I often use the spot metering mode with my Olympus camera. The dynamic range of the m43 sensor is limited, so I aim the spot meter at the area I consider important in the composition. Plus I use the exposure compensation to adjust the brightness.
During a photography class the instructor got bombarded by a student complaining about all the "blown out whites" in the photos the instructor was using in the lesson. The instructor stopped, looked at the student and simply said, "Sometimes white is white." I remember that when every last pixel in a photo isn't perfectly exposed.
I was in a situation recently - under a canopy, bright day - where auto mode was useless. Switching modes gave me a shot with the background completely blown out, but what I 'saved' in the center became the 'shot of the day'. Videos from this channel have given me the push to shoot in other modes. Thank you! Merci beaucoup!
Back in the day when I used to shoot weddings with a medium format film (fully manual) TLR camera, I used an old trick of metering the back of my hand if there was no grass nearby. when it was not practical to take an incident meter reading (e.g. shooting polar bears 😂). Just want to mention that you amaze me how you make weekly videos and find time to acknowledge every comment even if it's just a 'like'. Some of your contemporary photography youtubers don't even have the courtesy to acknowledge when I buy them a coffee. 'No names, no pack drill' as my dad used to say. Thank you for another brilliantly produced video.
I always have a medium toned camera bag or pack to meter off of when there are no medium toned in the scene. Just have to make sure that the pack or back of your hand is in the same light as your subject.
I rarely use spot metering since I have switched to mirrorless. As mentioned @ 09:27 exposure compensation together with the "what you see is what you get" property of the electronic viewfinder is good enough, fast, and intuitive. For static subjects exposure to the right of the histogram (ETTR) and adjusting in post is another option.
Spot metering was a key component of Ansel Adams' Zone System. He would typically expose his negative to preserve shadow detail, and adjust his development time to preserve highlights. So he might "overexpose" the negative, but "underdevelop" it to reduce the contrast, and preserve the highlights.
I so admire what photographers of the past were able to achieve with film. We're very spoilt nowadays, both in the forgiving latitude of digital and the microscopic cost of trying multiple versions of a shot. I realise it makes us a little lazy, but I do think digital cameras are one of the best products to come out of modern technology.
Very good point. A spot meter is absolutely essential when a photographer needs to measure the luminance range of the scene he or she wants to photograph, it could be landscape, portraiture, still life, etc etc. Only then he can decide which parts of his image need to contain detail and how much of it and where to put it on the exposure scale and how to develop the negative to maintain full detail and luminance. I have heard so much tosh recently from some photographers that spot metering and accurate placement of exposure is no longer necessary due to the wide lattitude of the modern films, or even worse the digital sensor. Absolute nonsense, and goes to show how little they understand about film, dynamic range or even the basics of photography.
I learned the Zone System in 1971 from the 1968 edition of his Basic Photo Series books. It was originally based on on metering with a Weston meter calibrated to the ASA “average scene reflectance” standard of 18% and meter exposure you would take a reading with the meter off the gray card not the actual scene then evaluate the negative by printing it on #2 grade paper, what Adams used for all his prints. If the nominal ASA set on the meter did not produce the desired shadow detail on the print or was too light when negative border was printed Zone 0 - Max Black you simply adjusted the ASA setting on the meter until it did. I bought a Pentax 1° spot meter to use with the Zone System and simply adjusted the ISO setting on the meter so when metered a Zone 2 shadow w. texture area in the scene it exposed the negative so it was reproduced like that on the print. 😢 Finding the development time to have negative densities in the highlights fit the #2 paper was again done with testing on Sunny, Cloudy, Open Shade, Overcast, etc lighting contrast until by trail and error you learned to what was needed for each. Even with a spot meter you needed to do that initial test to find what time was needed for each scene EV range. The Zones are not scene f/stops just a gray scale divided into 11 steps 0 - 10 Why 11 and not 10? Adams screwed up when he created it forgetting to assign a Zone value to specular highlights within smooth white Zone 9 highlights. My 1968 edition only has Zone 0 - Zone 9.
Spot metering isn’t necessary with digital thanks to the over exposure warning and the histogram (if one knows how to interpret it). Raising exposure until the clipping warning it triggered in non-specular highlight then reducing exposure by 1/3 stop will correctly render the highlight detail with the brightness solid white objects rendered in the range 245-250 which is actually light gray but that is necessary so the SPECULAR HIGHLIGHTS which will clip at 255 will contrast and provide the specular highlight clues to 3D shape. On flat white objects like the hood of a white car the separation between the hood rendered at 245-250 one stop under clipping and the 255 specular reflection of the Sun it the only clue to 3D shape if too flat to cast shadow. Bird feathers and fun have millions of flat facets which create specular reflections in sunlight. If those are not preserved with careful highlight exposure then the foliage will look flatter. All cameras have a fixed range. Does the scene being photographed fit the sensor? After setting highlights 1/3 under clipping the left side of the histogram will tell you. If the bars are running off the left side then scene has more contrast than sensor can record and shadow detail seen by eye may be lost. If scene exceeds the solutions are: 1) blow out some highlights if shadow detail is more important, 2) use tripod, bracket with shutter until bars don’t run off on left and use HDR in post; 3) use flash to change the range of the scene.
Studying Adams' Zone System back in the day was very valuable, and the principles still help me in today's world of smart digital cameras. Excellent video, Simon.
I started in the early 80s with the Camera, the Negative and the Print, a 3 book series that served as my text books. So with Ansel Adams help I taught myself some fundamentals. Then it was mostly street photography and I was a stringer for two local papers. Heady times and great experience. One of my double majors at uni was Art History so I was ready to conquer the world 🙄. Understanding the Zone System has served me well these many years. I concentrate on wildlife, landscape and macro now but the concepts remain the same all the while learning new ways to apply them by learning from your videos, thank you. Also by commenting both on DSLR and mirrorless as you teach makes my learning feel seamless. I have embraced mirrorless whole heartedly, the adventure continues.
Oh Simon! Once again I've picked up a gem from your channel. I shoot in Manual and have been perplexed about light measurement of foreground vs background and the rest. Adjusting the EC while pointed at something that has a neutral exposure value is a priceless tip. Many thanks.
Simon, out of all the UA-cam photographers I watch and or follow you are by far the most informative without being patronising, you explain technics clearly and give me the confidence to get out and enjoy my photography. Many thanks from across the pond in the UK
Thanks for this video, that is very well-timed, as I am teaching this to some folks who are learning all about this. I have used spot metering most of my career - over some 43 years. At the time I began I was shooting Nikon F3 and Canon A-1 bodies and spot metering gave me the best results. I used it across many environments from the high north of Canada to open plains and thick bush. Now retired and living in NZ, I still use centre point exposure, along with Exposure Lock on the * button, and centre single point Back Button Focus. Part of the reason for this is that in NZ many of the birds I am shooting are in deep foliage where I have to be very specific for both. My methodology is: find a mid-reflectance spot and lock that in, find the eye of the subject and lock that (likely with tracking), compose, and shoot. Once you get used to it, it can be done in about a second.
Simon, whenever I get stuck, I resort to previous videos, and I work through my way through your tutorials and figure out what i might be doing wrong. Endless thanks to your amazingly thorough, step by step direction.
