 John Chops |
Spot metering Hello everyone, Why would someone use AEL for achieving a good exposure of a specific subject when you could just use spot metering? I do however understand why someone would use it for panoramas. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Samuel Smith |
welcome cassie, actually I hope you're kidding.well,might be a test question. say,through expierence you get to know your camera and it's logic. shadows and highlights cassie,both can be used to evaluate your choice of settings on the same subject or panorama. good exposure is in the shooters eye,can you be a bit more specific? sam
|
|
|
|
||
|
John Chops |
I'm sorry, but i'm not kidding. I'm truly confused. What I mean is: Spot metering measures light from the center circle of the frame in order to exposure the entire image right? And AEL uses spot metering to lock the exposure on a specific subject for futur shooting right? So if you want to expose a picture according to your subject, which is backlit, can't you just use spot metering, and not AE lock?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Bernard |
Cassie Here's an instance when you would use spot metering: your forground subject has strong backlighting behind it if matrix which is balanced for a wide area of the frame, or center weight, assigns the greatest weight to the center area is used the backight would calculated in your shot, since the subject is much darker the shot is ruined. Spot metering would meter the subject and not the backlight. something this basic the owners manual will explain very well. hope this helps to get you started
|
|
|
|
||
|
Mark Feldstein |
Actually, the way to use spot metering is to look at specific areas of a scene, say lighter portions vs. darker ones and in between the two, average them together and use that number as your exposure. As Sam (welcome back) indicated, you're looking to calculate exposures between highlights (very bright) and shadow areas, along with midrange which calculate to be about 17 per cent medium gray value. Tale it light.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Bernard |
sorry for not proof reading the above response, the structure is a mess.
|
|
|
|
||
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
"And AEL uses spot metering to lock the exposure on a specific subject for futur shooting right? So if you want to expose a picture according to your subject, which is backlit, can't you just use spot metering, and not AE lock?"
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Or black and orange.
|
|
|
|
||
|
anonymous A. |
Spot metering assumes that the (very small) area from which you are metering is NOT typical mof the rest of the image. You are metering for the exception, and that is fair enough. AEL doesn't make that assumption; it meters according to the meter setting set at the time you set up the shot; if you have centre-weighted or evaluative metering set, then the camera will lock that setting based on the overall scene/portrait/macro etc. and in many cases, tied to the point of focus before you recompose or the final exposure. If you spot meter then recompose, you need to lock the metering to the appropriate area of your image.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Samuel Smith |
well, I did have that question.ael is auto exposure lock? yet from the question asked,this,spot,works the best.welllll. I origanilly thought it was spot vs evaluative/matrix/scene. so the note of panoramos,as in so many trying to stitch them together,and the crap about exposure problems,makes more sense.hmmm. yet if you're outside and a set reading is taken,it still changes the very next second. I didn't mean to accuse cassie of being a bit glib but I did.hmmm.not the intention. oh well,hope your all fine tonight,sam
|
|
|
|
||
|
anonymous A. |
Just a couple of additiional thaoughts: spot metering is an "older" technology than evaluative metering, and evaluative (read matrix, 3D etc. depending on your camera brand) is generally more likely to offer more acceptable results, especially when locked onto the appropriate part of the image. Also, spot metering is always center-of-the-screen, which means if your point of interest is off centre (say, at the intersection of thirds), you would have to lock the spot reading anyway; this is not so with non-spot metering in cameras which allow you to choose from a number of focus/exposure points in the frame.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Samuel Smith |
ok,what is ael? I got the spot thing,matrix,evaluative. might want to lock the exposure.got it. if said camera doesn't offer a selection of focus points,why buy it? so,i guess,as we all are being made aware of,in the hands of the amateurs,we are parents to raise them with their newly acquired sibling.(camera) ok,if you set the exposure in manual?? ya still need a lock or someone to say hey.. only in a controlled situation should exposure be locked. ah.
|
|
|
|
||
|
John Chops |
Wow, so many responses in a couple of days! Ok, so since my camera offers an easy way to change the metering mode to spot (I can still hold my camera normally), this would be the way to correctly exposure a backlit subject? And AEL is used for: I don't quite understand the highlight/shadow and 17% grey scenario, but I don't think I need to for what I will be doing in photography. Thank you everyone, I believe I have a much clearer understanding.
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
You can use exp lock for front lit subjects too.
|
|
|
|
||
|
anonymous A. |
Except, I would not use spot metering to handle most backlit subjects; I would prefer to use matrix/evaluative metering and add 1 or 2 stops of exposure compensation.
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Toilet paper roll going up and over, roll going down and under.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Samuel Smith |
allright cassie, let's say exposure lock is for the more expierenced.because that button is so easily accessible means nothing. we still don't know the mystery of what your shooting,still mute at this point. I think you're misunderstanding or lack a basic exposure rule and which sensor is,or can be used,to compose the scene. sam
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||
