spot metering = impt?


Status
Not open for further replies.

hoho85

New Member
Dec 1, 2009
218
0
0
West
hi all.

i am going to get myself a camera tmr. initially i decided for myself 1000d. but more n more ppl emphasize the imptance of spot metering.

is it very necessary for u guy to take gd photos? or at least it can create special lighting effects like dannysantos' work?

argh. so confused whether to get 450d anot. have to squeeze extra 200 bucks for spot and 9 af point.
 

Hi hoho85.
Yes. Spot metering is important if you should wish to achieve a certain kind of effect where your exposure is metered just on that centre AF point which lands precisely on your subject.
Of course PP can also achieve this. But having spot metering means that when the occasion calls for it, you have it.
Personally I love it.
But final decision is of course yours.
 

Dannysantos' works, if you're talking about the super heavy dark areas, is likely done in post production.

Also, I suspect he spends a lot of time 'seeing' and looking for the perfect location and moment to shoot.

Buying a camera with spot metering won't get you the same results.

CHEERS!
 

Last edited:
Spot metering.. definitely a must I feel..
 

Spot metering - U can focus on certain point automatically to make the background blurred. It's good to have. If not, u need to depend on your eye to manually do the job.
 

one of the most important metering mode. Helps u in difficult lighting conditions, for example if ur subject in direct sunlight or having a strong light behind it.

Especially useful for portrait shots, which i always spot meter off the face.
 

Spot metering - U can focus on certain point automatically to make the background blurred. It's good to have. If not, u need to depend on your eye to manually do the job.

This is merely selecting an AF point.....
 

Spot metering - U can focus on certain point automatically to make the background blurred. It's good to have. If not, u need to depend on your eye to manually do the job.

Erm... you may have misunderstood the TS's question.
He is asking about spot metering, which deals with exposure.
What you have described is AF point, which directs the focus onto the pre-set AF spots on the frame, so that subject isolation can be attained.
 

only a must if u know how to use it effectively. not necessary if u know the basics of exposure.

how danny santos uses it is just a creative usage for spot metering. it is not what spot metering is normally used for. u can always use the evaluative metering and compensate for the exposure. it is tougher but not impossible.
 

Erm... you may have misunderstood the TS's question.
He is asking about spot metering, which deals with exposure.
What you have described is AF point, which directs the focus onto the pre-set AF spots on the frame, so that subject isolation can be attained.

Thanks. I think I had misunderstand it.
 

I actually expect it to be on every DSLR nowadays and so many other entry level model from other brands have it. ;)
Anyway, a spot meter is used to read off the correct exposure for a particular spot. This is used when lighting is highly varied (Eg. very bright sky and you subject is in shade).

Some workarounds are possible w/o spot meter. You can just take a shot, and use exposure compensation to adjust. Otherwise, you can 'zoom in' if you have a zoom lens, such that the majority of the area you meter from is where you really want to meter, remember the settings or do an exposure lock and then zoom back out, recompose and shoot.
 

hi all.

i am going to get myself a camera tmr. initially i decided for myself 1000d. but more n more ppl emphasize the imptance of spot metering.

is it very necessary for u guy to take gd photos? or at least it can create special lighting effects like dannysantos' work?

argh. so confused whether to get 450d anot. have to squeeze extra 200 bucks for spot and 9 af point.
I think you should shoot in various metering (matrix, centre weighted and spot) first and see the effect.
Then you will know what metering to use under which situation.

Hopes this helps. :D
 

spot metering.

shouldn't rely on it that much. but its definitely good to have in tacky situations when you dont have time to think of anything but capture the string of moments and the light is really sucky.

I do remember when they released the 450D, everyone was like "FINALLY SPOT METERING IN ENTRY LEVEL DSLR, THANK GOD"
 

for canon spot metering works only on the CENTER AF point, nikon works on ALL focus points, a solution for canon is focus , exposure lock then recompose
 

ok edit to : entry level canon cams like 450d

Actually, only the 1D series in Canon's line up have spot metering on selected AF point. The rest are all on the center AF point, not just the entry level cameras like 450D, 500D. Even the mid level 50D and semi-pro level 5Dm2 and 7D are all center spot metering only. And the 1000D does not have spot metering.

Spot metering helps but there are always ways to work around it if it is not available. But having the option saves you time and let you concentrate on making your shot rather than technicalities. I have found several situations that I use it, mostly when doing portraits against very bright backgrounds. One particular case is when I was doing a landscape sunrise shoot. Camera is mounted on tripod and locked down. Using the focus point selector, I measured the differences in metering between the bright side (above horizon) and dark side (below horizon). Helped me in determining the best exposure time to use before slotting in my GND and taking the shot. This is quite essential if you are to use the "black card shaking" (摇黑卡) technique started by the taiwanese. That is why Nikon is selling so well in Taiwan. Because there is no need to move the camera around when metering different parts of the frame. You can leave it locked in place.
 

Last edited:
had a street workshop with street king danny santos just 2 weeks ago at orchard.

spot metering is essential, but based on his style (he actually showed us how he clicks his D300) it's all about (perfect)timing, patience and a lot of guts, hehe.
 

Actually, only the 1D series in Canon's line up have spot metering on selected AF point. The rest are all on the center AF point, not just the entry level cameras like 450D, 500D. Even the mid level 50D and semi-pro level 5Dm2 and 7D are all center spot metering only. And the 1000D does not have spot metering.

Spot metering helps but there are always ways to work around it if it is not available. But having the option saves you time and let you concentrate on making your shot rather than technicalities. I have found several situations that I use it, mostly when doing portraits against very bright backgrounds. One particular case is when I was doing a landscape sunrise shoot. Camera is mounted on tripod and locked down. Using the focus point selector, I measured the differences in metering between the bright side (above horizon) and dark side (below horizon). Helped me in determining the best exposure time to use before slotting in my GND and taking the shot. This is quite essential if you are to use the "black card shaking" (摇黑卡) technique started by the taiwanese. That is why Nikon is selling so well in Taiwan. Because there is no need to move the camera around when metering different parts of the frame. You can leave it locked in place.

Well said, daredevil123 bro.
Yupe, we had an extensive discussion on this. In Canon, only the professional series, ie. 1D series have variable spot metering.
But Nikon, wow, they are the king - all have it.
 

Thanks for all replies and advices given!

Some workarounds are possible w/o spot meter. You can just take a shot, and use exposure compensation to adjust. Otherwise, you can 'zoom in' if you have a zoom lens, such that the majority of the area you meter from is where you really want to meter, remember the settings or do an exposure lock and then zoom back out, recompose and shoot.

This method i think i saw it somewhere in this forum too! Maybe u are the same person posting. So this is a"manual" way of getting the exposure of an area i want, lock the exposure, then zoom out and start shooting the way i want. Meaning although its alittle time consuming, not as pin point to a spot but it works almost like spot metering?

Although this is my first DSLR, i am intending to use it for quite some time.. so i dun wanna miss out anything n regret making decisions on getting a camera without spot metering- something which is proclaimed to be very useful and helps exposure in bad or strong lightings.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.