Having grown up in the film era and using Ansel’s zone system (which I eventually was able to wrestle into submission) understanding the “whys” of in camera metering systems has always been an enigma to me - until I watched this video. And now the lightbulb has come on and I can sleep tonight! Thanks Simon!
That bonus tip is something on older Olympus film camera does for it's light metering system. The OM-4 had this fancy pants spot metering system that you pointed the center of the frame at what you want properly exposed, and push a button to keep it on memory. You do this for every key part of the composition and you get this average metering made out of specific spot metering system that's kinda fun to use. Also came with buttons for dealing with all white or all black subjects as well for a quick exposure compensation, even though it had a normal exposure comp dial on the other side.
Thanks for the video. The most correct approach is to have the bird hold a gray card in its beak. While the traditional 18% gray rule is important for metering and exposure, it is not always necessary to strictly adhere to it. The dynamic range of our displays, especially photopaper, is limited, even more so than the range of a digital camera sensor. What we usually do in editing is stretch or squeeze the range we want to present to the viewer to fit within the available target range. And during shooting, all we need to do is ensure that we capture the range that we intend to present later. It is essential to include both whites and blacks in the final edit; otherwise, the image file or print may lack necessary contrast. There can never be too much contrast in print or on display, as the real world has much more contrast anyway.
Taking pics at my son’s football game. 12:00 game…very bright & sunny. Home team black jerseys and white pants. Away team all white. Both teams white helmets. Fast action…shooting different targets…not easy.
The timing is insane, this week i rented a 100-400mm canon lens, to have a go at some easy wildlife photography in the park near my house. I had the exact problem you describe about blowing out the highlights in the water when photographing coypus with spot metering. Decided i had to go back to watch your metering modes video, and there you go doing a special about spot metering, perfect! Thanks a lot Simon!
Simon, I love your take/version of photography UA-cam! The other guys are fun to watch, but I don’t learn as much (or anything) from them. I find your videos are much more about “photographic theory”, and it’s both an insightful and refreshing break from 90% of “photography UA-cam”. Keep ‘em coming! 👍✌️🙂
The R7 also takes the center for spot metering, my subject usually is not in the center. So I use the whole frame where the metering is basically on the focus point. It also works good with black and white cats in one picture.
For Fuji, linking spot-metering to focus spot is an option. I like to have that on. I use spot metering quite a bit actually, using exposure compensation if I want to adjust exposure for the rest of the image. Mostly because I found that when there is a lot of contrast in the scene and my subject is much brighter, or much darker, than the rest I want to prioritise the subject for exposure so that detail doesn't get lost. Although with Fuji cameras, when subject-detection AF is on, it ignores the metering-mode you chose! So then I can only adapt with exposure compensation.
I'm a long time Olympus/OM System shooter, and since they have been making mirrorless cameras with live view for over 15 years, using exposure compensation is just second nature to me. I leave the camera on the default evaluative metering and then just adjust the exposure to taste, very similarly as you showed doing. Another excellent and highly useful video, Simon!
Very good video Simon. I personally shoot a lot of birds in various lighting situations and have found that always using Spot metering with exposure lock is the best and fastest way for me to get properly lit shots. To me, the bird is most important & I can normally adjust the other over or under exposed areas in post. If I am shooting flowers or other scenes I use Centre-weighted and never use Matrix. This is far easier now with mirrorless cameras as I can see what I will get before I shoot.
Greetings sir. I was led to believe that Spot Metering was exclusively designed to be used for close up images to get a more accurate reading of light reflectance. I noticed you were using Spot Metering on subjects that were quite a distance away from you. Once again, many thanks for another one of your very comprehensive and informative tutorials. You make photography much fun, sir. Tony :))
Fujifilm cameras can either keep the spot meter in the center of the frame or synchronize it with the auto focus point...I often use it linked to my autofocus point for church photos where I want the audience dark, but the meter reading correct for the people on the stage.
That's really cool! I do some church video stuff, but with a limited budget, the church just has a camcorder (Sony AX43) and getting the levels right on that thing, especially with a projector behind the stage, is really difficult. Being able to select what area to meter from must be so handy! I've given up on spot metering for the most part with my Canon R cameras.
Dear Simon, I am already familiar with the information, and I use it in practice. Yet, I still watch your instructional videos because the information is very well explained by you, and it helps me to review and structure my knowledge. Thank you very much for your great contributions end explanations.
Very good explanation, thanks for taking time to put it together. Another tricky situation is surfers, black wetsuits, white water in the waves and often bright sunlight and a fast moving subject. Can be difficult to expose well consistently and in particular the face.
Simon, at 2:15 in the video, your countertop, cook top, wood floor, cabinets, etc. all look properly exposed (although I don't know exactly how they look in real life). I believe the reason is that the exposure meter balances the light reflected off of all these surfaces. If you include only one of these surfaces, the exposure is way off -- that is my continuing experience regardless of what I'm shooting. For example, recently I was shooting photos of tile flooring and cabinets in a home for the owner so that her interior decorator could take the photos to a store to match colors of various materials an do her interior decorating magic. If I took a photo of just the tile floor (or the cabinets) the color was WAY off. So I included a piece of newspaper with a bit of variety of colors on the page. I also took some shots with various other items such as note pads, a pair of shoes, etc. That's how I got the color to show a pretty high degree of fidelity to what my eye saw. In my opinion, this exposure issue (philosophy and engineering) is a real problem with digital photography (this was never an issue in film photography).
You have to remember to set your iso range to be wide enough to allow exposure comp to work if you’re tweaking the exposure against what the camera meters. You can also choose with Sony to set the metering with the focal point as well as with Nikon and Canon 😊
My first camera with a build in light meter had (semi) spot-metering and only that. It was one of the main reasons to choose that model (a Canon FTb). It was a fully manual camera and in my opinion manual exposure and spot metering is made for each other. As soon as you use to auto exposure it's so easy to put the spot in the wrong place, even if pointing at the right spot and lock the exposure certainly help. I rarely use spot metering anymore since the new metering systems handle most scenes so well, but when shooting slide film on a fully manual camera it was ideal. Most scenes have something to meter on that you want middle gray and if not metering on the hand would get me pretty close.
Having pulled together tips from many of your videos, I set parameters in my 7d 2 so that Program mode is tailored to my own shooting style. I have combined elements of ISO and shutter speed range that allow variable aperture. My results have improved, and I have to thank you for insight into camera operation.
My favourite spot metering trick, when being in manual mode (digital cameras) is, depending on the subject and what might be my intentions for that shot (of course), to meter the brighter spot on the scene and over expose two or two and a half stops (how much of overexposure ought to depend on the dynamic range of the sensor of the camera) in relation to that spot measurement. In that way, I am sure there would be no blown parts on the image (from where information would be impossible to recover) because it will still be within the admissible dynamic range of the sensor. Some parts of the photo might have dark shadows (from where it will usually be easer to recover information in post-production/editing if shooting Raw), and others might be even black, which does not bother me as burnt bits of the photo do (specially if to be lost due to lack of information), particularly when I think they are relevant to the composition according to my intentions. This technique is not aplicable for every shot or subject and works better if one is going to later on process the photo, and specially if shooting raw. I think.
