Help w/ Canon 60d AE Lock

Hey everyone. I've been playing with my custom functions settings and stumbled upon AE lock.. correct me if im wrong but to my understanding pushing the AE lock button should lock my exposure on the subject so i can then change my composition without having to re focus? is that right?

if so Ive been trying to focus on something, push the AE lock button but i notice nothing gets locked and the light meter is still making its readings.

If Im doing it correct should my light metering stay the same regardless of where i move the camera?

any help is appreciated thanks

That is correct, if you press the AE lock button it should lock the metering settings for a couple of seconds for you. Check your camera settings to make sure your AE lock button is correctly binded to the AE lock function.

Hmm.. still cant get it.. Do i have to keep the shutter half pressed then push AE lock, then let go of the shutter?? do i need to hold the shutter half down throughout?

Once you get the exposure setting you desire, all you need to do is press the AE lock. You do not need to hold the shutter half way down. You should see the asterisk symbol in the viewfinder if done properly.

ShutterSnappy wrote in post #14786946
Hmm.. still cant get it.. Do i have to keep the shutter half pressed then push AE lock, then let go of the shutter?? do i need to hold the shutter half down throughout?

What mode are you using? It only works in Av, Tv and P. Check Custom setting C.FnIV Operation/Others or use the Q control and select the camera icon, (just above image quality) on the right side. This function controls the action of the shutter button, the * button and the AF-ON button.

Oh I see... I've been shooting in M

Odd that it doesn't work in M. Thanks I thought I was crazy.

Why doesn't it work with M, sounds strange to me?

bent toe wrote in post #14788963
Why doesn't it work with M, sounds strange to me?

Perhaps this is not the best explanation, but I'll give it a try. When you use Av, and move the camera, the shutter speed and ISO (if in auto) may change, while the aperture remains the same. AE lock temporarily locks all the settings so you can recompose with them. When in Tv mode and move the camera, the aperture and the ISO (if on auto) may change. Again AE lock, locks in the exposure. When using manual mode, you are completely controlling the exposure. You set the shutter, you set the aperture and you can also set the ISO manually. If you recompose, none of those setting changes. Manual mode is AE lock!

mwsilver wrote in post #14789002
If you recompose, none of those setting changes. Manual mode is AE lock!

lol! Ofcourse.. my bad

ShutterSnappy wrote in post #14786875
Hey everyone. I've been playing with my custom functions settings and stumbled upon AE lock.. correct me if im wrong but to my understanding pushing the AE lock button should lock my exposure on the subject so i can then change my composition without having to re focus? is that right?

if so Ive been trying to focus on something, push the AE lock button but i notice nothing gets locked and the light meter is still making its readings.

If Im doing it correct should my light metering stay the same regardless of where i move the camera?

any help is appreciated thanks

AE lock won't work in Manual mode or even Auto mode

AE lock is simply ahead of step before Manual,
if you already using Manual then you don't need AE lock anymore

The only time AE lock would make any kind of reason in M mode would be when combined with Auto ISO. But it doesn't work with that either.

bent toe wrote in post #14788963
Why doesn't it work with M, sounds strange to me?

Because in "M" you set the exposure manually. It can't possibly change just because you recompose unless you twist a dial along the way. For the same reason that exposure compensation doesn't do anything in manual.

There even is no exposure compensation. It's instead an aperture or exposure time change, which will give the same result, of course.

Some Nikon cameras do have exposure compensation in M mode as well. What they do then is offset the exposure meter in the viewfinder, so that you'll get -1 centered, for example. But not much point in that, since if you are chasing the needle all the time, then you can just as well use an automatic mode.