How do YOU meter?

[mzmn]

One of the most useful threads in this forum so far!

I, too, use spot metering and manual mode, and only found about the use of the AE-L button in this situation. Thanks!

I've tried using the Sunny 16 rule, but I don't have enough confidence to use it regularly. Instead, it's spot metering on the nearest middle gray equivalent, or brightest or darkest colors and adjust metering accordingly. So far, it works.

The only problem I have is when the dynamic range in the scene is much too great. So it's either bracketing for eventual merging of exposures, or settle for an average (blowing out highlights and/or losing shadow detail in the process, unless I zoom in). In these cases, where people are in the picture, I will use flash. Does anyone have any other suggestions for metering high dynamic range scenes?

[jeremy_c]

It seems a lot of people are using manual mode. The only time I am in manual mode is taking a night shot. Is there any reason for using manual mode over Av? One person did state that you can set the exposure for a given scene then shot several shots under similar conditions and have them all come out correctly, but this is chancing it a bit?

If you use Av and want to under/over expose a bit, you can do that via the exposure button (+/-) and go 2ev over/under. What is the real reason for using manual all the time? (minus the people using an external light meter).

Jeremy

[deludel]

Hi Jeremy,

The reason I first started using Manual was because an instructor told me to. (brings to mind the old saying "if an instructor told you to jump off a bridge ..") That's how I got started, but I was simply pressing the green button to meter, then shooting. Although it occurred to me that this was barely "manual" I still did it.

I took a course in "How to Meter Light" this summer, and I got some insight into how I can personally use manual. Here's what I learned:

Manual is for times when you do not necessarily need to maintain equivelant exposure Sure, you can use +/- in AV/TV, but you are only over/under exposing in those situations. There are other times when you don't need "equivalent" SS/Aperture settings.

Let's say you have a contrasty scene. You might want to spot meter off several different subjects in the scene to figure out a good "happy medium". So let's say you spot meter (in ANY mode) and come up with the ideal (here's hoping!) exposure setting. You can switch to manual and plug those in and shoot.

It's a work in progress for me, but it definitely can work.

[heliphoto]

Originally Posted by jeremy_c

It seems a lot of people are using manual mode. The only time I am in manual mode is taking a night shot. Is there any reason for using manual mode over Av? One person did state that you can set the exposure for a given scene then shot several shots under similar conditions and have them all come out correctly, but this is chancing it a bit?

If you use Av and want to under/over expose a bit, you can do that via the exposure button (+/-) and go 2ev over/under. What is the real reason for using manual all the time? (minus the people using an external light meter).

Jeremy

I'm in the same boat Jeremy, and this thread will definitely get me playing with M mode more. The way I currently meter is in Av / matrix, with the EV compensation set as necessary. They way I see it, the matrix metering is trying to get the average of the scene to be neutral gray, and I've learned how to see whether EV compensation will be necessary enough that I can often guess pretty well and dial in a fairly accurate EV compensation even before chimping the histogram.

[Marc Sabatella]

Originally Posted by jeremy_c

It seems a lot of people are using manual mode. The only time I am in manual mode is taking a night shot. Is there any reason for using manual mode over Av? One person did state that you can set the exposure for a given scene then shot several shots under similar conditions and have them all come out correctly, but this is chancing it a bit?

Maybe, but if you keep an eye on the meter - and an eye on the prevailing light - it isn't particular difficult to notice when a given shot might need to be bumped up or down.

Conversely, shooting in Av is also chancing it, quite a lot. Consider that if you take a picture of someone wearing a white shirt then another of someone wearing a black shirt, you're likely to get two wildly differently exposures. Meters tend to overreact to that sort of stuff. So really, either way, you've got to be on the ball and anticipate when you'll need to deviate from the settings you've made. I find that in practice, it's about the same either way, but the thought process required to alter settings is more natural to me in M mode.

Another very important factor - really, the one that clinched the deal for me - I use manual exposure lenses a lot, where "M" mode is all you get. And no multi-segment metering, either. So I spend a lot of time in M mode with center weighted metering, because there is basically no choice. Once you've become accustomed to working that way, it's always momentarily (actually, more than momentarily) disconcerting to have to get used to a different way of working every time you change lenses. I find it's less confusing to just leave the camera in M mode with center-weighted metering, so my camera always works more or less the same way.

[creampuff]

When metering, I have always followed an old adage:
Brighten (increase exposure) when shooting a bright subject, darken when shooting a dark subject.
With experience, it is quite easy to ballpark a working exposure.

I use aperture priority a lot because I have learnt to trust the camera's meter.
Obviously I use +/- compensation. For me it is definitely faster than manual mode.