Exposure Metering?

[Michael1987]

Hi and thanks for reading, Im a little confused as to when its best to use the different metering methods; full view metering, centre weighted, or spot or if its best to stick to centre weighted and learn to use the exposure compensation to achieve the desired effect. many thanks for any input
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael1987/
Nikon D60
18-55mm VR 3.5-5.6

 

[JoePhoto]

Hi and thanks for reading, Im a little confused as to when its best
to use the different metering methods; full view metering, centre
weighted, or spot or if its best to stick to centre weighted and
learn to use the exposure compensation to achieve the desired effect.
many thanks for any input

Your asking a very good, and valid, question.

I truly wish I had an equally good answer. But there is not one.

If there was a single "right" answer, (and people properly knew how to use "exposure compensation"), there would never, ever, be another poorly exposed photo; they would all be perfect.

The fact is that each scene is different, with different amounts of back-lighting, (located slightly differently), and, and, you (the photographer) is not always wanting the same effect.

If the lighting is "even", (no back light), then full metering is best; (but still does not mean you never have to use exposure-compensation if you are in the snow or shooting a very "black" object).

Center-weighted has proven to be best, most-often, but still can be fooled by excessive back-lighting.

Spot is truly best, provided you are expert at using exposure-compensation; otherwise it can be the worse.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael1987/
Nikon D60
18-55mm VR 3.5-5.6

--
Thanks for reading .... JoePhoto

( Do You Ever STOP to THINK --- and FORGET to START Again ??? )

 

[Ed Grenzig]

Michael

This is some info from Nikon

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=13774&p_created=1132772580&p_sid=3wkW3_6j&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTMyLDEzMiZ

Hi and thanks for reading, Im a little confused as to when its best
to use the different metering methods; full view metering, centre
weighted, or spot or if its best to stick to centre weighted and
learn to use the exposure compensation to achieve the desired effect.
many thanks for any input
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael1987/
Nikon D60
18-55mm VR 3.5-5.6

 

[GaryDeM]

there is no one metering method that is best. the one that the user is supposed to use depends on the scene the situation and what the photographer has in mind for his scene that he/she is trying to capture.

 

[TapioH]

Just use your histogram to learn after each shot.

--
Tapio

 

[Chris Elliott104343]

Michael,

The link that Ed posted is quite old but the advice there is still sound.

A couple of simple rules:

1. As a Beginner start with one form of metering and stick with it until you understand how to use it/when not to use it

2. As a Beginner use Matrix Metering (unless you are very familiar with CW via e.g a film SLR)

3. In situations of strongly contrasting light you may have to take some action to help your cam e.g strong back light (portrait in front of a window with daylight pouring in)

4. In situations where your subject is very light or dark you will have to help the cam in MM e.g very light subject (snow/sand, wedding dress), very dark subject (black labrador).

As Thom Hogan puts it in his D80 Guide and I am sure others you have to be pretty knowledgeable to do a better job than Matrix Metering.

MM on the D60/D80 now has a bank of over 40,000 light patterns to reference. So most of the time it will do better than you or me!

One final comment Matrix Metering now gives quite a lot of weight to the exposure conditions under the active focus point. So if the focus point is on something very dark or very light then use some exposure compensation:

To make the wedding dress look white not grey add approx +1 EV
To make the groom's black suit look black set approx -1 EV

Hope that helps.

--
Chris Elliott

Nikon D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile

http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/

 

[z06vette]

I would suggest you pick up Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, as he offers some very good discussion on this topic.

 

[Michael1987]

thanks all, I was using spot a lot but from what I gather I should use Matrix so I'll see how I go with that. thanks for the in put
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael1987/
Nikon D60
18-55mm VR 3.5-5.6

 

[JoePhoto]

thanks all, I was using spot a lot but from what I gather I should
use Matrix so I'll see how I go with that. thanks for the in put

Going "back" to matrix is truly a step backwards if you truly want to learn "exposure".

(It is simply turing your $million$ DSLR into a cheap P&S camera.)

