oldschool15 Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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e6filmuser wrote:
Spot metering is useful for all ambient light photography. Don't confuse it with just having a tiny metering spot central, or at some other selected place, in the frame.
Spot metering is metering and locking that reading. You need to meter off a suitable surface which is under the same lighting intensity as your subject and lock that reading. You camera may keep that reading locked only for the one frame or until you unlock it or take anew reading.
Surfaces for spot metering need to be of an appropriate reflectance, theoretically (sometime in practice) mid grey. Other common ones I use are red brick, lawn grass, mid-green leaves or even my green camera bag. I carry a piece of green card with me in case there is no suitable location surface .
When you meter your focus, zoom, etc should be for your subject distance. The surface metered need not be in focus.
So, if you have a white butterfly, frame it and focus, then take a reading off e.g. green leaf and lock it. Reframe the butterfly and shoot.
You don't need a spot reading if you have and area, such as the leaf the butterfly is on, which is large enough to fill the frame. Just half-depress the shutter button (if allocated to metering), meter the leaf, reframe the butterfly and press the button further. You can, of course also lock such a reading.
I hope this helps.
Harold...Show more →
Thanks Harold, yes it's getting a little less confusing...However, can't I meter dirrectly on the subject ex( the butterfly) instead of trying to find a mid tone very quickly? Let's say the butterfly is mostly white, can't I just take the reading on the bright part, adjust accordingly (in this case, positive compensation), and then shoot? Wouldn't that be quicker?
Thanks Harold
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