The means by which a camera automatically determines exposure settings such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO (sensitivity).
36
votes
5answers
3k views
When best to use Multi-Zone/Matrix, Spot, or Center-Weight?
What are Multi-Zone/Matrix metering, Center-Weighted metering, and Spot metering? What about Partial?
Is there a good rule of thumb, or a few pointers, on when best to use each metering mode?
29
votes
12answers
2k views
What situations are best suited for spot metering?
I have found myself using spot metering on several occasions in order to get the right exposure, such as sunsets and on bright days with a subject in the shade. What other situations are well suited ...
18
votes
3answers
5k views
What does TTL mean?
I'm new to photography and I see the term TTL all over the place. What does it mean? And how do I use it to make my pictures better?
29
votes
6answers
7k views
How do I use spot metering?
What's the right way to use spot metering? Is it better to use in manual mode than one of the priority modes?
There's a question about when to use spot metering, but none that serves as a tutorial to ...
31
votes
6answers
2k views
Why use a dedicated light meter instead of the one built into the camera?
I know a few people who carry around a dedicated light meter unit (such as this one by Sekonic) and use that to meter photos instead of using the meter built into their cameras (and these are ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the difference between luminance and illuminance?
The more I read about this, the more confused I become. Illuminance, as I understand it, measured in lux, is the perceived brightness of light on a surface. It's what you'd measure with an incident ...
3
votes
1answer
714 views
What is the EV scale?
I have seen an "EV" (exposure value) scale that's sometimes used to express a camera's exposure settings, or scene brightness. How exactly does this scale work?
3
votes
1answer
297 views
What is the photopic luminous efficiency function?
What is the photopic luminous efficiency function?
Is it actually a the, or are there multiple such functions? Is it an absolute fact of nature or simply an agreed-on standard? If the later, who ...
19
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I meter for long exposures (10+ minutes)?
One of my longstanding interests is long exposure night photography.
However, many of the situations where I am shooting require exposure lengths on the order of 10 minutes, which is far beyond what ...
6
votes
3answers
860 views
How to get meter reading for a DSLR if not from a gray card?
I read an article called Expose (to the) Right, which explained why you should try to get the graph of the histogram as much to the right of the scale as possible. The reasoning is that DSLRs record ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How to calculate Lux from EV?
Instead of looking up a chart, how can I calculate Lux from EV? Thanks!
16
votes
4answers
7k views
How do I “focus and recompose” using spot metering?
I usually use the "[auto]focus and recompose" method for taking candid photographs. In situations where there is a high degree of contrast, I would like to use spot metering to correct expose for ...
12
votes
3answers
7k views
How well do smart phone light meter apps work?
There are a number of smart phone apps which use the phone's camera as a light meter. How well do these work?
The metering built into most modern cameras is very powerful and accurate, but in some ...
14
votes
5answers
580 views
What's a good ad-hoc replacement for a gray card?
I know that a real gray card is the best thing to use to determine exposure. But I'd like to know if there are other naturally available features that can be used in a quick and dirty way. Are fields ...
10
votes
1answer
361 views
Why isn't TTL metering accurate when using a non-electronic lens?
I recently bought a Lensbaby lens and I played with it a lot. Then lens is awesome but I have one big and annoying problem and is that TTL metering fails miserably when using P, TV and M modes.
I ...
10
votes
6answers
602 views
What are typical situations where you should use auto-exposure lock (AE-L)?
What are the typical situations where you should use AE for locking exposure?
8
votes
4answers
863 views
How can I work around metering issues with adapted lenses on a Canon DSLR?
I have a bunch of Contax lenses (C/Y mount) and a mount adapter with "dandelion" chips. This should allow me to use my lenses on any Canon DSLR using aperture mode and stopping down the lens. Thanks ...
8
votes
3answers
470 views
Can spot metering be corrected in post processing?
I just started experimenting with spot metering + exposure compensation. I'm wondering if it's possible to make adjustments during post processing to correct the metering. I'm pretty sure (correct me ...
7
votes
3answers
651 views
Is Center-weighted metering a type of spot-metering?
Does center-weighted metering use the same camera/lens adjustments as spot metering with the exception of the focus which is in the center? Or is there a technical difference in the way ...
7
votes
2answers
494 views
Metering mode in panasonic Fz35
I am new to photography, recently I bought a new camera which is Panasonic Fz35 which has lots of nice features in it. However while browsing through the settings mode, I found an option for Metering ...
9
votes
0answers
333 views
How do I avoid a dark subject when there's bright sunlight from windows? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do you avoid a dim portrait with a bright background and no external flash?
I recently shot some photos at a friend's wedding. The location was lovely with lots of ...
5
votes
1answer
386 views
What is the logic behind “Brother Backlit Sky” in the book Understanding Exposure?
I don't know if this question is too specific, but after reading Understanding Exposure, I can't understand very well the reasons and logic behind Brother Backlit Sky and their brothers. Although I ...
2
votes
1answer
237 views
How important is lack of color matrix metering and 100% viewfinder in Nikon F100 compared to Nikon F5?
I'm planning to buy a film camera. I'm undecided between Nikon F100 and Nikon F5. The major differences that I could figure out from Thom Hogan's review are:
Pro F100:
F100 is lighter than the ...
1
vote
3answers
242 views
How do TTL flash metering systems calculate how much power is needed?
Does anyone know how TTL calculates the amount of power to put in after the preflash is done? I understand that the value is somewhat brand specific, but what is the general logic? Because if you ...
0
votes
1answer
338 views
Difference between metering modes
My canon XTi has the following metering modes; Evaluative, Partial, and Center-Weighted Average.
What is the diference between these and what situations would you them in?
