfinder).

Perhaps I took poetic license. I took a 9% partial coverage to be spot metering. Now I'm presuming that my assumption was incorrect.

However, if I'm metering a groom in all black am I not better off metering in partial on his face so that the camera isn't thrown by all the black and pump out too much flash?

I've tested this with the 10D and it doesn't have any effect. If you folks think it'll work with the 20D then I'll put my theory to test.

Thanks everyone.

Jay J
If you use AE lock, the camera will automatically use the partial metering area for the exposure and then lock it in for a few seconds so that you can recompose before taking the actual shot.

NOTE: This is assuming you haven't reassigned the "*" button for focusing.

[Jay J]

PacAce,

I don't care for AE lock but I should be able to set it to partial, meter off the face by pressing the shutter halfway down and then recomposing I presume.

Jay J

[PacAce]

PacAce,

I don't care for AE lock but I should be able to set it to partial, meter off the face by pressing the shutter halfway down and then recomposing I presume.

Jay J

Unfortunately, all you're going to manage by half-pressing the shutter button is to get a focus lock, not an AE lock. That's what the AE button (the "*" button) is for. I'm not sure why you're averse to using the AE lock when it does exactly what you want to do, i.e. lock the exposure using partial metering. What's the difference between pressing the "*" button and the shutter release button half-way?

[scottbergerphoto]

Jay, Your mixing up flash exposure and ambient exposure. The 20D uses ETTLII for flash exposure. This is independent of active AF points. It has no relation to AE lock. It has no relation to the metering modes you select for ambient metering. The only controls you have over ETTLII is by using CFn. 14-0 for Evaluative or CFn.14-1 for Averageing. You can do FEL, by filling the large center weighted area in the viewfinder with the subject and hitting the FEL button, but ETTLII was supposed to eliminate the need to do that.
Scott

[RDKirk]

However, if I'm metering a groom in all black am I not better off metering in partial on his face so that the camera isn't thrown by all the black and pump out too much flash?

What you're going to get with that is an underexposed groom. Light meters are calibrated to reproduce the tones they read as a medium gray. If the groom is African-American, that would work. If he's Caucasian, you'd have to give a stop more than a meter reading of his face indicates.

[Jay J]

Scottbergerphoto -

You hit the nail on the head I am getting ambient light exposing mixed up with my flash exposing so thanks for the clarification.

PacAce -

You're absolutely correct as well. There isn't any intelligent reason why I shouldn't start using the AE lock especially since holding the shutter half way down only locked in the focus not the exposure. I will start acclimating myself towards the AE lock button in the future.

Also, I have a 580EX flash with the 20D. Is it supposed to say E-ttl II on the flash when it's in that mode? Mine only says E-TTL.

Thanks all.

Jay J