Camera Metering Modes
I always get asked about which camera metering mode I use, and to be honest, I think sometimes the folk doing the asking just can’t get their heads around my simplistic, and sometimes quite brutal answers!
“Andy, it’s got to be more complicated than that surely….otherwise why does the camera give me so many options…?”
Well, I always like to keep things really simple, mainly because I’m not the brightest diamond in the jewellery shop, and because I’m getting old and most often times my memory keeps buggering off on holiday without telling me!
But before I espouse on “metering the Uncle Andy way” let’s take a quick look at exactly how the usual metering options work and their effects on exposure.
The Metering Modes
- Average (a setting usually buried in the center-weighted menu)
- Spot
- Center-weighted
- 3D Matrix (Nikon) or Evaluative (Canon)
Metering Mode Icons
this is more of a general feedback to this blog. i also posted it on an image on your 500px profile, but i feel like it has to be here too:
alright,.. i was reading your blog for two hours straight now and find it to be very informing. i never was very fond of most of the books photographers write about photography since i hardly found anything interesting next to some calssics and some lectures about optics in physics. most books i found were only basic stuff,..well. where did i look you might ask. i simply didn’t, really. however, your blog is very interesting as you talk about the technical stuff alot. it is all very well put together and i learned alot. the technical information you provide often solved some minor issues i kept having, especially with printing. i did share your blog on facebook and on twitter since i feel it is a damn good read. keep up the exceptional work! cheers
Thanks very much for the kind words Norbert – and for the 500px feedback too!
As a still learning but somewhat experienced dabbler this was both informative and directly relevant to me. Clearly and easily explained. Many thanks.