I would encourage you to continue to use spot, but also learn to use "exposure compensation" so you can get the exact correct exposure for different "shades-of-gray" for each subject.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael1987/
Nikon D60
18-55mm VR 3.5-5.6

--
Thanks for reading .... JoePhoto

( Do You Ever STOP to THINK --- and FORGET to START Again ??? )

 

[Chris Elliott104343]

thanks all, I was using spot a lot but from what I gather I should
use Matrix so I'll see how I go with that. thanks for the in put

Going "back" to matrix is truly a step backwards if you truly want to
learn "exposure".

Joe,

Taking your statement without any qualification sorry I have to disagree! You have no information about how long the OP has owned a D60 and more relevantly how much use he has made of it. (He has posted here for 2 months with it. The cam has been available for approx 4 months. That is all the information we have.)

(It is simply turing your $million$ DSLR into a cheap P&S camera.)

That is hyperbole! Nikon has the most sophisticated pattern metering system of all DSLR mfrs. The metering system simply helps get exposure right. The lens, the CCD, the processor, indeed everything about the camera is light years away from a "cheap P & S". All DSLRs have autofocus. Do you suggest that this is another "cheap P & S" feature that the OP should also ignore? After all it is not 100% accurate!

I would encourage you to continue to use spot, but also learn to use
"exposure compensation" so you can get the exact correct exposure for
different "shades-of-gray" for each subject.

The trouble with using "Spot" from Day 1 is that your results will be poor until you get your exposure right sufficiently often. That may lead many to become discouraged and give up. It also has the disadvantage that you may miss some important shots of your kids growing up or whatever while you learn.

If a Beginner does mainly macro work or anything else where there is time to stop and learn by your mistakes as you go along then Spot metering as your first port of call can work (Take the shot, preview it, check the histogram. Shoot again. Better still shoot Raw and adjust and learn in PP). But if most of your shots are grab shots then Spot is a very hard way to learn. I notice the OP began posting when about to take a holiday to Vietnam with his new D60. I would say Matrix is absolutely made for such occasions. If you have the time and the patience using Spot from scratch just might work. I would say far better to confine it to one area of photography where you have time to learn e.g macro photography/shots of flowers or whatever)

To quote Thom Hogan in his D80 Guide:

"Spot metering allows you to isolate one particular thing in a scene then use the information obtained to to place the tonal value for that object at a particular place within the dynamic range of the capture device. As the previous sentence implies, you have to understand and master quite a few bits of information to use spot meter well. Indeed entire books have been written on the subject."

and

" So which metering system should I use?

Short answer: matrix for most situations; centre-weighted or spot metering for back-lit subjects in very bright light (snow sand etc)"

I use Spot for my difficult shots. On my D80 I have the FUNC button set to switch to Spot. So when the going gets tough I can take some spot readings and adjust Exposure Compensation accordingly.

P.S. To the OP: I would strongly recommend Thom's D60 Guide

P.P.S. Also to the OP: You can learn a lot by shooting RAW and looking at what happens when you change settings in ViewNX or whatever.

EDIT: Joe. I have just realised you were first to post a reply in this thread. I think your words there say it all "Spot is truly best, provided you are expert at using exposure-compensation; otherwise it can be the worse."

--
Chris Elliott

Nikon D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile

http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/

 

[JoePhoto]

thanks all, I was using spot a lot but from what I gather I should
use Matrix so I'll see how I go with that. thanks for the in put

Going "back" to matrix is truly a step backwards if you truly want to
learn "exposure".

Joe,

Taking your statement without any qualification sorry I have to
disagree! You have no information about how long the OP has owned a
D60 and more relevantly how much use he has made of it. (He has
posted here for 2 months with it. The cam has been available for
approx 4 months. That is all the information we have.)

(It is simply turing your $million$ DSLR into a cheap P&S camera.)

That is hyperbole! Nikon has the most sophisticated pattern metering
system of all DSLR mfrs. The metering system simply helps get
exposure right. The lens, the CCD, the processor, indeed everything
about the camera is light years away from a "cheap P & S". All DSLRs
have autofocus. Do you suggest that this is another "cheap P & S"
feature that the OP should also ignore? After all it is not 100%
accurate!

