Originally posted by pschlute This is also a good demonstration of where the camera meter can get it wrong.
The meter's function is to expose so that what it "sees" is rendered at 18% grey. Matrix metering is more advanced than Centre Weighted, but in this scene would have done no better.
The bulk of the scene is dark interior.so the meter has exposed that for 18% grey which means that your mid tones are over exposed and the highlights are blown.
Under-exposing and bringing out detail in post processing is an option, but the approach I suggest above is best.
The meter didn't actually get it wrong - it wants to make what it's pointed at 18% like you said. To that have been added other modes and ways of cheating - manipulations to boost/drag/beat it to where the user wants it to be. The meter itself is dumb. The learning point is exploring the ways to manipulate it to fit the scene and desired output be it manually over/under exposing, auto over/under with EV compensation, bracketing, using post exposure processing to push/pull parts or recombine from multiple exposures.
A good beginners lesson is to use the spot meter feature and measure the scenes range making note top/middle/bottom and then several series of 5 shot brackets using the various metering modes and evaluating results with the image in the computer/post with what the desire or expectation(s) are. While best done shooting raw, it can still inform shooting in other than.
The Zone System | Really Right Stuff Blog
Last edited by JohnMc; 04-16-2023 at 01:30 PM.
Reason: sp