Hi Simon, Thank you very much for speaking about Metering Modes, a Mode that isn't talked about much. It's good you mentioned Exposure Compensation to Brighten up the Exposure, very beneficial advice that will really help the newer photographers. Also this tip you made about. to program an Exposure Lock to a Button and then to re-compose, that tip will help me. When i'm shooting the Moon i always use Spot Metering. Thanks Simon for your tips they certainly make a difference to my photography. 😊
This is by far now of the best videos I've seen explaining metering... and you're only talking about 1 method! I'll be checking out your exposure compensation and metering explained videos for sure.
Great explanation, thank you! Will take my camera out later and experiment with this. I also watched a video where the tip was that (with Sony for sure) the dust cap on the camera body is the grey level and to take a test shot of the cap to calibrate. So much to learn, and these videos are most welcome.
Thank you Simon. This is probably the most important lesson I learnt in correctly exposing a subject, particularly birds - it’s OK to have the background dark or blown out if you can achieve perfect results on the subject. Took me afar too long to realise this. 🙄
Great video Simon. Spot metering is a mode that rarely gets visited by me, I will have to give it a little more consideration. I almost exclusively shoot with the histogram and use my control ring to adjust exposure compensation. The control ring is convenient for me as I mostly shoot primes. Keep up the great videos!
if you're shooting raw and will be setting lightness in processing then you need to meter to avoid blowing the highlights. Nikon cameras have a highlight spot mode for this, you spot meter off the brightest part of your scene and it sets the exposure to just preserve those highlights (though not including raw headroom). You can do this on other brands with 2.5 stops of EC, so that a meter calibrated for 18% will place the highlights correctly. If you know how much raw headroom your camera gives (some up to a stop) you can put that in too.
I know this might get lost around, but every time i watch one of your vids, i wait until the end to hear those very inspiring words of yours "I know you can do it!" Those words are enough motivation to pick up my camera and look around to practice and take more pictures So thank you so much for inspiring me to keep learning and shooting more and more pics with my camera. I personally have learned a lot from you and your tips have saved me too on some occasions when i was in mid-session. Thank you 😊
Reminds me of the old days... when we had to look into the manual to see (and usually cut out and carry with us) how the lightmeter on a camera actually measures in case you don't have a spotmeter at hand... all those beautiful kidney shapes
Snow is the easiest to photograph: 100% diffuse, +1EV. So I guess that's my favourite! But auto-ISO + exposing for highlights can be a powerful convenience. When shooting sports in outdoor changing light, I lean on the camera's ability to recognize a face and adjust exposure. It doesn't always get it right, but I can't do it faster!
Hi Simon, Thanks for sharing. As landscape phtographer I mostly use Av mode. I did play with metering modes during the night I spent at the hill overlooking the erupting Litli Hrutur volcano in Iceland. Lava at night is crazy bright ! When I use manual mode, I put auto ISO and use exposure compensation when I think I need that. Modern camera's have a great dynamic range so an incorrect exposure can be forgiven to some extent in post
Holy mackerel you need to switch from photography tutorials to how to grow your channel tutorials! Congrats on your success! This is a great topic. Thanks
Hi Simon, thanks for the interesting video. I had an ugly situation at a sports event with partly bright windows behind the athletes. - So I thought Sportmeter on the focus point would help. This worked partially but not reliably. In the end I used manual exposure, which gave more consistent exposures.
Way back in the late 80's I worked for Black's and I was allowed to borrow a Canon T-90 for a month. I loved the multi-spot mode. You could click on a few bright spots and one dark spot to get one result or two darks and a light, or any combination and I think you could pick one spot as priority? I fell in love with that camera.
For botanical photography my camera rarely leave spot focus, especially for habit shots on epiphytes where I am shooting through branches and leaves to get a clear shot of the subject. Even then I have to check each shot to make sure I am on the subject and not on infinitely from the background which is often the sky or accidenttally on a nearby leaf. I also use spot focus on people or animal shots where I want to focus on the nearest eye.
Spot-metering is very useful for metering 18% grey-card, which is convinient exposure-control tool. This is very popular technique in video and I think that photographers could use it more often. There are some situations when it's unsuitable, but if only you can take a18% grey-card measurement next to your subject or in the same lighting condtions, it gives you a perfect exposure. Spot-metering is very useful for this, because it works well with small grey cards.
I just rely on zebras (overexposure clipping warning for Lumix and other cameras), and unless I don't care about (or actually want) blown-out highlights, I adjust exposure* until those just disappear (I can't begin to understand why anyone wouldn't shoot mirrorless--what a huge advantage!). That way, I can recover details at most any value (shadow detail is rarely a problem). This is basically ETTR with artistic adjustments. It really doesn't matter what metering mode I choose in this case. I'm used to spot-metering (and for B&W, Ansel's Zone System as mentioned below) from my film days, but I think center-weighted makes more sense for most people most of the time. As you say, it just depends on what you want to show in the image. For me, the editing phase is where the real decisions are made, but you need a good negative (or RAW file). *I also have the rear dial on all of my cameras set for exposure compensation (except for S mode, in which case it's SS). In most cases, that's up to +/- 5 stops.
You hit exactly the issue of metering. What do you want to represent!!!! There is no right or wrong exposure if the result is what you want. I don't know how many people have told me "but you didn't center the meter". I always respond : "I know".
I've never understood the reason for exposure compensation, I just figured just change the settings. But I always shoot manual, so I guess it's really for the other modes. I remember back in the days of my point and shoot film camera, I would hold the button halfway with the desired focus/exposure in the middle, then recompose and press the button all the way, to try to get it how I wanted it. I also used the flash as a fill flash. Don't hear about that much now.
pure whites can be a little tricky when it comes to printing. often that means no ink is applied, so there can be a different reflectivity on the print surface. this is particularly noticeable on canvas prints.
Back in the day shooting slide film, and cameras with center weighted metering, I would expose for the mid tones and let dark tones and lighter tones fall where they may. For sure, you must know what is a mid tone...grass, blue sky etc. Note, that the meter will render colors mid tones too. So, if you want a red barn to look medium red, shoot at the recommended setting. However, if you want the barn to look lighter, overexposed by a third or half stop. This is just a modified version of the zone system for exposure. No fancy evaluative meters back then so when things get contrasty, you had to know how to compensate to get the value you wanted. White snow? At recommended exposure it is zone 5, mid tone. To get it to look like snow while keeping some texture, you could increase exposure by maybe 1.5 stops or so. Bracket just in case. If you are going to use a spot meter effectively, you must learn what mid tone values look like and than interpret the exposure And compensate either darker or lighter to get the photo you envision.
Another entertaining and practical video, thank you. I started in the 70s and always gravitated towards full manual, and even used a handheld spot meter for my mostly static subjects. Camera settings then were few: aperture, SS, film choice, focus. Your videos are great help in unraveling the complexity of current cameras which can ironically get in the way sometimes.
I am not into wildlife photography, it is just too tempting to get more gear😅. So I watch a lot of landscape photography channels, but I have to say, you really stand out from any genre to me. You explain the basic techniques so well (I am really not a tech person), that even I seem to understand something. I learn so so much from you. I really appreciate your content, given to us all for free. Thanks very much! You are a great teacher.
