M7 Metering

[terence_hsu]

Hey guys! I'm wondering how the M7 metering is on the camera. Is the spot/center meter

effective? Is it comparable to the regular spot-meters? better than matrix? how much fine-

tuning is needed?

 

thanks,

T

[stuart_richardson]

It is very accurate, but only in telling you what exposure to use to get 18% grey at whatever

you pointed it at. Basically, if you point it at something that is close to 18% grey, it will give

you an excellent exposure. From there it is up to you to know what to do with the

information it gives you. The exposure compensation works well, so if something is slightly

brighter or darker than 18% grey, just dial it in and you are set. I like it better than matrix

because I know how it will respond and I can adjust accordingly. It lets me do the thinking.

On the other hand, matrix metering can be used without thought, so if you need to just fire

blindly or from the hip, chances are it will do a better job. But for that sort of shooting you

probably want AF and a motor drive too, so it is a different story.

[charles_gravely]

What Stuart said and...

 

If you press the shutter release part way down, it locks the shutter speed. Then simply adjust aperature to adjust exposure as needed. I love this feature and I use it all the time instead of exposure compensation wheel. It's a beautiful thing.

 

Charles

[daveg]

Once you are used to it, it is much more reliable than matrix metering. With matrix, the cpu is guessing what your exposure should be based on a predefined algorithm. It works most of the time, but is often fooled by difficult lighting situations.

 

With area metering (somewhat larger than a spot) your brain is in control. You know what area of the frame you want to be properly exposed, and you set the exposure accordingly.

 

Ninety five percent of the time you don�t even need to think about it. But under difficult lighting situations, you are better equipped to make the call than the chip is.

 

Thankfully, (I think) technology has not advanced to the point where a .50 cent piece of silicon can replace the human brain.

[daveg]

"Thankfully, (I think) technology has not advanced to the point where a .50 cent piece of silicon can replace the human brain."

 

Come to think of it, you've got to get up to .75 cents or a dollar before you even get close. :-)

[peter_n1664876959]

What Stuart said. It is very accurate, as is the one in the M6TTL.