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Archive 2011Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
p.1 #1Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I was out and about today in the unseasonably warm weather for this time of year in Blighty and I was messing with different metering settings.
I found that I was getting more accurately exposed images with Centre-Weighted metering when there was a high dynamic range within the image. Evaluative metering tended to overexpose a little.
Which made me think, do other photographers change the metering under certain lighting conditions or just leave it set at one or the other all the time?
This was with both my 5D2 and 1D4 in case people were wondering what's this to do with Canon.
I found that I was getting more accurately exposed images with Centre-Weighted metering when there was a high dynamic range within the image. Evaluative metering tended to overexpose a little.
Which made me think, do other photographers change the metering under certain lighting conditions or just leave it set at one or the other all the time?
This was with both my 5D2 and 1D4 in case people were wondering what's this to do with Canon.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:03 PM
p.1 #2Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I am all the way for center weighed. I am old school - can look at a scene and know how much EC I need to dial in, without the computer smarts coming in the way.
Besides, centerweighed is the only one that will keep adjusting during a burst. All other metering modes are locked in at the time of the first exposure for the duration of the burst. Not always a welcome thing.
Besides, centerweighed is the only one that will keep adjusting during a burst. All other metering modes are locked in at the time of the first exposure for the duration of the burst. Not always a welcome thing.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:11 PM
p.1 #3Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
stanj wrote:
Besides, centerweighed is the only one that will keep adjusting during a burst. All other metering modes are locked in at the time of the first exposure for the duration of the burst. Not always a welcome thing.
Interesting! I didn't know that.
Besides, centerweighed is the only one that will keep adjusting during a burst. All other metering modes are locked in at the time of the first exposure for the duration of the burst. Not always a welcome thing.
Interesting! I didn't know that.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:19 PM
p.1 #4Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I didn't either... not always a welcome thing either way you look at it.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:28 PM
p.1 #5Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
Interesting, indeed; I will give that set-up a test right away...many thanks, stanj...
For off-the-cuff shots, I usually keep it evaluative metering - also with 5DII and 1D IV, Sir Loin, - but use spot or center-weighted for small dark objects against brightness - birds, in particular...depending on the size of the dark object, sometimes the large spot works better...
For macro, since its a much more deliberate process, I may try two or three metering modes to learn how the camera thinks about the scene.
Jerry
For off-the-cuff shots, I usually keep it evaluative metering - also with 5DII and 1D IV, Sir Loin, - but use spot or center-weighted for small dark objects against brightness - birds, in particular...depending on the size of the dark object, sometimes the large spot works better...
For macro, since its a much more deliberate process, I may try two or three metering modes to learn how the camera thinks about the scene.
Jerry
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:33 PM
p.1 #6Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to metering. Center-weighted is great for portraits and if you want specific parts of the image to be correctly exposed. Evaluative is good if you have a lot of light and shadow and tricky/mixed lighting ... and for most general-purpose photography. I leave mine at evaluative metering but would switch to center-weighted and even spot metering for specific shoots.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:34 PM
p.1 #7Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
center weighted exclusively and adjust with EC. I too found that all my Canon cameras (10D, 20D, 5D) have tended to overexpose with evaluative most of the time in an inconsistent manner, at least to my eye. To me, they all overexpose with center weighted too, but in a much more consistent way.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:37 PM
p.1 #8Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
If you shooting animals/wildlife, I find centre metering is best. I would rather have the animal expose right and risk some blow out of background, then have my main feature (the animal) underexposed.
If I shoot landscape, it does not matter because I check the histogram and adjust as needed. Evaluative is less risky because the whole scene is averaged, but leaving it on evaluative is a recipe for disaster when a moose/bear, etc comes suddenly into the scene and you don't have time to check your histogram.
So I just leave it on centre.
If I shoot landscape, it does not matter because I check the histogram and adjust as needed. Evaluative is less risky because the whole scene is averaged, but leaving it on evaluative is a recipe for disaster when a moose/bear, etc comes suddenly into the scene and you don't have time to check your histogram.
So I just leave it on centre.
Apr 19, 2011 at 12:39 PM
p.1 #9Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
Evaluative under most conditions, spot under specific conditions.
Center-weighted is a primitive, pre-IC form of evaluative metering--a way to give less weight to the less important areas and more weight to the more important areas (presumed to be the center...where the focusing aid was manual cameras). In a situation that evaluative doesn't work, it's best to go straight to spot.
Personally, I would not want the exposure to change during a burst of exposures. I can think of a couple of circumstances in which it might be helpful, but those are all circumstances in which I'd rather have spot-metered in the first place.
Center-weighted is a primitive, pre-IC form of evaluative metering--a way to give less weight to the less important areas and more weight to the more important areas (presumed to be the center...where the focusing aid was manual cameras). In a situation that evaluative doesn't work, it's best to go straight to spot.
Personally, I would not want the exposure to change during a burst of exposures. I can think of a couple of circumstances in which it might be helpful, but those are all circumstances in which I'd rather have spot-metered in the first place.
Apr 19, 2011 at 01:05 PM
p.1 #10Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
Is it just me or are the icons the wrong way round for these two? To me the empty rectangle (centre weighted) should much more logically be Evaluative as it "evaluates" the whole fram, and the point plus brackets is much more logically Centre Weighted as it "weights" the centre.
Apr 19, 2011 at 01:59 PM
p.1 #11Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I'm old school from the other direction -- started with 4x5 and handheld spot meters for "serious work", and now use Evaluative (or Nikon Matrix) Metering just about 100% with ambient and flash photography. If anything, I'll put the camera in Manual mode, but keep the Evaluative metering and chimping shots to confirm exposure of RAW files. I love Evaluative, and the promise of scene/subject recognition, and hope it will become more sophisticated with more zones and patterns.