Back in film 35mm photography I used spot metering and metered my hand making sure it wasn't in a brighter light like direct sunlight if the scene didn't have it. It was amazing the results I achieved. This was done in full manual.
I use the last method (meter off a mid tone area), or, I meter off the lightest and darkest areas and essentially use that to calculate 18% gray. Most of the time I wing it from experience like I did when using film.
Spot metering has helped me so very much over the years when trying to grab a quick shot on the fly with challenging exposure. My old Minolta x-700 (film) has a huge button on the front that makes it so easy to get to when required. My three DSLR's have dedicated buttons too - but all in a different "spot" on the camera and I often fumble to find them.
The Olympus OM3 and OM4 film cameras were spot metering done right. You could spot the white point, black point, or even spot up to 7 points in a scene to get an average. Lost in time now, just like Canons eye focus system in the EOS 30.
Coming back to photography from film to digital, I needed a fast course to be able to teach my daughter. Luckily I found your channel and subscribed immediately since you know what to are talking about. I had trouble finding the right infos on circular polarizer to make a great choice, Nikon, Carl Zeiss, B&W, PolarPro, Canon. I looked up your gear and bought the B&W CPL, if it's good for you then great for me! Maybe one day someone is going to make a great video that will give a better insight into them.
I found before I switched to mirrorless, I had to mess with metering a lot more. Now I have it as centre weighted average, or go full manual. I find fully manual settings work best for macro photos. I recently took some extreme close up photos of some tiny flowers on my houseplants, and it was so small that things were not working on auto. I'm not sure if some of that was using an EF 100 macro lens with the RF adapter, or just how close I was. I find for most landscape shots, I use the exposure lock, especially for sunsets. For portraits, I find spot metering is usually okay, but it can really mess with skin tones. I recently did some group photos that had a lot of diversity of skin tones, and I don't think the camera knew what to do! Some people were really dark, others too pale... That's the one area I really struggle with for getting the exposure right, is when you want accurate skin tones to show up without losing any detail.
I had some difficulty getting the right exposure until I learned about metering modes. Now, when I am walking around taking shots, I find myself swapping metering modes enough to warrant its own button for it, and my pictures come out much better. And yes, on my Nikon mirrorless, when you place your focus point on a specific subject, it will automatically put the spot metering point on the same location. It's a pretty handy feature, especially when you compose your subject off center.
I don't meter at all. I use my view finder or monitor to judge what I am going to get. I know this is not a good indicator of the actual final result. But through experience, you get a sense of what the result will be. It hasn't failed me.
I used to use spot metering but it was unreliable in certain situations so now I use ESP metering and manually use the ISO to adjust the exposure for my scene.
Nicely done Simon. You have a gift in teaching others about many photographic topics. I always enjoy your videos & the examples that you show in respect to the topic that you are explaining. (Your white kitchen counter top & black stove top are excellent examples as to how your camera will interpret a scene.)Best wishes & safe travels.😊
I found after I bought my Canon R6 that metering modes are now largely irrelevant vestiges of the film and dslr eras. My ever shows me the exposure and in full manual, I simply pick the aperture and shutter speed and then surf the ISO/exposure comp dial to get what I want. The only time where the metering mode is useful is where I’m taking a fast action shot.
I only use spotmetering for concerts, where the singers' face is lit and the background is dark. If I'd use matrixmetering there, the pics would be blown out and you'd get shutterspeeds of 1/5th of a second, even at high iso ! Imho matrixmetering works fine in 95% of the cases. Only when the subject is darker or brighter than the background, spotmetering works. The only Canon where the light is metered at the AF-point is the 1D series, in the other cameras it meters in the center, which I don't find logical.
The fundamental issue is that most digital era photographers just do not understand what an exposure meter is telling them. Its like a foreign language to them, which they do not understand. Once they learn what the meter is telling them, it all becomes very easy and very intuative. The other issue is the metering pattern of the modern cameras. A spot meter is actually the easiest to understand as it only measures the luminance reflected through a 1 degree cone. Its a lot easier to understand what its telling you than something like an RGB evaluative metering. Just get the cheapest reliable handheld meter and start to learn photography from scratch. You will enjoy it.
I shoot full manual on my R7 and haven’t even sneezed at trying spot metering. I like evaluate for the run and gun shooting. 99% of the time it nails it. Same goes for auto white balance. It rarely misses!
This was game changer in blackwater photography (taking pictures of plancton in the middle of the sea). When you place the spot into the critter you can expose It correctly with a decent shutter speed (very needed with fishes). The cool thing here is that you have always a dark background so you just have to care about the subject
With film, metering was much more important than it is now with digital cameras and the insane amount of exposure latitude modern sensors can handle. With digital, I always tend to photograph so that the information on the histogram is leaning to the right side, towards absolute white. As long as the data in the histogram isn't crushed to either absolute value, black or white, it can be recovered and adjusted selectively in photoshop. With spot metering, meter on something that you want to be middle grey, like you said, then recompose.
What’s your favourite spot-metering trick or technique?
I usually use the evaluative metering and then adjust my EV, as you learned me! 👍🏻👍🏻
Not using it ever (sorry)
@@funtaril that’s ok!
I often use the spot metering mode with my Olympus camera. The dynamic range of the m43 sensor is limited, so I aim the spot meter at the area I consider important in the composition. Plus I use the exposure compensation to adjust the brightness.
I use Matrix-metering combined with full Manual mode on Nikon DSLR and EV compensation, after this video I'm going to try some newly obtained tricks 🙂
During a photography class the instructor got bombarded by a student complaining about all the "blown out whites" in the photos the instructor was using in the lesson. The instructor stopped, looked at the student and simply said, "Sometimes white is white." I remember that when every last pixel in a photo isn't perfectly exposed.
Lol, 😂
True sometimes white is white. Then sometimes too much white is distracting.
There's no one rule suits all. Except that no one rule suits all.
"It's your art, you do what looks good to you" @ 08:12 - Very true, words to live by!
Thanks for sharing!!
Sounds like an excuse for low quality "art"
@@ldm6752 Interesting take for sure and worthy of consideration 🤔
Mr Heaton is right. You are the best photography teacher on the web.
too kind!
I was in a situation recently - under a canopy, bright day - where auto mode was useless. Switching modes gave me a shot with the background completely blown out, but what I 'saved' in the center became the 'shot of the day'. Videos from this channel have given me the push to shoot in other modes. Thank you! Merci beaucoup!
Back in the day when I used to shoot weddings with a medium format film (fully manual) TLR camera, I used an old trick of metering the back of my hand if there was no grass nearby. when it was not practical to take an incident meter reading (e.g. shooting polar bears 😂).
Just want to mention that you amaze me how you make weekly videos and find time to acknowledge every comment even if it's just a 'like'. Some of your contemporary photography youtubers don't even have the courtesy to acknowledge when I buy them a coffee. 'No names, no pack drill' as my dad used to say.
Thank you for another brilliantly produced video.
Welcome, and important to engage with my viewers, who make all of this possible. Love the back of hand tip!
