Can changing metering mode affect focus accuracy on a Canon 600D?
Asked 9/24/2014
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2 answers
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I use a Canon 600D with back-button focus, so the shutter button meters and AF is assigned separately. I normally shoot in Aperture Priority and tested a Sigma 14mm f/2.8 on a tripod because it seems to have focusing issues.
I made several test shots at f/2.8 using different metering modes (evaluative, spot, partial, and center-weighted). One set looked sharper with center-weighted metering, while the others looked softer. With some manual focus adjustment in Live View, the image appears sharper than with autofocus.
Can changing the camera’s metering mode affect focus or sharpness, or is something else more likely causing the difference?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
1
It shouldn't, PDAF occurs before any metering adjustments are made because the quality of focus is directly dependent on the available light. Focusing should occur with the aperture wide open before anything is stopped down.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No—changing metering mode should not directly change focus accuracy on a Canon 600D.
Autofocus and metering are separate functions. Phase-detect AF is performed before exposure, and focusing is normally done with the lens wide open. Metering mode changes how the camera evaluates scene brightness for exposure, not where or how it focuses.
If your shots looked sharper with one metering mode, the more likely explanations are:
- normal shot-to-shot AF inconsistency
- too small a test sample
- slight exposure/shutter-speed differences affecting apparent sharpness
- the lens itself missing focus
Since you found that manual adjustment in Live View gives a sharper result, that does suggest the lens/body AF combination may be off or inconsistent. Based on the answers provided, the center-weighted result was most likely just the sharpest of a small batch rather than proof that metering mode changes focus.
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