Metering

I have a canon 400d and I normally let the camera auto meter. But as I learn more I am trying new things and was wondering what is the difference between the different metering options and which do you's preffer?

dm020486,
Here is a Canon site that goes into explaining the different metering modes available. Changing the Metering Mode <-- click to see

I prefer spot metering (or larger spot called partial metering), as it lets me choose a more specific place to take a meter reading from

Evaluative metering handles most tasks.

In-camera meters have a hard time with a difficult situation such as a light-colored subject in front of a dark background, such as a brightly-dressed person in front of a dark curtain, or a heavily backlit subject. Even cameras with spot metering can choose the wrong exposure. These are situations where the human eye responds better than cameras. For those tough circumstances, a hand-held incident meter works better.

I personally dont think a hand held meter is really needed for the vast majority of people. A knowledge of what the camera is metering and how it can be fooled is a requirement when you get past auto.

For those subjects mentioned, i use spot metering but I know i will have to compensate for the other parts (by flash or other means).

About the only time i think a hand held meter is really required these days is studio flash/lighting.

Evaluative does too much thinking on its own for my tastes, or maybe my experience. It makes some odd decisions sometimes that I didn't predict. And, for me, predictability is the most important aspect of meter function. I need to understand what it is saying and why it is saying it. So evaluative seldom gets used.

I use center weighted average or spot almost all the time. I understand what the meter tells me when I use them, and I know what I have to do to compensate if I am metering anything other than mid tones. I probably spend 80% of my time with spot, and I meter for the highlights I want to keep. It probably stems from my slide film days where the mantra was always to expose for the highlights and let the shadows fall where they may. I feel the same way about digital.

I've always thought the symbols Canon use to depict Evaluative metering and Centreweighted average metering should be the other way around.

Evaluative has a couple of blobs in the middle of the square illuminated, whereas Centreweighted average is just an empty square. Seems counter-intuitive to me.

Two principles:

1. The selection of metering mode (Evaluative, Centerweight, Partial, Spot) only determines how the camera will emphasize one zone (or zone size) over other zones.

2. No matter what metering mode, the meter ALWAYS thinks the item within that zone is 18% gray in tonality, and tries to give an exposure the render that item as 18% gray tonality -- even if the item is white or is black, and not 18% gray! If the item is not 18% gray, you need to help the meter by use of Exposure Compensation (EC)


As for how Evaluative works, it biases the reading to the AF zone(s) which is used for focus, but gives some weight to the values seen in adjacent zones. Here is an example of Evaluative used on an 18% target, vs. using Spot to read that same target...

Evaluative, using AF point on the 18% card.

Good post by Wilt. My solution is to usually ignore metering modes & EC, & start with these: Sometimes I expose for the brightest important highlight ("Shoot to the Right"): Need an exposure crutch?
Why?
Post # 47

Sometimes I expose for the most important thing in the shot: Expose (to the) Right

Sometimes I screw up & RAW saves me again.
Why I love RAW - '53 Ford Sunliner

PhotosGuy wrote in post #9121001
Good post by Wilt. My solution is to usually ignore metering modes & EC, & start with these: Sometimes I expose for the brightest important highlight ("Shoot to the Right"): Need an exposure crutch?
Why?
Post # 47

Sometimes I expose for the most important thing in the shot: Expose (to the) Right

Sometimes I screw up & RAW saves me again.
Why I love RAW - '53 Ford Sunliner

^^^

When you have two teams -- one in black jerseys, the other in white jerseys -- with variable mixes of players running in and out of your viewfinder, the exposure should be constant, not ever changing! The light falling on the scene is fixed (unless it is a partly cloudy day with the sun playing hide and seek behind passing clouds), so the exposure is not changing! So they key to consistent results in this situation of players running in and out of the frame is to take a single reading and use the camera in Manual, with a preset shutter speed and f/stop.