Apr 19, 2011 at 02:41 PM
p.1 #12Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
RDKirk wrote:
Evaluative under most conditions, spot under specific conditions.
Center-weighted is a primitive, pre-IC form of evaluative metering--a way to give less weight to the less important areas and more weight to the more important areas (presumed to be the center...where the focusing aid was manual cameras). In a situation that evaluative doesn't work, it's best to go straight to spot.
Personally, I would not want the exposure to change during a burst of exposures. I can think of a couple of circumstances in which it might be helpful, but those are all circumstances in which I'd rather have spot-metered in the first...Show more →
+1
Also, at least with my 50D, I've found that the DR treatments Highlight Tone and Auto Lighting are more responsive to the Evaluative metering than the others.
Kelly Cook
Evaluative under most conditions, spot under specific conditions.
Center-weighted is a primitive, pre-IC form of evaluative metering--a way to give less weight to the less important areas and more weight to the more important areas (presumed to be the center...where the focusing aid was manual cameras). In a situation that evaluative doesn't work, it's best to go straight to spot.
Personally, I would not want the exposure to change during a burst of exposures. I can think of a couple of circumstances in which it might be helpful, but those are all circumstances in which I'd rather have spot-metered in the first...Show more →
+1
Also, at least with my 50D, I've found that the DR treatments Highlight Tone and Auto Lighting are more responsive to the Evaluative metering than the others.
Kelly Cook
Apr 19, 2011 at 02:47 PM
p.1 #13Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I use evalative in most normal conditions
Apr 19, 2011 at 02:54 PM
p.1 #14Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I voted for "Centre-Weighted metering all the time" even though that's not what I do; there was no choice for "It depends on the circumstances," and I use CW more than the other modes. If my 20D had a spot meter I'd use that most often.
But almost as often as I use the built-in meter on the camera, I use either incident or spot readings from my Sekonic meter...also not a choice when voting.
But almost as often as I use the built-in meter on the camera, I use either incident or spot readings from my Sekonic meter...also not a choice when voting.
Apr 19, 2011 at 02:59 PM
p.1 #15Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
BrianO wrote:
I voted for "Centre-Weighted metering all the time" even though that's not what I do; there was no choice for "It depends on the circumstances," and I use CW more than the other modes. If my 20D had a spot meter I'd use that most often.
But almost as often as I use the built-in meter on the camera, I use either incident or spot readings from my Sekonic meter...also not a choice when voting.
Sorry, I couldn't put every metering option in the poll, otherwise it'd been a list of options that'd gone on and on.
I just wanted to know what most people use between Centre-Weighted and Evaluative during everyday shooting.
Interesting that it's almost 50/50 at the moment for all the time.
I voted for "Centre-Weighted metering all the time" even though that's not what I do; there was no choice for "It depends on the circumstances," and I use CW more than the other modes. If my 20D had a spot meter I'd use that most often.
But almost as often as I use the built-in meter on the camera, I use either incident or spot readings from my Sekonic meter...also not a choice when voting.
Sorry, I couldn't put every metering option in the poll, otherwise it'd been a list of options that'd gone on and on.
I just wanted to know what most people use between Centre-Weighted and Evaluative during everyday shooting.
Interesting that it's almost 50/50 at the moment for all the time.
Apr 19, 2011 at 03:09 PM
p.1 #16Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
Generally CW but I also use a grey card sometimes.
Apr 19, 2011 at 05:10 PM
p.1 #17Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
15Bit wrote:
Is it just me or are the icons the wrong way round for these two? To me the empty rectangle (centre weighted) should much more logically be Evaluative as it "evaluates" the whole fram, and the point plus brackets is much more logically Centre Weighted as it "weights" the centre.
I agree. It's a bit confusing.
Is it just me or are the icons the wrong way round for these two? To me the empty rectangle (centre weighted) should much more logically be Evaluative as it "evaluates" the whole fram, and the point plus brackets is much more logically Centre Weighted as it "weights" the centre.
I agree. It's a bit confusing.
Apr 19, 2011 at 06:58 PM
p.1 #18Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
15Bit wrote:
Is it just me or are the icons the wrong way round for these two? To me the empty rectangle (centre weighted) should much more logically be Evaluative as it "evaluates" the whole fram, and the point plus brackets is much more logically Centre Weighted as it "weights" the centre.
I always wondered the exact same thing.
Is it just me or are the icons the wrong way round for these two? To me the empty rectangle (centre weighted) should much more logically be Evaluative as it "evaluates" the whole fram, and the point plus brackets is much more logically Centre Weighted as it "weights" the centre.
I always wondered the exact same thing.
Apr 19, 2011 at 07:23 PM
p.1 #19Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
I voted 'Evaluative all the time' however it's more like 'most of the time' since I also use spot metering as well. Depends on the subject/scene.
Apr 19, 2011 at 07:30 PM
p.1 #20Evaluative or Centre-Weighted metering?
Spot is my mode of choice. Here are reasons why I don't use Evaluative or Center...
Evaluative, using focus zone on 18% gray card as the priority metering zone
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Evalcard.jpg
Center weighted
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Center.jpg
Spot metered (before reframing)
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Spotoncard.jpg
The 18% gray card is only properly exposed with Spot metering.
Evaluative, using focus zone on 18% gray card as the priority metering zone
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Evalcard.jpg
Center weighted
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Center.jpg
Spot metered (before reframing)
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/Spotoncard.jpg
The 18% gray card is only properly exposed with Spot metering.
Apr 19, 2011 at 07:38 PM