Metering Mode Question???

Candid Arts

Not to sure how all these things work and when to use which ones...

I shoot a Canon 50D, usually on Av, sometimes M, NEVER any auto modes, rarely Tv (very rarely). I normally do landscape shots, city scape, macro, weird stuff. I'm getting more into portraiture...slowly...but yeah. So anyways...

Evaluative Metering:
Partial Metering:
Spot Metering:
Center-weighted Average Metering:

Any help would be great, thanks guys!

aktse

Candid Arts wrote:

Not to sure how all these things work and when to use which ones...

...
Evaluative Metering:
Partial Metering:
Spot Metering:
Center-weighted Average Metering:

...

Did you try the search function on dgrin? How about the one on <url=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=metering+modes&btnG=Search>google

I was trying to find one that forwarded to a few people, but couldn't...

here's one and here's another one

And there are also video on youtube

edited: Found! This is the one that I like since it shows examples of the same shot with different metering modes.

Candid Arts

Cool thanks. Checked them both out. Excellent help. I normally use the Evaluative (Matrix) metering for everything I do. Never use Center-Weighted Average. It looks like I should be using Spot and Partial more often. Looks like I need to get out on start taking some photos and experimenting.

Will I notice a difference if I set up a shot and change the metering mode but leave everything else the same? If so how much do you think?

ziggy53

Candid Arts wrote:

...

Will I notice a difference if I set up a shot and change the metering mode but leave everything else the same? If so how much do you think?

There will be a difference and whether it is noticable will depend a lot on the subject and scene.

Just try it. That's the great thing about digital in that you get to see the results instantly and you can compare the results easily together on a computer.

NikonsandVstroms

Candid Arts wrote:

Cool thanks. Checked them both out. Excellent help. I normally use the Evaluative (Matrix) metering for everything I do. Never use Center-Weighted Average. It looks like I should be using Spot and Partial more often. Looks like I need to get out on start taking some photos and experimenting.

Will I notice a difference if I set up a shot and change the metering mode but leave everything else the same? If so how much do you think?

I started with center weighted so I just know how to compensate for that in any given scene, basically you learn if I want this color/shade object properly exposed, I need this correction, and then on top of that you work out an additional compensation if you need to not blow up the highlights of the sky or something else like that.

Basically takes practice, but it's giving you a lot more control than the matrix which just decides everything for you, and can really be put off by a really bright light source that you don't care so much about.

And as was said, it's digital so just review the shot and compensate from there, it's so much nicer pressing a button than "agitating" a tank for about half an hour, digital is great like that