Spot metering

So, will the meter read in 'M' mode be the same whether the camera is set for spot metering or evaluative metering?

goaliejake22 wrote in post #15737664
So, will the meter read in 'M' mode be the same whether the camera is set for spot metering or evaluative metering?

Great question, I was also going to ask this

dharris wrote in post #15737632
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

Others are welcome to correct me if I'm wrong. To my understanding, it's kinda like using it as your gray card. With different jerseys in sports, you'll end up with different metering on different players. The grass is consistent.

NewCreation wrote in post #15737711
Others are welcome to correct me if I'm wrong. To my understanding, it's kinda like using it as your gray card. With different jerseys in sports, you'll end up with different metering on different players. The grass is consistent.

Totally makes sense

You can also spot meter the palm of your hand in the same light as your subject. I have to add about one EV to the meter reading to get a good exposure.

If you have a gray card, center the needle. Then check your palm and that positive meter reading is where you want to be.

Glad to hear "metering your palm" is still being used. That's all I ever did when shooting film, and it worked great!

goaliejake22 wrote in post #15737664
So, will the meter read in 'M' mode be the same whether the camera is set for spot metering or evaluative metering?

no.

metering mode matters.

If you meter off green, remember to adjust the exposure to -2/3. Green is not real mid grey.

dharris wrote in post #15736046
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

If you want to meter on the face and not the shirt, all you have to do, I think, is use the spot meter on the face (get the face in your center point), then hit your AE lock button and then change your composition to how you want with the AF point where you want and take your shot. You will be locking your metering on the reading of the face and when you recompose with the center point somewhere else your exposure will be locked on the reading from the face and you can focus and take the shot.

vorlon1 wrote in post #15738319
If you want to meter on the face and not the shirt, all you have to do, I think, is use the spot meter on the face (get the face in your center point), then hit your AE lock button and then change your composition to how you want with the AF point where you want and take your shot. You will be locking your metering on the reading of the face and when you recompose with the center point somewhere else your exposure will be locked on the reading from the face and you can focus and take the shot.

Although I personally shoot manual and meter on an appropriate "target" to set my exposure, the above advice is appropriate/correct when using a non-manual mode and an off-center focus point!

tonylong wrote in post #15738387
Although I personally shoot manual and meter on an appropriate "target" to set my exposure, the above advice is appropriate/correct when using a non-manual mode and an off-center focus point!

Or manual mode with ISO set to auto.

lovemyram4x4 wrote in post #15738436
Or manual mode with ISO set to auto.

Ah, but the OP was asking about how to adapt when the camera uses the center point for metering and you are using an off-center point for focusing, so Auto-ISO would have the same "challenge"!

All of which presumes that your camera metering is accurately calibrated in the first instance.

I've never formally checked out my spot metering, but I have discovered empirically that, in Evaluative, my 5DII and 1Dc are pretty good in delivering the exposure I expect with the meter centred. The 5D requires +1/3 and the 20D +2/3 to give to same exposure.

Your meter is an excellent and pretty accurate guide to get you into the ballpark, but the particular highlight/shadow scenario within your frame dictates that it is just that - a guide. Algorithms will take you just so far; thereafter it comes down to experience, plus trial-and-error

All great answers and replies, thank you all so much for helping me out

I will meter off of subjects face, lock, recompose, focus then shoot.

That's fine. If you want to take several shots, then metering off the face and setting the proper exposure in M mode is easier. In an automatic mode, you have to keep the AE lock button pressed all the time, or you loose the locked exposure between shots.