'metering the back of my hand' - if you're anything like me, you can now use your hair - mine's definitely close to middle grey ☹
@@davidf6326 😂 Me too! 😂
That would be the last coffee those UA-camrs get from you! 😆
I always have a medium toned camera bag or pack to meter off of when there are no medium toned in the scene. Just have to make sure that the pack or back of your hand is in the same light as your subject.
I rarely use spot metering since I have switched to mirrorless. As mentioned @ 09:27 exposure compensation together with the "what you see is what you get" property of the electronic viewfinder is good enough, fast, and intuitive. For static subjects exposure to the right of the histogram (ETTR) and adjusting in post is another option.
Spot metering was a key component of Ansel Adams' Zone System. He would typically expose his negative to preserve shadow detail, and adjust his development time to preserve highlights. So he might "overexpose" the negative, but "underdevelop" it to reduce the contrast, and preserve the highlights.
I so admire what photographers of the past were able to achieve with film.
We're very spoilt nowadays, both in the forgiving latitude of digital and the microscopic cost of trying multiple versions of a shot. I realise it makes us a little lazy, but I do think digital cameras are one of the best products to come out of modern technology.
Very good point. A spot meter is absolutely essential when a photographer needs to measure the luminance range of the scene he or she wants to photograph, it could be landscape, portraiture, still life, etc etc. Only then he can decide which parts of his image need to contain detail and how much of it and where to put it on the exposure scale and how to develop the negative to maintain full detail and luminance. I have heard so much tosh recently from some photographers that spot metering and accurate placement of exposure is no longer necessary due to the wide lattitude of the modern films, or even worse the digital sensor. Absolute nonsense, and goes to show how little they understand about film, dynamic range or even the basics of photography.
I learned the Zone System in 1971 from the 1968 edition of his Basic Photo Series books. It was originally based on on metering with a Weston meter calibrated to the ASA “average scene reflectance” standard of 18% and meter exposure you would take a reading with the meter off the gray card not the actual scene then evaluate the negative by printing it on #2 grade paper, what Adams used for all his prints. If the nominal ASA set on the meter did not produce the desired shadow detail on the print or was too light when negative border was printed Zone 0 - Max Black you simply adjusted the ASA setting on the meter until it did.
I bought a Pentax 1° spot meter to use with the Zone System and simply adjusted the ISO setting on the meter so when metered a Zone 2 shadow w. texture area in the scene it exposed the negative so it was reproduced like that on the print. 😢
Finding the development time to have negative densities in the highlights fit the #2 paper was again done with testing on Sunny, Cloudy, Open Shade, Overcast, etc lighting contrast until by trail and error you learned to what was needed for each. Even with a spot meter you needed to do that initial test to find what time was needed for each scene EV range.
The Zones are not scene f/stops just a gray scale divided into 11 steps 0 - 10 Why 11 and not 10? Adams screwed up when he created it forgetting to assign a Zone value to specular highlights within smooth white Zone 9 highlights. My 1968 edition only has Zone 0 - Zone 9.
Spot metering isn’t necessary with digital thanks to the over exposure warning and the histogram (if one knows how to interpret it).
Raising exposure until the clipping warning it triggered in non-specular highlight then reducing exposure by 1/3 stop will correctly render the highlight detail with the brightness solid white objects rendered in the range 245-250 which is actually light gray but that is necessary so the SPECULAR HIGHLIGHTS which will clip at 255 will contrast and provide the specular highlight clues to 3D shape. On flat white objects like the hood of a white car the separation between the hood rendered at 245-250 one stop under clipping and the 255 specular reflection of the Sun it the only clue to 3D shape if too flat to cast shadow. Bird feathers and fun have millions of flat facets which create specular reflections in sunlight. If those are not preserved with careful highlight exposure then the foliage will look flatter.
All cameras have a fixed range. Does the scene being photographed fit the sensor? After setting highlights 1/3 under clipping the left side of the histogram will tell you. If the bars are running off the left side then scene has more contrast than sensor can record and shadow detail seen by eye may be lost.
If scene exceeds the solutions are: 1) blow out some highlights if shadow detail is more important, 2) use tripod, bracket with shutter until bars don’t run off on left and use HDR in post; 3) use flash to change the range of the scene.
Studying Adams' Zone System back in the day was very valuable, and the principles still help me in today's world of smart digital cameras. Excellent video, Simon.
The Sandpiper photo hanging on my wall is one of my all-time favorites!
Thanks Rowland!
I started in the early 80s with the Camera, the Negative and the Print, a 3 book series that served as my text books. So with Ansel Adams help I taught myself some fundamentals. Then it was mostly street photography and I was a stringer for two local papers. Heady times and great experience. One of my double majors at uni was Art History so I was ready to conquer the world 🙄. Understanding the Zone System has served me well these many years. I concentrate on wildlife, landscape and macro now but the concepts remain the same all the while learning new ways to apply them by learning from your videos, thank you. Also by commenting both on DSLR and mirrorless as you teach makes my learning feel seamless. I have embraced mirrorless whole heartedly, the adventure continues.
When you say your french name is the highlight of every video
Simon d’Entremont tabarnak! Bonjour, comment ça va? Pain baguette fromage? Miam 😋 c’est bon. Belle photo, bravo!
Oh Simon! Once again I've picked up a gem from your channel. I shoot in Manual and have been perplexed about light measurement of foreground vs background and the rest. Adjusting the EC while pointed at something that has a neutral exposure value is a priceless tip.
Many thanks.
Simon, out of all the UA-cam photographers I watch and or follow you are by far the most informative without being patronising, you explain technics clearly and give me the confidence to get out and enjoy my photography.
Many thanks from across the pond in the UK
Wow, thanks!
Thanks for this video, that is very well-timed, as I am teaching this to some folks who are learning all about this.
I have used spot metering most of my career - over some 43 years. At the time I began I was shooting Nikon F3 and Canon A-1 bodies and spot metering gave me the best results. I used it across many environments from the high north of Canada to open plains and thick bush.
Now retired and living in NZ, I still use centre point exposure, along with Exposure Lock on the * button, and centre single point Back Button Focus.
Part of the reason for this is that in NZ many of the birds I am shooting are in deep foliage where I have to be very specific for both.
My methodology is: find a mid-reflectance spot and lock that in, find the eye of the subject and lock that (likely with tracking), compose, and shoot. Once you get used to it, it can be done in about a second.
'when the meter is at zero, that is medium grey 18%', thank you! that made a light bulb go off. great video as always
Simon, whenever I get stuck, I resort to previous videos, and I work through my way through your tutorials and figure out what i might be doing wrong. Endless thanks to your amazingly thorough, step by step direction.
Simon peaks with every new video
Haha thanks.
Having grown up in the film era and using Ansel’s zone system (which I eventually was able to wrestle into submission) understanding the “whys” of in camera metering systems has always been an enigma to me - until I watched this video. And now the lightbulb has come on and I can sleep tonight! Thanks Simon!
That bonus tip is something on older Olympus film camera does for it's light metering system. The OM-4 had this fancy pants spot metering system that you pointed the center of the frame at what you want properly exposed, and push a button to keep it on memory. You do this for every key part of the composition and you get this average metering made out of specific spot metering system that's kinda fun to use. Also came with buttons for dealing with all white or all black subjects as well for a quick exposure compensation, even though it had a normal exposure comp dial on the other side.