I would encourage you to continue to use spot, but also learn to use
"exposure compensation" so you can get the exact correct exposure for
different "shades-of-gray" for each subject.

The trouble with using "Spot" from Day 1 is that your results will be
poor until you get your exposure right sufficiently often. That may
lead many to become discouraged and give up. It also has the
disadvantage that you may miss some important shots of your kids
growing up or whatever while you learn.

If a Beginner does mainly macro work or anything else where there is
time to stop and learn by your mistakes as you go along then Spot
metering as your first port of call can work (Take the shot, preview
it, check the histogram. Shoot again. Better still shoot Raw and
adjust and learn in PP). But if most of your shots are grab shots
then Spot is a very hard way to learn. I notice the OP began posting
when about to take a holiday to Vietnam with his new D60. I would say
Matrix is absolutely made for such occasions. If you have the time
and the patience using Spot from scratch just might work. I would say
far better to confine it to one area of photography where you have
time to learn e.g macro photography/shots of flowers or whatever)

To quote Thom Hogan in his D80 Guide:

"Spot metering allows you to isolate one particular thing in a scene
then use the information obtained to to place the tonal value for
that object at a particular place within the dynamic range of the
capture device. As the previous sentence implies, you have to
understand and master quite a few bits of information to use spot
meter well. Indeed entire books have been written on the subject."

and

" So which metering system should I use?
Short answer: matrix for most situations; centre-weighted or spot
metering for back-lit subjects in very bright light (snow sand etc)"

I use Spot for my difficult shots. On my D80 I have the FUNC button
set to switch to Spot. So when the going gets tough I can take some
spot readings and adjust Exposure Compensation accordingly.

P.S. To the OP: I would strongly recommend Thom's D60 Guide

P.P.S. Also to the OP: You can learn a lot by shooting RAW and
looking at what happens when you change settings in ViewNX or
whatever.

EDIT: Joe. I have just realised you were first to post a reply in
this thread. I think your words there say it all "Spot is truly best,
provided you are expert at using exposure-compensation; otherwise it
can be the worse."

The OP originally stated that he was interested in "learn(ing) to use the exposure compensation to achieve the desired effect".

He later stated that he has ALREADY been using "spot" anyway. So I am accepting that he truly wants to learn to get the most out of his camera. Thus I simply encouraged him to continue his current efforts.

I still reaffirm the belief that "him" moving back to matirx will not do much to further his knowledge. He will be letting the "camera" make all his exposure decisions, JUST LIKE A P&S DOES.

Note that even if/when he looks at histogram, he will not necessarily know how/why the camera selected its parameters, so it does little/nothing to teach exposure.

If someone wants to learn exposure, (and when to use exposure-compensation), I encourage that, and "spot" is probably the best/fastest way to learn it.

I very seldom encourage/suggest beginners to jump immediately to spot, but in this case I still feel that would be a step backwards for this OP.

--
Chris Elliott

Nikon D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile

http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/

--
Thanks for reading .... JoePhoto

( Do You Ever STOP to THINK --- and FORGET to START Again ??? )

 

[GaryDeM]

"I still reaffirm the belief that "him" moving back to matirx will not do much to further his knowledge. He will be letting the "camera" make all his exposure decisions, JUST LIKE A P&S DOES.

Note that even if/when he looks at histogram, he will not necessarily know how/why the camera selected its parameters, so it does little/nothing to teach exposure."

considering how the modern matrix metering system works, it is definately not going backwards. besides you can make any exposure decision the user wishes in matrix. you are confusing metering type with camera mode. camera mode is auto,program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual, bulb. you can use matrix center weighted and spot metering with ANY OF THE MODES. if the camera is in AUO mode you limited in what the user can do. but program made is the same as auto except the settings are completely available.

i use matrix metering constantly but with any of the camera modes that is needed for the shot. also have used center weighted and spot with all modes.