spot or matrix?

[roman_thorn1]

Hi all! Well I have completed my second Wedding shoot, yes with some success but also some annoying

inconsistancy. Under normal conditions I usually shoot in manual and spot, but have found this setting way to

cumbersome. The events are just way to fast paced most times and the conditions ever changing and so, I have

relied heavily on aperture priority mode. Honestly, I have found this setting very unreliable and inconsistant. I'm

alway's getting over or under exposure and forced to constantly bracket. I have though been leaving my metering in

spot. When in aperture priority, would I get better results if I switched to matrix........Help.

[Matt Laur]

Available light, or flash-lit?

[SCL]

What about central weighted rather than spot or matrix?

[charles_hess2]

Unless you are posing large groups of people, why not use CW metering since the emphasis is generally on a main

subject(s) rather than the whole scene in the frame? AV and CW metering is used on my cameras probably 90% of the

time.

[matt_batchelor]

I second the above answer - I found that in tricky lighting situations centre-weighted metering on both my F100 and D300 gave more

predictable results, as it works out an exposure based on a simple calculation rather than using a computer programme to second-guess

the subject matter. I find that, once I've got used to a camera/sensor/film, I can apply compensation pretty consistently with CW mode,

whereas, as you say, it can go awry with the Matrix mode.

 

I only use spot metering in really tricky conditions, often to read -2/3 stop on some nearby greenery, or off the sky. The book

"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson is really good for tips on this sort of technique, and photographic exposure in general.

 

If you have time to use a separate meter, that might be worth a shot. I've had some good results with an old Weston Master V that I got

for about 25 GBP, though any off-camera meter will work just as well. Being able to take several readings off a scene, and average

them, or take an incident reading, is something that is difficult or impossible with even the newest DSLRs, and in some conditions a 30-

odd year old castoff can blow my D300's built in meter into the weeds.

 

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

[brooks_lester]

since those items are at the high and low EV ranges of what needs to be exposed for in the frame. That's OK if you're moving slowly. For

faster paced stuff, plenty of folks use Matrix mode, perhaps anticipating how the camera will meter the frame and adding/subtracting some EV

value to compensate. I would think that Center Weighted could be tricky if you're shooting digital or chrome and the Weighted section of the

meter is reading the bride's white dress or the groom's black tux, with vastly different EV values for the other less-weighted area of the frame.

The reading could be skewed too far for the rest of the frame to expose properly, again, with out entering any compensation.

[robert_hooper1]

What is your camera body, Roman?

 

Matrix Metering is made for weddings, in my opinion, unless you are using a Nikon D40/D40x or a Nikon D80 or D60. If

you have one of those cameras, I would use Center Weighted metering.

 

Let the camera do the work for you whenever possible. At least in my case, it has a bigger brain.

[roman_thorn1]

Hi Robert! Just for your information, I use the D300. Don't get me wrong, It is a fabulous piece of technology. I would say it is more of a user problem than anything. It is not that I don't understand exposure, I just have a difficult time evaluating the situation acuratley within a short span of time. I now rely on "aperture priority". Just not having a ton of success but on that note, I have left it in spot.

[ronald_moravec1]

A middle tone needs to be measured not dominated by black/white. I suggest a cw, meter, recompose, expose.

 

An incident meter will work perfectly.

 

Don`t forget all photos made in one place require the same exposure. So when doing family in the church, set it once and make them all the same. There is no need to meter each one.

 

Then put groups like above into LR or ACR and make one adjustment that applies to all.

[mendel_leisk]

I don't think your use of Aperture Priority, vs other modes such as Shutter Priority or full Program (camera selecting

both shutter speed and aperutre) is really a factor. My preference when using Auto Exposure is to just use full

Program mode: letting the camera pick both aperture/shutter speed, unless I want a particular shutter speed or

aperture.

 

I think the other comments to use Center Weighted are your best bet, when you have little or no time to meter

manually and the light level is constantly shifting. It reduces the odds of some bright window or light source in a

corner of the shot skewing the exposure decision. If the subject lighting is not shifting much, manual metering

coupled with a few test shots is likely still your best option.

[hugh_look]

I had to shoot a wedding in very difficult light recently (varying between clouds and rain and horrible, contrasty clouds-and-sunlight - English summer weather). If you are using a D200 or D300 you can use autobracketing with the high-speed continuous mode (I think you can also do this with a D80, but definitely not with a D60). I set to shoot: matrix; meter reading, 0.7 under and 0.7 over, and put it into high-speed mode so that it takes the three shots very quickly (less than 1 second). I had something usable for each one, without wasting the time of the bride, groom and guests. It was a big edit down process in ViewNX prior to postprocessing in Capture NX, but the histogram helped speed things up. One of the great benefits of digital.

[ilkka_nissila]

There is no easy way out of difficult and changing lighting situations.

 

Spot metering is best used in manual mode, otherwise you'd be adjusting exposure compensation all the time. Manual

mode is easier.

 

If you use an automatic mode, I would recommend using matrix metering and learn to compensate it based on experience.

You still need to adjust the results in an image editor but at least you can focus on getting the shot when the light is

changing.