metering

[raffal]

The other day i read in a magazine: " ....he spotmetered the Space Niddle and THEN switched to manual." --

Can't this( spot metering )- be done in manual anyway ????? What this person meant when he wrote it?.......

This guy was using D200.- raf

[Matt Laur]

So, put the camera in P mode (if you want the camera to do all of the thinking, or put it A or S and choose one or the other values, letting the camera figure out the other. While looking through the D200's viewfinder, you'll see the exposure setting that the camera thinks is correct. Make a mental note of that (say, f/4 at 1/200th). Then switch the camera to M(anual) mode, and use the same settings... then, as you re-compose your shots, the camera won't be altering the exposures based on changes in the scene.

 

Or, you leave it in one of the auto/semi-auto modes, and use the AE-L button on the back of the camera to get the camera to meter the way you want, and hold that metering even as you re-compose.

[frank uhlig]

The writer just wanted the Space Niddle (sic; whatever that may be) to become middle gray, so he spot metered its "skin".

 

Of course that may have been wrong to do, because the "skin" of that Niddle was actually bright silver, or near black, or ... . Spot

metering is not the solution to these problems, a correct interpretation of the metering is!

 

What shade of gray do you want to Niddle to be (to be natural looking) ? Is it really bright silvery gray? Then overexpose by 1-2

stops from spot metering it. If you need it to become near black to make it appear as you see the Niddle, then underexpose by 1-2 stops.

 

But I guess the Niddle is medium gray ... and the shooter made no compensation. And was happy with the result, too.

[raffal]

...... i guess what i was refering to was, why do this auto or semi auto modes,and later switch to M-- instead of right the way -- use spot matering in M mode....raf :)

[frank uhlig]

Well, if the author gets paid by the word, this long about way and its description makes good copy, doesn't it? Why not ask him yourself, though? You can find him by google ... you know.

[raffal]

Frank, honestly , i dont know... lol--- its simple : look at above post again : do you know or you dont know??? .....if you want contact him, i had a specific question for someone who can answer it.....there is nothin in between...:), raf

[jim_gifford]

I believe the focal point in question is...

 

Space Needle, the Seattle landmark. White building, usually pearl gray sky in drizzle (but for two months in summer, lovely blue sky and cumulus).