How should I use spot metering, and is it better in manual or priority modes?
Asked 1/20/2011
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I want a practical explanation of how to use spot metering. What is the usual workflow, and when is it better to use spot metering instead of matrix/evaluative metering?
I'm also confused about exposure compensation. In aperture priority or shutter priority, if I spot meter from a dark or bright subject, won't the camera try to make that area middle gray? Does that mean I need to meter from something grayish unless I use manual mode? How do you deliberately place a metered area lighter or darker than middle gray?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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I wrote a tutorial about this very subject on my website. You can read it here.
To summarise, there are two advantages to using it in manual mode:
- Once you've set your meter for the prevailing lighting conditions, you shouldn't need to worry about the exposure again (unless you need to change the aperture or shutter speed, or the lighting changes significantly)
- Using manual mode allows you to move beyond the 2 stop range you get on most cameras with exposure compensation.
Learn the zones (see link); then find something in your image that you want to assign to a particular zone. Spot metering is the best way to isolate a small part of your image without any extraneous elements getting in the way of the metering. I now shoot almost exclusively with manual spot metering.
Of course there may be valid reasons why it's not appropriate to use manual mode - you may be shooting in rapidly varying lighting conditions, for example. But learning how to use spot metering in conjunction with manual mode will add another tool to your belt.
Originally by user456. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user456
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Spot metering measures a very small part of the scene and tries to render that area as a midtone unless you tell it otherwise.
Typical workflow:
- Choose the exact area you want to meter.
- Meter from that area.
- Decide how bright/dark that subject should appear.
- Apply compensation or adjust settings.
- Recompose and shoot.
In aperture or shutter priority, spot metering works fine: the camera still uses the spot reading, then changes the other exposure variable to match it. Exposure compensation is exactly how you tell the camera, “make this spot brighter or darker than middle gray.” For example, if you spot meter skin, you may add about +1 stop so it doesn’t come out too dark.
In manual mode, many photographers prefer spot metering because once you meter for the light and set exposure, recomposing won’t cause the camera to keep changing exposure. It also lets you go beyond the limited exposure-compensation range some cameras have.
Use spot metering when you want precise control over one important tone in the frame. For fast-moving situations or rapidly changing light, matrix/evaluative metering is usually quicker, though less exact.
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