CAMERA METERING

Question 1

What is a Light Meter?

Answer 1

Measure amount of reflected light in the scene.
Brightness not color.

Question 2

Manual Mode and exposure meter

Answer 2

light meter only show, no exposure meter

Question 3

Other modes and light meter

Answer 3

camera changes exposure triangle to adjust light meter

Question 4

What is Medium Grey

Answer 4

18% Grey or Mid Tone Grey. Metering is at Zero

Question 5

List the four metering modes

Answer 5

Evaluative, Center Weighted, Partial, Spot

Question 6

Evaluative metering

Answer 6

looks at whole scene. 384 zones

Question 7

Partial metering

Answer 7

smaller center about 6%.

Question 8

Center Weighted metering

Answer 8

looks at the center of the frame

Question 9

Spot metering

Answer 9

small area in center about 3%.
Trickiest (zebra example).
Use if Subject is even tone.
Don’t use if subject is moving too fast or black and white.

Question 10

Deciding which meter mode to use??

Answer 10

Decide what is more important to you.
Is your subject the most important (Center or Partial) or would you like to preserve the background with highlights (Evaluative).

Question 11

3 Tips on which meter mode to use.

Answer 11

1. If subject tone is similar to entire scene, then you are good (Medium Grey 18%).
2. If area of spot is too bright or too dark then this is a problem, switch to Evaluative mode.
3. If using spot metering then you can point your camera to a spot close to medium grey, set light meter to zero and press AE Lock then recompose and take the shot.