POLL - which metering method?

hey, i trawled thru the forums and read a couple of really good threads on this but i would like to see a poll so here goes...

YOU CAN CHOOSE MORE THAN ONE ANSWER...
in case you have no strong preference, or in case you use one but would prefer to use spot, for example

any info you wish to post such as what percentage of the time you use your favourite/most useful metering method, or under what conditions, would also be helpful

I usually ignore the meter. Shoot in M, chimp the histogram and adjust if necessary.

If I need accuracy, sometimes I'll use spot metering.

For general metering, CWA is my metering mode of choice. It's consistent, not dynamic like evaluative. Makes it easier to learn how it meters consistently. I stay away from evaluative for the same reason I stay away from auto-white-balance. Don't like the camera trying to guess anything.

Your options are a little bit odd, especially the last one. It shouldn't even be there.

cdifoto wrote in post #5152904
Your options are a little bit odd, especially the last one. It shouldn't even be there.

It's phrased a little strangely, isn't it? I took it to mean 'I shoot in M and ignore the meter' or 'I shoot in M and adjust according to the histogram'.

OP lists a bunch of metering modes, and then the last option is a method ie process. The process itself is based on using a mode. I'll shoot in M but I don't ignore the meter, which is in evaluative. The meter provides a starting point. The mode determines how the meter reacts to the scene.

cdifoto wrote in post #5152915
OP lists a bunch of metering modes, and then the last option is a method ie process. The process itself is based on using a mode. I'll shoot in M but I don't ignore the meter, which is in evaluative. The meter provides a starting point. The mode determines how the meter reacts to the scene.

Yeah I see your point, and it makes a lot of sense. Maybe that one should just mean 'I ignore the meter'. Wait no, I read it again. You're right. It doesn't belong. It's the 'other'.

hm unfortunately i cant edit the options - the last one means what you took it to mean, sorry if it wasnt clear. remember you can choose more than one option - if you shoot M and use one main metering method, you can tick both...if you shoot M and ignore the meter, then dont tick any meter options

after reading the other threads i was left with no clear picture as to what ppl found most useful overall and why (i only added the second spot metering option because one of my bodies doesn't have it, and i wanted a clear picture of who chooses/doesnt choose spot, not distorted by all the ppl who dont have it anyway)

somethingsimple wrote in post #5152922
after reading the other threads i was left with no clear picture as to what ppl found most useful overall

The most useful mode is the one you learn well.

cdifoto wrote in post #5152931
The most useful mode is the one you learn well.

Exactly. They all have their perks. Pick one, learn it inside out, and you're good. I don't touch evaluative because I have no idea how it works in any given situation . Some people do know how it does. More power to them.

I use evaluative because I'm almost always shooting with flash, and it saves me the meter-sky-recompose hoo-hah. That and it's a shared mode between the 10D and 1D. Spot metering isn't and I don't know jack about that other one...center weighted or whatever. Plus it's the only icon I can remember since none of them make sense.

cdifoto wrote in post #5152940
I use evaluative because I'm almost always shooting with flash, and it saves me the meter-sky-recompose hoo-hah. That and it's a shared mode between the 10D and 1D. Spot metering isn't and I don't know jack about that other one...center weighted or whatever. Plus it's the only icon I can remember since none of them make sense.

That makes a lot of sense. The icons don't make any sense at ALL.

I like center-weighted average for a similar reason. I like its consistency, and also because my film cameras have it too, and it works the same way. Evaluative on my film camera is only 6-zone, unlike the 35-zone or whatever of the modern DSLRs, with their huge evaluative databases.

i have been using evaluative myself but am looking for a change... some of the situations i shoot swap rapidly/repeatedly between lighting & type of image; i might not have time to be swapping modes between photos, so that's why im polling, to see if there's a clear favourite that might suit a range of situations

somethingsimple wrote in post #5152959
i have been using evaluative myself but am looking for a change... some of the situations i shoot swap rapidly/repeatedly between lighting & type of image; i might not have time to be swapping modes between photos, so that's why im polling, to see if there's a clear favourite that might suit a range of situations

You might appreciate the consistency of CWA then. Especially if you're not using flash.

was leaning that way... how does flash muck it up? i may use flash in some situations... but i am a big focus>recompose>meter>recompose>shoot player so would that combat any problems?

also, was leaning towards spot... why cwa over spot?

somethingsimple wrote in post #5152969
was leaning that way... how does flash muck it up? i may use flash in some situations... but i am a big focus>recompose>meter>recompose>shoot player so would that combat any problems?

also, was leaning towards spot... why cwa over spot?

Err...I don't really think CWA 'mucks it up' with flash, but evaluative and ETTL seem to work nicely together. But after all, there are two different exposures with a flash shot.

Why CWA over spot? Speed I guess. Not much else, spot is ideal if you know how to use it and have the time.

But either way I try to expose for the incident light, not reflected light, so I learned CWA, sometimes use it to help me for the first shot, adjust, and roll.