Spot metering

Question: When I set my meter to spot and my AF to center point, if I decide to change my AF point away from center how will spot meter in react?

In other words if; Photographing a person with my AF point on subjects face will my camera meter off the shirt and not the face area?


Thank you,

Don

Your camera likely meters off the center point, not the focus point. Some newer advanced models let you assign the metering point, but most dont.

What camera body are you using?

Snydremark wrote in post #15736061
What camera body are you using?

I use a 5dc and 7d, sorry for not providing that information.

Ok, yeah; on the 7D, at least, the spot meter is only around the center AF point. I'm relatively certain that the same is true for the 5Dc, although, I've never used one.

I know the 7D meters based on the center. There is even a circle that appears when you switch to spot metering. So, yes, it will meter off a person's shirt, etc (especially in portrait orientation). I recently shot a big band rehearsal, and as they were in casual dress, shirt colors varied. Shutter speeds were all over the place. I would spot meter on your subject's face (or preferred body part ) in Av, note the shutter speed, and switch to Manual. Give yourself a high enough SS so that you can drop a bit for darker portions of the stage/scene, and increase it for hot spots, etc.

Hop this helps...

I have been photographing little league baseball players with different results. My subjects change from size and different colored shirts. This is done outdoors and the light continually changes. I shoot with my assistant holding a gobo for me.

This is a step and repeat setting. I have used evaluative metering for the longest time and now actually taking the time to learn how my meter actually works.

I shoot Canon 5dc and 7d

Another question; When in manual mode is the meter setting disengaged?

dharris wrote in post #15736374
Another question; When in manual mode is the meter setting disengaged?

When in manual mode, it might be easier to say that there is no "meter setting". The camera is merely acting as a light meter and does not make any settings. You choose and set the values required. That said, it could be argued that they are "disengaged" when either you change them or you switch from manual mode.

dharris wrote in post #15736255
I have been photographing little league baseball players with different results. My subjects change from size and different colored shirts. This is done outdoors and the light continually changes. I shoot with my assistant holding a gobo for me.

This is a step and repeat setting. I have used evaluative metering for the longest time and now actually taking the time to learn how my meter actually works.

I shoot Canon 5dc and 7d

Shoot manual and meter on the grass. Adjust occasionally based on changing light.

The meter is 'active' in manual mode; this is why you see the needle move around. It's showing you the current reading from whatever the camera is looking at. Whereas, in Av/Tv the camera attempts to auto-center the needle, so the scale there is used to only display how much you want to override the camera's decisions. So, the needle only moves when you dial in some level of exposure compensation (EC).

Think of it like this: If you put your camera in Tv/Av, point it at a given subject, and dial in EC until the needle lines up with the '1' on the scale; or, you put the camera in manual, pointed at the exact same subject, and dial in your aperture/shutter until the needle moves to line up with the '1', both will give you the same exposure.

gonzogolf wrote in post #15736448
Shoot manual and meter on the grass. Adjust occasionally based on changing light.

+1 to this

AF linked Spot metering is only available in 1d-series. You can have Canon to thank for.

To a limited extent, you can use Evaluative metering as it supposed to bias the metering at the AF point location. It is ok if the degree of contrast is not wide.

gonzogolf wrote in post #15736060
Your camera likely meters off the center point, not the focus point. Some newer advanced models let you assign the metering point, but most dont.

Correct. Those camera will meter off the center point in spot metering. If your shooting the outer points. I would recommend using evaluative metering instead.

I know the 1DX can spot meter off any AF points, but I'm not sure about the 5D3's AF system.

Bottom line is use evaluative/matrix metering if not not using center point.

Thank you all for the help! Couple folks mentioned metering the grass and go from there. Can you please elaborate why I should meter the grass? Is it due to the nature of brightness of the sun on the grass?

Thank you,
Don