Metering/Focus Point/Composition Question

David Evertsen

Okay this is a strange question but do you really expect anything else from me?? I always use one focus point on my 50D in manual mode shooting sports and dance. Something occurred to me on the metering today while shooting dance. While exposing for faces using partial metering where is it metered from if I use the lower focus point?? Does it meter in the center of the lense for partial metering or on the focus point even though I am not using spot metering. If I used spot metering would it be on the focus point or still in the center. :scratch

aktse

David Evertsen wrote:

Okay this is a strange question but do you really expect anything else from me?? I always use one focus point on my 50D in manual mode shooting sports and dance. Something occurred to me on the metering today while shooting dance. While exposing for faces using partial metering where is it metered from if I use the lower focus point?? Does it meter in the center of the lense for partial metering or on the focus point even though I am not using spot metering. If I used spot metering would it be on the focus point or still in the center.

The key word in your statement is "manual mode" -- in that mode, you set the exposure and the meter modes are ignored.

The camera will tell you if you're underexposed/overexposed based upon the metering modes that the camera is on, but you set the actual exposure.

David Evertsen

aktse wrote:

The key word in your statement is "manual mode" -- in that mode, you set the exposure and the meter modes are ignored.

The camera will tell you if you're underexposed/overexposed based upon the metering modes that the camera is on, but you set the actual exposure.

I always look to the camera for settings to help out when setting exposure I know what to ignore it sometimes. Just trying to understand the light and where is it getting that from center partial of focus point low etc?

colourbox

David Evertsen wrote:

While exposing for faces using partial metering where is it metered from if I use the lower focus point?? Does it meter in the center of the lense for partial metering or on the focus point even though I am not using spot metering. If I used spot metering would it be on the focus point or still in the center.

I am using a different Canon body, but it looks like the controls are the same. The selected metering pattern will be applied to whatever's in the frame at the time you press the shutter release halfway; at the same time, focus will be set at the point that's selected at the time you press the shutter release halfway. I believe there is some exposure priority on the selected focus point.

But when the exposure isn't right when you compose for your focus point, you can use the focus point and the metering pattern completely independently. Notice the two buttons behind the shutter release: One has a star icon * and the other has a focus point grid icon. If you need to meter off something that doesn't meter properly when you're setting the focus point with the shutter release button halfway, you compose for exposure and press the AE lock button, the one with the *. Then compose for focus, hit the focus lock button and select your focus point, then shoot.

Found this answer too.