Spot Metering

This isn't a question thread, but more of an observation. A lot of people say the spot meter on the 30D is not a worthwhile reason to favor it over the xti. Maybe it isn't, but spot combined with all of the other positve points the 30D has over the xti makes it the clear choice. I must say, I have been using spot metering more than I thought I ever would. All the X-Mas pics I have been taking this season have been around or involving christmas lights, fireplaces, and other tricky shots such as taking x-mas pics outside at night with my subjects roasting chestnuts on an open fire, LOL. I tried some of the shots using Evaluative and even partial, but they came out underexposed EVERY TIME. Evaluative sure is easily fooled. I just switched over to M mode with spot metering and my shots all came out correctly exposed or extremely close to it.

I got the 30D as an updrade to my xt (bought the xti when it was first released and I took it back the next day). Don't get me wrong, the xti make for a great starter camera. My xt was my starter and I had it for over a year before I got the 30D.

yes, I do agree I upgraded from XT, I find it a nice piece of plastic but 30D is something different... I'm totally in love! and spot metering as a HUGE improvement over XT/XTI

Well, with anything you use, you get to know it after you've have a lot of experience. I always set my cameras to evaluative mode just because that's what I'm used to. When I see a particular scene, I know very closely how much or how little I need to compensate. Because of this, I had no particular need for the spot meter on the 30D.

So some people value it a lot more than others. You just gotta find the mix that best suits you. That's why I find it funny when people say things like "spot metering is essential to get any kind of proper exposure". LOL

why doesnt the xti have spot metering? my canon point and shoot has it o.o

e r y k wrote in post #2396076
why doesnt the xti have spot metering? my canon point and shoot has it o.o

So Canon can have different price levels(Xti is their entry level). They only put in the 30D the spot metering. It did not exist in the D30, D60, 10D, 20D.

Every camera I own with a meter built in has 'spot' metering, except for my 20D which as 'Partial', even my point & shoots, both film and digital! I also own a handheld with 10 degree and another handheld with ONE degree spotmetering that I use with any of my cameras. Honestly I can state, after using that array of cameras and precision spotmeter, that I have never wished that I had traded in my 20D for a 30D because of the smaller spot! Perhaps the decreased reliance I have in most circumstances is due to having 40+ years of experience, so I can second guess when meters have a shortcoming and make a mental adjustment of the reading more often(???) <shrug>, so that the difference in spot size between the 20D and 30D matters not to me . I just wanted to add the perspective of someone who will not buy any camera that only has Evaluative or Average or Center Weighted metering...it must have a spot of some sort, even if it is large enough to be called 'partial'!

e r y k wrote in post #2396076
why doesnt the xti have spot metering? my canon point and shoot has it o.o

Because Canon wants to have a reason to part you with more money...if they put all the features in the bottom end camera, too many people would be satisfied and not buy up later!

excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between spot and partial is it just the size of the "spot"?

ingi wrote in post #2396597
excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between spot and partial is it just the size of the "spot"?

That's about the size of it.

thanks Rhys

Although not true for everyone, spot metering has been quite the useful feature for me.

ingi wrote in post #2396597
excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between spot and partial is it just the size of the "spot"?

Partial metering: Meters the centermost 9% of the image.

Spot metering: Meters the centermost 3% of the image.

I have split prism focusing screen on my XT so I use Partial metering a lot.
Quite often and whish I had true Spot metering but since I don’t it is not the end of the world.
Partial can do the job..

However, handheld 1% light meter is the best solution (for me) and if everything goes well, I am going to get one before I go for my next camera.

another thing ive read are people "modding" the firmware version of 300d's to "unlock" more options. granted this is probably against cannons warranty policy, is it possible to unlock such features on xt/xti's?

e r y k wrote in post #2398267
another thing ive read are people "modding" the firmware version of 300d's to "unlock" more options. granted this is probably against cannons warranty policy, is it possible to unlock such features on xt/xti's?

None that I know of. The 300D was a cut down 10D. The XT/XTi aren't cut down anything. They're designed that way.