Thanks for the video. The most correct approach is to have the bird hold a gray card in its beak. While the traditional 18% gray rule is important for metering and exposure, it is not always necessary to strictly adhere to it. The dynamic range of our displays, especially photopaper, is limited, even more so than the range of a digital camera sensor. What we usually do in editing is stretch or squeeze the range we want to present to the viewer to fit within the available target range. And during shooting, all we need to do is ensure that we capture the range that we intend to present later. It is essential to include both whites and blacks in the final edit; otherwise, the image file or print may lack necessary contrast. There can never be too much contrast in print or on display, as the real world has much more contrast anyway.
Taking pics at my son’s football game. 12:00 game…very bright & sunny. Home team black jerseys and white pants. Away team all white. Both teams white helmets. Fast action…shooting different targets…not easy.
The timing is insane, this week i rented a 100-400mm canon lens, to have a go at some easy wildlife photography in the park near my house.
I had the exact problem you describe about blowing out the highlights in the water when photographing coypus with spot metering.
Decided i had to go back to watch your metering modes video, and there you go doing a special about spot metering, perfect!
Thanks a lot Simon!
Simon, I love your take/version of photography UA-cam!
The other guys are fun to watch, but I don’t learn as much (or anything) from them. I find your videos are much more about “photographic theory”, and it’s both an insightful and refreshing break from 90% of “photography UA-cam”.
Keep ‘em coming! 👍✌️🙂
I would say Simon d'Entremont's videos are "photographic theory" for "photographic practicality".
You are the best teacher, Simon❤.
Genius! Questions arise in my mind as you speak and, as if by magic, you answer them there and then or fulfill a promise to do so later. Many thanks!
The R7 also takes the center for spot metering, my subject usually is not in the center. So I use the whole frame where the metering is basically on the focus point. It also works good with black and white cats in one picture.
For Fuji, linking spot-metering to focus spot is an option. I like to have that on.
I use spot metering quite a bit actually, using exposure compensation if I want to adjust exposure for the rest of the image. Mostly because I found that when there is a lot of contrast in the scene and my subject is much brighter, or much darker, than the rest I want to prioritise the subject for exposure so that detail doesn't get lost.
Although with Fuji cameras, when subject-detection AF is on, it ignores the metering-mode you chose! So then I can only adapt with exposure compensation.
I'm a long time Olympus/OM System shooter, and since they have been making mirrorless cameras with live view for over 15 years, using exposure compensation is just second nature to me. I leave the camera on the default evaluative metering and then just adjust the exposure to taste, very similarly as you showed doing. Another excellent and highly useful video, Simon!
Very good video Simon. I personally shoot a lot of birds in various lighting situations and have found that always using Spot metering with exposure lock is the best and fastest way for me to get properly lit shots. To me, the bird is most important & I can normally adjust the other over or under exposed areas in post. If I am shooting flowers or other scenes I use Centre-weighted and never use Matrix. This is far easier now with mirrorless cameras as I can see what I will get before I shoot.
Greetings sir. I was led to believe that Spot Metering was exclusively designed to be used for close up images to get a more accurate
reading of light reflectance. I noticed you were using Spot Metering on subjects that were quite a distance away from you. Once again,
many thanks for another one of your very comprehensive and informative tutorials. You make photography much fun, sir. Tony :))
We love your insights Simon!🙌
I don't know how he does it, but he always knows I can do it. ;)
Small popup grey cards work really well for this if the lighting is not changing alot. Just toss it on the ground in an area with similar light.
Fujifilm cameras can either keep the spot meter in the center of the frame or synchronize it with the auto focus point...I often use it linked to my autofocus point for church photos where I want the audience dark, but the meter reading correct for the people on the stage.
That's really cool! I do some church video stuff, but with a limited budget, the church just has a camcorder (Sony AX43) and getting the levels right on that thing, especially with a projector behind the stage, is really difficult. Being able to select what area to meter from must be so handy! I've given up on spot metering for the most part with my Canon R cameras.
Dear Simon, I am already familiar with the information, and I use it in practice. Yet, I still watch your instructional videos because the information is very well explained by you, and it helps me to review and structure my knowledge. Thank you very much for your great contributions end explanations.
You are very welcome
10:36 I was using that bonus tip on a Nikkormat EL back in the day. I do it today with my current daily driver. The more things change. . .
Very good explanation, thanks for taking time to put it together. Another tricky situation is surfers, black wetsuits, white water in the waves and often bright sunlight and a fast moving subject. Can be difficult to expose well consistently and in particular the face.
You're so good at telling your ways on spot metering. As always, I listen and follow your advice. Thank you again, Brenda from Maryland
You are so welcome
Simon, at 2:15 in the video, your countertop, cook top, wood floor, cabinets, etc. all look properly exposed (although I don't know exactly how they look in real life).
I believe the reason is that the exposure meter balances the light reflected off of all these surfaces. If you include only one of these surfaces, the exposure is way off -- that is my continuing experience regardless of what I'm shooting.
For example, recently I was shooting photos of tile flooring and cabinets in a home for the owner so that her interior decorator could take the photos to a store to match colors of various materials an do her interior decorating magic. If I took a photo of just the tile floor (or the cabinets) the color was WAY off. So I included a piece of newspaper with a bit of variety of colors on the page. I also took some shots with various other items such as note pads, a pair of shoes, etc. That's how I got the color to show a pretty high degree of fidelity to what my eye saw.
In my opinion, this exposure issue (philosophy and engineering) is a real problem with digital photography (this was never an issue in film photography).
True, but the light measured your meter, by definition, is “reflected” light, which is what a camera captures.
You have to remember to set your iso range to be wide enough to allow exposure comp to work if you’re tweaking the exposure against what the camera meters. You can also choose with Sony to set the metering with the focal point as well as with Nikon and Canon 😊
My first camera with a build in light meter had (semi) spot-metering and only that. It was one of the main reasons to choose that model (a Canon FTb). It was a fully manual camera and in my opinion manual exposure and spot metering is made for each other. As soon as you use to auto exposure it's so easy to put the spot in the wrong place, even if pointing at the right spot and lock the exposure certainly help. I rarely use spot metering anymore since the new metering systems handle most scenes so well, but when shooting slide film on a fully manual camera it was ideal. Most scenes have something to meter on that you want middle gray and if not metering on the hand would get me pretty close.
Having pulled together tips from many of your videos, I set parameters in my 7d 2 so that Program mode is tailored to my own shooting style. I have combined elements of ISO and shutter speed range that allow variable aperture. My results have improved, and I have to thank you for insight into camera operation.
My favourite spot metering trick, when being in manual mode (digital cameras) is, depending on the subject and what might be my intentions for that shot (of course), to meter the brighter spot on the scene and over expose two or two and a half stops (how much of overexposure ought to depend on the dynamic range of the sensor of the camera) in relation to that spot measurement. In that way, I am sure there would be no blown parts on the image (from where information would be impossible to recover) because it will still be within the admissible dynamic range of the sensor. Some parts of the photo might have dark shadows (from where it will usually be easer to recover information in post-production/editing if shooting Raw), and others might be even black, which does not bother me as burnt bits of the photo do (specially if to be lost due to lack of information), particularly when I think they are relevant to the composition according to my intentions. This technique is not aplicable for every shot or subject and works better if one is going to later on process the photo, and specially if shooting raw. I think.
