760D + Sigma 18-250 problem

jakoari wrote:

Can anyone tell which metering mode is basically the best one to use for landscape photography? I've tried all ( evaluative, spot, center...) but can't find much difference ?

I use Center-Weighted metering for its consistency and predictability. All light meters are calibrated to medium grey, so the most foolproof way to meter is with a grey card. Just place the grey card in the same light as your subject, fill the frame with it, take a meter reading (lock exposure), and shoot away. Manual exposure mode is a natural for this.

I don't even use a grey card any more though, since I know the palm of my hand is precisely 1 1/3 stops lighter than an 18% grey card. So I just meter off my palm (palms don't tan like the back of the hand), and then I add that 1 1/3 stop of exposure to the reading. Voila, perfect exposure for every shot.

Now sometimes you'll want to adjust your exposure for artistic reasons. You can use the spot meter to see where on the exposure scale those areas will end up. Google the "Zone System" for a comprehensive explanation of metering and exposure.

But truthfully, I rarely ever even take a meter reading any more. I just snap a shot and review it for exposure. It's like taking a "polaroid" preview in the old days.  Be sure to enable the "Blinkies" to alert you of any overexposed areas (it's an extremely useful tool). You can also check the histogram to get a sense of the exposure too.

One thing I like to do is "Expose To The Right" (side of the histogram). The bright side of the histogram can hold much more detail than the darker areas, and it helps to keep you above the noise levels too. Speaking of which, be sure to shoot at "base ISO" to minimize noise and to maximize dynamic range, color, and contrast. Don't blow out any (important) whites though 'cuz they'll be gone forever (ref "Blinkies" above). Search "ETTR" for more info on this.

Shoot RAW if you aren't already.  When desired, bracket your exposures and/or shoot HDR to maximize the potential of the shot. Apply your noise reduction (selectively) in Post, and save any sharpening for the very last step (after any cropping/resizing). The amount of sharpening is very dependent on image size, and how you want to output your images. Note: You can disable all in-camera noise reduction and sharpening via the menus.

Well, there's a heck of a lot that I haven't covered, but this should get you started. Holler back with any questions!

Happy shooting,

R2