Using an Exposure Lock, then zooming out to catch whole picture

[Atreus]

Okay, i was reading up on the AE-L on my D60, so i gave it a whirl tonight. granted, i may be 100% wrong, but am I doing this right? I focused on the Armidas sign, got it to balance out, then i zoomed out and took a picture of the entrance.....Anyone here ever use it? What is it used for anyway?

 

[manaheim]

You know, I've really never tried using exposure lock before... I assume since I tend to use manual instead... have you considered just using manual? Might be a lot easier.

Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Atreus]

i dunno. i thought exposure lock captured the exposure you were at, and as long as you hold it. any picture you take with it "on" it maintains it. like, in this instance, i only wanted the armidas sign to be in focus/brighter than the rest of it, as to draw your attention to it, and not the shoddy lot.

 

[passerby]

Yes I have done for testing/learning purpose only. You got this right with nice clear ARMIDA'S sign but I think you zoom out a bit too much. I only see OPEN sign. What are the rest?

Definately your d60 is working well by the look of it.

 

[bahandi]

perhaps test a different subject. would not a bright sign like that stand out from the rest anyway?

 

[Atreus]

hmmm....i'm gonna run back down the street and see what i can come up with. (grabs tripod)

 

[manaheim]

i dunno. i thought exposure lock captured the exposure you were at, and as long as you hold it. any picture you take with it "on" it maintains it. like, in this instance, i only wanted the armidas sign to be in focus/brighter than the rest of it, as to draw your attention to it, and not the shoddy lot.

Sure, but why not spot-meter it and set your exposure appropriately? Then you don't need to horse around with all the zooming while holding down a little button (yadda yadda).

 

[Atreus]

this was all i could get.... theyre bunched together, one with AEL on and the other isn't

 

[Jon0807]

I use it for when I'm in Av or Tv mode for exactly what you use it for. If I want the exposure of a particular object to be the main focus, I'll zoom in or point at it, lock the exposure, then recompose and shoot. It's a great tool that I use alot

 

[Atreus]

Sure, but why not spot-meter it and set your exposure appropriately? Then you don't need to horse around with all the zooming while holding down a little button (yadda yadda).

I was googling that. and it appears to be the same thing basically....

Anyone think something different? Online, it says: compose the picture (-too bright/dark thing messing it up) activate AEL, compose original image, and shoot.

however, with spot metering, at least on my D60, it works on the AF point, which this camera only has "3" so would it be advantageous to use Spot Metering, or AE-L?

 

[SBlanca]

i dont like exposure lock, causes a lot of things to be underexposed

 

[nynfortoo]

i dont like exposure lock, causes a lot of things to be underexposed

Only if you're locking the exposure on the wrong object for the scene. It doesn't cause under-exposure, the user does.

 

[JerryPH]

Only if you're locking the exposure on the wrong object for the scene. It doesn't cause under-exposure, the user does.

I downloaded the D60 user manual last night to see if it was different from the D200, and in this sense its not.

To answer the OP`s original question, yes you were doing it right. However, you have to be aware that what you are locking your exposure on, you are also locking your FOCUS on as well. I use this technique in lower light environments where I want to darken the areas around the subject (well lit sign, lamp, etc...) and don`t want the lens to hunt.

The beginner`s error would come in if they targeted a lighter area like that sign, then recomposed on a couple standing in the street where it was darker. The poeple would be near silhouetted.

Spot metering can make it look like it is doing the same thing, but that is becuase one is perhaps not sure how it works or when to best use it. I would use spot metering when I wanted the reverse effects... example, to focus and properly meter a person that was back lit, therefore exposing them properly and blowng out all that is behind them. Of course it would work the same if they were front lit (background would be much darker), but you get the idea.

The differences between these 2 techniques is not the exposure of the sign (in this case), but what is AROUND the sign and how it will be exposed.

Bottom line: AE lock on when you are trying to properly expose a particular object in a scene that has large variances in lighting. Spot metering when you want to meter on JUST one subject and you do not care about the surrounding exposure. Standard setting metering for when you want your camera to take into consideration the exposure of the complete picture and not one section of it.

 

[Atreus]

thanks a lot Jerry