I stumbled into exposure lock by trial and error and god I wish I had this video when I was searching for that. This is so validating. Thank you ❤
simon, i shall thank you for helping me learn about my camera. you are truly great at what you do!
Hi Simon, Thank you very much for speaking about Metering Modes, a Mode that isn't talked about much. It's good you mentioned Exposure Compensation to Brighten up the Exposure, very beneficial advice that will really help the newer photographers. Also this tip you made about. to program an Exposure Lock to a Button and then to re-compose, that tip will help me. When i'm shooting the Moon i always use Spot Metering. Thanks Simon for your tips they certainly make a difference to my photography. 😊
Thanks Simon 🙂
This is by far now of the best videos I've seen explaining metering... and you're only talking about 1 method! I'll be checking out your exposure compensation and metering explained videos for sure.
Great explanation, thank you! Will take my camera out later and experiment with this. I also watched a video where the tip was that (with Sony for sure) the dust cap on the camera body is the grey level and to take a test shot of the cap to calibrate. So much to learn, and these videos are most welcome.
Thank you Simon. This is probably the most important lesson I learnt in correctly exposing a subject, particularly birds - it’s OK to have the background dark or blown out if you can achieve perfect results on the subject. Took me afar too long to realise this. 🙄
Glad it was helpful!
Great video Simon. Spot metering is a mode that rarely gets visited by me, I will have to give it a little more consideration. I almost exclusively shoot with the histogram and use my control ring to adjust exposure compensation. The control ring is convenient for me as I mostly shoot primes.
Keep up the great videos!
if you're shooting raw and will be setting lightness in processing then you need to meter to avoid blowing the highlights. Nikon cameras have a highlight spot mode for this, you spot meter off the brightest part of your scene and it sets the exposure to just preserve those highlights (though not including raw headroom). You can do this on other brands with 2.5 stops of EC, so that a meter calibrated for 18% will place the highlights correctly. If you know how much raw headroom your camera gives (some up to a stop) you can put that in too.
Canon also has something similar called Highlight Tone Priority
I know this might get lost around, but every time i watch one of your vids, i wait until the end to hear those very inspiring words of yours "I know you can do it!"
Those words are enough motivation to pick up my camera and look around to practice and take more pictures
So thank you so much for inspiring me to keep learning and shooting more and more pics with my camera.
I personally have learned a lot from you and your tips have saved me too on some occasions when i was in mid-session.
Thank you 😊
Reminds me of the old days... when we had to look into the manual to see (and usually cut out and carry with us) how the lightmeter on a camera actually measures in case you don't have a spotmeter at hand... all those beautiful kidney shapes
Snow is the easiest to photograph: 100% diffuse, +1EV. So I guess that's my favourite! But auto-ISO + exposing for highlights can be a powerful convenience. When shooting sports in outdoor changing light, I lean on the camera's ability to recognize a face and adjust exposure. It doesn't always get it right, but I can't do it faster!
Hi Simon, Thanks for sharing. As landscape phtographer I mostly use Av mode. I did play with metering modes during the night I spent at the hill overlooking the erupting Litli Hrutur volcano in Iceland. Lava at night is crazy bright ! When I use manual mode, I put auto ISO and use exposure compensation when I think I need that. Modern camera's have a great dynamic range so an incorrect exposure can be forgiven to some extent in post
Holy mackerel you need to switch from photography tutorials to how to grow your channel tutorials! Congrats on your success! This is a great topic. Thanks
Hi Simon, thanks for the interesting video.
I had an ugly situation at a sports event with partly bright windows behind the athletes. - So I thought Sportmeter on the focus point would help. This worked partially but not reliably. In the end I used manual exposure, which gave more consistent exposures.
Way back in the late 80's I worked for Black's and I was allowed to borrow a Canon T-90 for a month. I loved the multi-spot mode. You could click on a few bright spots and one dark spot to get one result or two darks and a light, or any combination and I think you could pick one spot as priority? I fell in love with that camera.
For botanical photography my camera rarely leave spot focus, especially for habit shots on epiphytes where I am shooting through branches and leaves to get a clear shot of the subject. Even then I have to check each shot to make sure I am on the subject and not on infinitely from the background which is often the sky or accidenttally on a nearby leaf. I also use spot focus on people or animal shots where I want to focus on the nearest eye.
Almost half a million, great job Simon. Appreciate your educational videos.
So close!
Spot-metering is very useful for metering 18% grey-card, which is convinient exposure-control tool. This is very popular technique in video and I think that photographers could use it more often. There are some situations when it's unsuitable, but if only you can take a18% grey-card measurement next to your subject or in the same lighting condtions, it gives you a perfect exposure. Spot-metering is very useful for this, because it works well with small grey cards.
I just rely on zebras (overexposure clipping warning for Lumix and other cameras), and unless I don't care about (or actually want) blown-out highlights, I adjust exposure* until those just disappear (I can't begin to understand why anyone wouldn't shoot mirrorless--what a huge advantage!). That way, I can recover details at most any value (shadow detail is rarely a problem). This is basically ETTR with artistic adjustments. It really doesn't matter what metering mode I choose in this case. I'm used to spot-metering (and for B&W, Ansel's Zone System as mentioned below) from my film days, but I think center-weighted makes more sense for most people most of the time. As you say, it just depends on what you want to show in the image. For me, the editing phase is where the real decisions are made, but you need a good negative (or RAW file).
*I also have the rear dial on all of my cameras set for exposure compensation (except for S mode, in which case it's SS). In most cases, that's up to +/- 5 stops.
You hit exactly the issue of metering. What do you want to represent!!!! There is no right or wrong exposure if the result is what you want. I don't know how many people have told me "but you didn't center the meter". I always respond : "I know".
haha awesome
I've never understood the reason for exposure compensation, I just figured just change the settings. But I always shoot manual, so I guess it's really for the other modes. I remember back in the days of my point and shoot film camera, I would hold the button halfway with the desired focus/exposure in the middle, then recompose and press the button all the way, to try to get it how I wanted it. I also used the flash as a fill flash. Don't hear about that much now.
Clear , Precise , and to the Point . You have covered so much in such a short video . Wonderfully explained , you make it seem easy. Thank you.
Glad you liked it
Thank you Simon for your brilliant content and great teaching ability.
I can't stop watching Simon' videos when it shows up
that last bonus tip is gold too, thank you Simon
pure whites can be a little tricky when it comes to printing. often that means no ink is applied, so there can be a different reflectivity on the print surface. this is particularly noticeable on canvas prints.
