AE metering settings

Rusky40 · 07-25-2013, 01:00 PM

what the best AE metetering settings for landscape and motor sport

Anvh · 07-25-2013, 01:33 PM

I always use average metering since it's quite easy to understand and it doesn't jump around to much with it's value.

For landscapes matrix might also be pretty good, the camera should understand there is a sky in your photo and compensate for that if needed.

Na Horuk · 07-25-2013, 02:39 PM

Avoid spot metering for a while.

Center weighted is the one people most commonly use. Its what you want when there is a subject and you want it and its surroundings to be well-exposed.
Matrix takes into consideration the whole frame. So for landscapes and such. It has its limitations, though.
Spot metering will meter for a very precise spot. If you have a subject in a white dress, forget it, because if it meters on the dress, it will try to make the dress "correctly grey" and make the whole photo way too dark. Same for dark subjects. Spot metering is very specific, but it can also be very useful.
I suggest you set your camera to jpeg and small MP and then just take a bunch of test photos to understand the different modes

Rusky40 · 07-25-2013, 03:05 PM

sorry to be think na horak but what is a small MP

**Just1MoreDave** · 07-25-2013, 04:25 PM

Center-weighted and matrix both consider the frame you see in the viewfinder. For center-weighted, the meter thinks something in the middle of the photo is important and needs the correct exposure, while something in the corners can be too dark or too light. Small details will be ignored. Matrix metering measures 16 points in the frame and tries to match them to a database of typical shots. It should see a snapshot-type photo pretty well, like half the frame sky, with a person dead center. It will also try to keep each segment from being overexposed, which preserves detail in digital images. There's some figures in the K-m manual showing the matrix and a graph of the center-weighted sensitivity on pages 102 and 103.

Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion.

Rusky40 · 07-26-2013, 02:05 AM

Originally posted by Just1MoreDave

Center-weighted and matrix both consider the frame you see in the viewfinder. For center-weighted, the meter thinks something in the middle of the photo is important and needs the correct exposure, while something in the corners can be too dark or too light. Small details will be ignored. Matrix metering measures 16 points in the frame and tries to match them to a database of typical shots. It should see a snapshot-type photo pretty well, like half the frame sky, with a person dead center. It will also try to keep each segment from being overexposed, which preserves detail in digital images. There's some figures in the K-m manual showing the matrix and a graph of the center-weighted sensitivity on pages 102 and 103.

Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion.

carry on please what about motor sport shooting

Not a Number · 07-26-2013, 02:25 AM

Originally posted by Just1MoreDave

Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion.

Or try a polarizing filter.

Na Horuk · 07-26-2013, 06:49 AM

Originally posted by Rusky40

sorry to be think na horak but what is a small MP

When you shoot jpeg you can choose its size, in megapixels (MP). For tests, I usually choose a small MP so the photos dont take too much space. Sorry about the confusion, just ignore that bit

Rusky40 · 07-26-2013, 07:03 AM

no thanks for your help i tend to shout at full mp size

Anvh · 07-26-2013, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by Rusky40

carry on please what about motor sport shooting

Center weighted, for the reasons stated earlier.

With motor sport M mode might also work well.
Simple aim the camera on the asphalt and take a metering from that with pressing the green button, you should be within a stop of the correct exposure so it's easy to get a good exposure from there.

07-25-2013, 01:00 PM	#1
Rusky40 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: england Photos: Albums Posts: 104	AE metering settings what the best AE metetering settings for landscape and motor sport

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07-25-2013, 01:33 PM	#2
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	I always use average metering since it's quite easy to understand and it doesn't jump around to much with it's value. For landscapes matrix might also be pretty good, the camera should understand there is a sky in your photo and compensate for that if needed.

07-25-2013, 02:39 PM	#3
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Avoid spot metering for a while. Center weighted is the one people most commonly use. Its what you want when there is a subject and you want it and its surroundings to be well-exposed. Matrix takes into consideration the whole frame. So for landscapes and such. It has its limitations, though. Spot metering will meter for a very precise spot. If you have a subject in a white dress, forget it, because if it meters on the dress, it will try to make the dress "correctly grey" and make the whole photo way too dark. Same for dark subjects. Spot metering is very specific, but it can also be very useful. I suggest you set your camera to jpeg and small MP and then just take a bunch of test photos to understand the different modes

07-25-2013, 03:05 PM	#4
Rusky40 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: england Photos: Albums Posts: 104 Original Poster	sorry to be think na horak but what is a small MP

07-25-2013, 04:25 PM	#5
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Center-weighted and matrix both consider the frame you see in the viewfinder. For center-weighted, the meter thinks something in the middle of the photo is important and needs the correct exposure, while something in the corners can be too dark or too light. Small details will be ignored. Matrix metering measures 16 points in the frame and tries to match them to a database of typical shots. It should see a snapshot-type photo pretty well, like half the frame sky, with a person dead center. It will also try to keep each segment from being overexposed, which preserves detail in digital images. There's some figures in the K-m manual showing the matrix and a graph of the center-weighted sensitivity on pages 102 and 103. Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion.

07-26-2013, 02:05 AM	#6
Rusky40 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: england Photos: Albums Posts: 104 Original Poster	Originally posted by Just1MoreDave Center-weighted and matrix both consider the frame you see in the viewfinder. For center-weighted, the meter thinks something in the middle of the photo is important and needs the correct exposure, while something in the corners can be too dark or too light. Small details will be ignored. Matrix metering measures 16 points in the frame and tries to match them to a database of typical shots. It should see a snapshot-type photo pretty well, like half the frame sky, with a person dead center. It will also try to keep each segment from being overexposed, which preserves detail in digital images. There's some figures in the K-m manual showing the matrix and a graph of the center-weighted sensitivity on pages 102 and 103. Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion. carry on please what about motor sport shooting

07-26-2013, 02:25 AM	#7
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by Just1MoreDave Landscapes are often easy because you can try again if the meter's suggestion looks wrong. For example, on a sunny day here, clouds will often be overexposed with either CW or matrix. If I want cloud detail, I have to underexpose from the meter's suggestion. Or try a polarizing filter.

07-26-2013, 06:49 AM	#8
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Originally posted by Rusky40 sorry to be think na horak but what is a small MP When you shoot jpeg you can choose its size, in megapixels (MP). For tests, I usually choose a small MP so the photos dont take too much space. Sorry about the confusion, just ignore that bit

07-26-2013, 07:03 AM	#9
Rusky40 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: england Photos: Albums Posts: 104 Original Poster	no thanks for your help i tend to shout at full mp size

07-26-2013, 10:15 AM	#10
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	Originally posted by Rusky40 carry on please what about motor sport shooting Center weighted, for the reasons stated earlier. With motor sport M mode might also work well. Simple aim the camera on the asphalt and take a metering from that with pressing the green button, you should be within a stop of the correct exposure so it's easy to get a good exposure from there.