5D2 external speedlite control metering mode question

Hi, I have a question on the External Speedlite Control flash function setting in the 5D2. If I set the ETTL2 metering mode to evaluative or average, how will this effect the metering mode that is selected in the LCD panel or Quick Control Screen? For example, if in the flash function setting "evaluative" is selected, how will this effect the selection I make in the LCD/Quick Control Screen (it could be evaluative, average, spot, partial)? Thanks for the inputs.

mrmarks wrote in post #10828420
Hi, I have a question on the External Speedlite Control flash function setting in the 5D2. If I set the ETTL2 metering mode to evaluative or average, how will this effect the metering mode that is selected in the LCD panel or Quick Control Screen? For example, if in the flash function setting "evaluative" is selected, how will this effect the selection I make in the LCD/Quick Control Screen (it could be evaluative, average, spot, partial)? Thanks for the inputs.

It doesn't (except for the 1D-series cameras). The flash metering setting of Evaluative or Average only applies to metering the flash. The metering mode selected via the camera exposure mode control, i.e. Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot, etc. applies only to ambient light metering and has no effect on the flash metering other than the fact that the camera takes into consideration the exposure calculations from both metering types when taking flash pictures.

On the 1D-series cameras, when the flash is mounted and turnd on in E-TTL mode, the ambient light metering switches to Evaluative metering although that is not indicated in the LCD panel (AFAIK, the LCD panel still shows the mode selected by the photographer).

Leo, when the camera exposure mode is set to spot, doesn't this affect flash metering? For instance when in spot mode, and FEL is used, a pre-flash is emitted to meter the flash. Thanks for your inputs on this.

No, it doesn't, but using FEL by itself changes flash metering to spot metering mode. The evaluative vs. average E-TTL II setting is disregarded when using FEL.

PacAce wrote in post #10828772
On the 1D-series cameras, when the flash is mounted and turnd on in E-TTL mode, the ambient light metering switches to Evaluative metering...

Why? Does it do that on all models, even the latest 1D Mark IV?

Leo and Anders, thanks for the excellent explanation!

Sure. By the way, here's what CPN says about flash metering with the 1D Mark VI. They don't say if it affects ambient metering, though.

There are two flash metering algorithms you can use for flash metering – the metering pattern you choose for ambient light metering does not affect the flash exposure. The flash metering algorithm determines how the camera reads the light reflected from the pre-flash – either as an evaluative metering algorithm (Setting 0), or as an average metering algorithm (Setting 1) where the light is read from all the metering zones and averaged without trying to determine where the subject is. You should try both in a controlled environment to see what works best for you.

apersson850 wrote in post #10834920
Why? Does it do that on all models, even the latest 1D Mark IV?

Anders, I can't say why the 1D-series models behave differently from the other EOS DSLR models although I'm not surprised since the 1D cameras have always been a different breed of EOS cameras. And it's not even an officially documented "feature", as far as I know. One of the members here at POTN actually discovered this feature by accident and posed a question about it on POTN. I was able to confirm his observations so I posed the question to Chuch Westfall who, in turn, acknowledged this behavior on the 1D-series cameras. You can read my question and his reply at the very bottom of the page in the following link:

http://digitaljournali​st.org/issue0606/tech-tips.html

I do not know if this feature is also implemented on the 1DmkIV since I do not have this camera to test on.