I think that egret photo is my favorite of yours I've seen
Back in the day shooting slide film, and cameras with center weighted metering, I would expose for the mid tones and let dark tones and lighter tones fall where they may. For sure, you must know what is a mid tone...grass, blue sky etc. Note, that the meter will render colors mid tones too. So, if you want a red barn to look medium red, shoot at the recommended setting. However, if you want the barn to look lighter, overexposed by a third or half stop. This is just a modified version of the zone system for exposure. No fancy evaluative meters back then so when things get contrasty, you had to know how to compensate to get the value you wanted. White snow? At recommended exposure it is zone 5, mid tone. To get it to look like snow while keeping some texture, you could increase exposure by maybe 1.5 stops or so. Bracket just in case. If you are going to use a spot meter effectively, you must learn what mid tone values look like and than interpret the exposure And compensate either darker or lighter to get the photo you envision.
Another entertaining and practical video, thank you. I started in the 70s and always gravitated towards full manual, and even used a handheld spot meter for my mostly static subjects. Camera settings then were few: aperture, SS, film choice, focus. Your videos are great help in unraveling the complexity of current cameras which can ironically get in the way sometimes.
Glad it was helpful!
I am not into wildlife photography, it is just too tempting to get more gear😅. So I watch a lot of landscape photography channels, but I have to say, you really stand out from any genre to me. You explain the basic techniques so well (I am really not a tech person), that even I seem to understand something. I learn so so much from you. I really appreciate your content, given to us all for free. Thanks very much! You are a great teacher.
Thanks for sharing!
Back in film 35mm photography I used spot metering and metered my hand making sure it wasn't in a brighter light like direct sunlight if the scene didn't have it. It was amazing the results I achieved. This was done in full manual.
I knew this topic well but you highlighted parts I would be in a dire strait. I like your topic coverage, interesting, relevant and to the point.
I use the last method (meter off a mid tone area), or, I meter off the lightest and darkest areas and essentially use that to calculate 18% gray. Most of the time I wing it from experience like I did when using film.
I definitely love this quick tutorial! Thanks so much
I'm so glad!
Spot metering has helped me so very much over the years when trying to grab a quick shot on the fly with challenging exposure. My old Minolta x-700 (film) has a huge button on the front that makes it so easy to get to when required. My three DSLR's have dedicated buttons too - but all in a different "spot" on the camera and I often fumble to find them.
The Olympus OM3 and OM4 film cameras were spot metering done right. You could spot the white point, black point, or even spot up to 7 points in a scene to get an average. Lost in time now, just like Canons eye focus system in the EOS 30.
Coming back to photography from film to digital, I needed a fast course to be able to teach my daughter. Luckily I found your channel and subscribed immediately since you know what to are talking about. I had trouble finding the right infos on circular polarizer to make a great choice, Nikon, Carl Zeiss, B&W, PolarPro, Canon. I looked up your gear and bought the B&W CPL, if it's good for you then great for me! Maybe one day someone is going to make a great video that will give a better insight into them.
I found before I switched to mirrorless, I had to mess with metering a lot more. Now I have it as centre weighted average, or go full manual. I find fully manual settings work best for macro photos. I recently took some extreme close up photos of some tiny flowers on my houseplants, and it was so small that things were not working on auto. I'm not sure if some of that was using an EF 100 macro lens with the RF adapter, or just how close I was.
I find for most landscape shots, I use the exposure lock, especially for sunsets. For portraits, I find spot metering is usually okay, but it can really mess with skin tones. I recently did some group photos that had a lot of diversity of skin tones, and I don't think the camera knew what to do! Some people were really dark, others too pale... That's the one area I really struggle with for getting the exposure right, is when you want accurate skin tones to show up without losing any detail.
Excellent tips and advice Simon. Thank you very much for sharing your expertise and experience.
My pleasure!
I just had a spot-metering drama this morning! It's like you were there!
That’s a good phrase… « spot-metering drama! »
I learn something from every one of your videos, but this one was exceptionally useful! Thank you.
You're very welcome!
I learn something new every time I watch your videos. I’m excited to go shoot and try this!
I had some difficulty getting the right exposure until I learned about metering modes. Now, when I am walking around taking shots, I find myself swapping metering modes enough to warrant its own button for it, and my pictures come out much better.
And yes, on my Nikon mirrorless, when you place your focus point on a specific subject, it will automatically put the spot metering point on the same location. It's a pretty handy feature, especially when you compose your subject off center.
I don't meter at all. I use my view finder or monitor to judge what I am going to get. I know this is not a good indicator of the actual final result. But through experience, you get a sense of what the result will be. It hasn't failed me.
Your bonus tip is awesome. Don’t know why I never thought of that! I’ve used. The meter in manual but never in spot mode like that. Clever clever!!
Glad it was helpful!
Quality educational information. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
I used to use spot metering but it was unreliable in certain situations so now I use ESP metering and manually use the ISO to adjust the exposure for my scene.
Nicely done Simon. You have a gift in teaching others about many photographic topics. I always enjoy your videos & the examples that you show in respect to the topic that you are explaining. (Your white kitchen counter top & black stove top are excellent examples as to how your camera will interpret a scene.)Best wishes & safe travels.😊
Really nicely done Simon!! Thanks for your clear teaching style. Have a rockin' day!
Thanks, you too!
I found after I bought my Canon R6 that metering modes are now largely irrelevant vestiges of the film and dslr eras. My ever shows me the exposure and in full manual, I simply pick the aperture and shutter speed and then surf the ISO/exposure comp dial to get what I want. The only time where the metering mode is useful is where I’m taking a fast action shot.
I only use spotmetering for concerts, where the singers' face is lit and the background is dark. If I'd use matrixmetering there, the pics would be blown out and you'd get shutterspeeds of 1/5th of a second, even at high iso ! Imho matrixmetering works fine in 95% of the cases. Only when the subject is darker or brighter than the background, spotmetering works. The only Canon where the light is metered at the AF-point is the 1D series, in the other cameras it meters in the center, which I don't find logical.
Wow, fantastic video. Thank you! I always learn something watching your videos!
The fundamental issue is that most digital era photographers just do not understand what an exposure meter is telling them. Its like a foreign language to them, which they do not understand. Once they learn what the meter is telling them, it all becomes very easy and very intuative. The other issue is the metering pattern of the modern cameras. A spot meter is actually the easiest to understand as it only measures the luminance reflected through a 1 degree cone. Its a lot easier to understand what its telling you than something like an RGB evaluative metering. Just get the cheapest reliable handheld meter and start to learn photography from scratch. You will enjoy it.
Simon you are so good that I watch the sponsor's ad to help you improve your stats as a thank you for sharing your knowledge,
too kind!
I shoot full manual on my R7 and haven’t even sneezed at trying spot metering. I like evaluate for the run and gun shooting. 99% of the time it nails it. Same goes for auto white balance. It rarely misses!
This was game changer in blackwater photography (taking pictures of plancton in the middle of the sea). When you place the spot into the critter you can expose It correctly with a decent shutter speed (very needed with fishes). The cool thing here is that you have always a dark background so you just have to care about the subject
With film, metering was much more important than it is now with digital cameras and the insane amount of exposure latitude modern sensors can handle. With digital, I always tend to photograph so that the information on the histogram is leaning to the right side, towards absolute white. As long as the data in the histogram isn't crushed to either absolute value, black or white, it can be recovered and adjusted selectively in photoshop. With spot metering, meter on something that you want to be middle grey, like you said, then recompose.