 Robert Staniewicz |
Exposure Problem Good afternoon. I have a question and I hope the knowledgable folks here can help me. I have a Canon Powershot A85. I am trying to learn the different manual settings (ap. priority, shutter priority and manual.) My problem is this: When I am in program mode, I take a meter reading, let say it is 1/60 sec at f/2.8. (I don't remember if that was exactly it) I take the picture and it comes out fine. If I then switch to manual and put in those settings, the camera says its not correct, and the picture is dark. It is really getting frustrating. Any help or advice would be wonderful. I am trying to get out of the snapshooter role and into more creative images. I really enjoy this site, and have been getting great information. Thanks to everyone.
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Elisabeth A. Gay |
I've noticed little quirks like that too with my Fuji S7000 and my Canon Digital Rebel. A tip I read suggested that the best way to learn exposure is to always shoot in manual until you feel totally comfortable with it. Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure has become my photography bible! Have fun! Ann
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Kathy L. Pollick |
I too, despite snapping pictures for 40 years on program mode, am trying to learn the manual stuff & it is VERY frustrating. I haven't tried your way of doing it yet, so maybe I'll give that a try. I'm just "pushin buttons" - which is what I do best!! LOL I haven't gotten my trial roll of film developed yet, but I'm quite sure the girls at the photo lab will howl with laughter when they see what I've done. (Problem is, I personally know some of them, so I'll be the brunt of conversation for awhile). I ordered Bryan's book but havent' received it yet. I'm hoping it sets the lightbulb off in my brain. This really is harder than it looks. Point & shoot is MUCH easier!!! LOL
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Michael H. Cothran |
Robert, If nothing changed in your scene, and the camera was pointed in the exact same way, there SHOULD NOT be any difference in the reading. You should be able to switch from Program to Aperture Priority, to Shutter Priority, and to Manual with the same exposure indicated. However, if the metering "pattern" were to change you WOULD get a different reading, possibly. For example, if you were to switch from Matrix or Evaluative metering to Center Weighted to Spot metering, the values may change depending on the lighting situation in the image. As a test, set your camera on a tripod, and aim it at anything with continuous lighting that is not changing. With the camera hunkered down, switch from P-A-S-M, and see. If the exposure values change, then check your manual to see if for some quirky reason, your camera switches the metering pattern also (which it really shouldn't). In your situation, your camera may have been in Evaluative metering, giving 1/60 @ 2.8, but if the subject were bright against a darker background, switching to Spot metering would have caused the meter to read 1/125 or 1/250 @ 2.8, making it darker. As you can see though, this change is caused by a change in the metering PATTERN and not by changing the metering MODE. If the pattern does not change when changing from P to M, neither should your exposure value. If it does, and your test above proves it, I'd contact Canon, or the dealer where you bought it. Michael H. Cothran www.mhcphoto.net
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Kathy L. Pollick |
Michael, what does all this metering mean? "if you were to switch from Matrix or Evaluative metering to Center Weighted to Spot metering,". I never heard of all these. Does my camera do all these things? (I have a Minolta Maxxum 5000) Would I ever USE all those things?
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Robert Staniewicz |
Thanks for all the responses. Michael, thanks for the info. I am fairly certain that the meter mode was the same, but I am going to check it out tonight, following your advice. I have been playing with the different meter modes, so perhaps it did change to a default setting. I will let you know what happens. Elisabeth, Bryan's book is definetly on my list of upcoming purchases. I've read a few articles by him, and have learned a lot already. In fact, his writings are a major reason why I want to learn more about the manual settings. Kathy, if I were shooting film with all my experimenting, I would be broke. The other night I took close to 100 pictures just trying to figure things out. I have a Canon Rebel GII (freind gave it to me when he switched to digital). I will be using that a lot once I figure out the manual settings, till then, keeping the learning costs down. Again, thanks all for taking the time to respond. This is a great forumn with many wonderful people willing to help the newbie.
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Michael H. Cothran |
For Kathy, and anyone else who is curious. Here's as concise an explanation of these metering modes as I can muster - 1. Evaluative metering (called Matrix on some camera brands) is a new fangled metering system first introduce by Nikon back in 1982. It a system that actually "thinks" about the scene, and the light contrast, and where the light and dark areas are, before it makes its determination. Of course, all this occurs in the time it takes your finger to press down the shutter button! The Evaluative meter divides the viewing screen into several areas or grids, every camera and brand having different amounts of areas, some as few as 5, others as many as 50. Based on data programmed by the manufacturer, the meter "reads" all these areas separately, and based on contrast, brightness, location, etc of each, determines what the exposure should be. Pretty complicated engineering, but simple to use. 2. Center weighted metering - This has been around for decades. The meter reads the entire viewing screen, but weighs more value on the middle area, hence the name "center-weighted." The philosophy of this metering system is that most of the time your main subject will be in or near the "center" of the image, so if there is excessive brightness or darkness nearer the edges, it will not bias the reading too much. 3. Spot metering - Instead of reading the entire viewing screen, as in Evaluative and Center weighted, the Spot meter reads only a tiny spot in the middle of the viewfinder - usually marked by a tiny circle in the middle. This enables your meter to take a reading of only this small area, so as not to be biased by anything else in the viewfinder. 4. Average metering - I did not mention this in my posting to Robert as this type of meter is not found too much anymore in modern cameras. It is exactly what the name implies. It reads the entire viewfinder, and simply averages the light overall for its determination. Hope this helps without muddying the waters too much.
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Kathy L. Pollick |
Thanks. I printed this page off for future reference. Does my camera have these different options? I read the manual, but I sure don't remember seeing anything like that... but then I'm taking a lot of stuff in at one time & maybe I simply didn't understand it when I read it.
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Robert Staniewicz |
Michael.....THANK YOU. I figured out what happened. I was in the spot meter mode. The mode did not change when I went from program to manual. In your response you said to attach the camera to a tripod. I don't have one yet, so I set it on the table, and metered both ways, and they were the same. I think what happened before was since it was in spot meter mode, and not attached to anything stable (I was hand holding the camera), I was not pointing the meter at exactly the same spot, giving me the different meter readings. Thank you so much for the help. I was really getting frustrated. I'm glad that it was just user error and not the camera itself. At this stage in my learning, I better get used to user error, lol. By the way Michael, love the images in your gallery, especialy "Porter's Creek." The way you captured the sun beams coming through is amazing. Thanks again.
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Michelle Ross |
Michael . . the metering thing has had me "confused" for quite some time . .. If I"m doing portrait stuff outdoors and encounter times when there is sun behind my subject (green grass turned yellow by the sun) which metering would you suggest?? Which metering would you suggest overall for portrait work in general(indoor and out)?? Thanks!
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