Having trouble understanding On camera light metering

[hotdrop]

I'm trying to better learn how to use the on camera light metering on my D200. It seems to me that the auto metering either over exposes or under exposes in different situations but I don't have a good feel for it at all. I read through "Understanding exposure" and he has some tricks that he refers to when he meters exposure like metering against the sky to one side of the sun or stopping down 2/3 from green grass but all of those seem like tricks that just come from years and years of experience. Is there some kind of quick reference or something that I can use to get better exposure readings? Right now I dont use the light meter at all and instead take a shot of the scene with highlight mode on and then dial it in until I'm about 2/3 stops bellow the point where the highlights blow out. Then I verify that the RGB histogram has a good range. When I compare the settings I'm shooting at to what the meter reads I often find that the meter is way off and wants me to either over or under expose. Based on what I read that is normal I think but I wanted to see if you guys had some tips to dial in the exposure quicker without a couple test shots.

 

[SpikeyJohnson]

Metering can be done multiple ways in the camera. There is spot, matrix, etc. depending on your camera. They all do different things. I generally use spot metering so that I can pinpoint the spot that I want metered wheras other types cover different areas instead of a point.

So my method is to look through the view finder at the subject, set exposure for the subject then focus, after framing the photo. You may have blowouts or underexposure but the subject should be at least pretty close to the right exposure. Then I will look at the histogram and see if I can fix the exposure a little bit to get more range into the photo then re shoot.

You seem like you are on the right track, changing to spot metering might help you get a better grip if you haven't yet.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well if your D200 is anything like my D5200 you'll have a couple of different metering options - Center Weighted, Spot, and Matrix. I think the 200 might be old enough that "Matrix" was actually referred to as "Average" or something similar back then.

Spot pretty much takes a reading from whatever the center focus point is aimed at, and figures the metering based on the light reflected from whatever surface is under that focus point. Matrix or "Average" takes an average of the entire scene and bases it's light reading on that, and center weighted is sort of like matrix/average but it gives a greater "weight" to the readings in roughly about 60-80% of the viewfinder area and less importance to whats outside that center circle, so the values inside that center are considered more important in determining the average.

I generally find my best, most consistent results come from using center weighted in most situations, I generally only switch to spot if I'm trying to acheive a specific effect. I don't really use matrix that much myself.

 

[WayneF]

I'm trying to better learn how to use the on camera light metering on my D200. It seems to me that the auto metering either over exposes or under exposes in different situations but I don't have a good feel for it at all. I read through "Understanding exposure" and he has some tricks that he refers to when he meters exposure like metering against the sky to one side of the sun or stopping down 2/3 from green grass but all of those seem like tricks that just come from years and years of experience. Is there some kind of quick reference or something that I can use to get better exposure readings? Right now I dont use the light meter at all and instead take a shot of the scene with highlight mode on and then dial it in until I'm about 2/3 stops bellow the point where the highlights blow out. Then I verify that the RGB histogram has a good range. When I compare the settings I'm shooting at to what the meter reads I often find that the meter is way off and wants me to either over or under expose. Based on what I read that is normal I think but I wanted to see if you guys had some tips to dial in the exposure quicker without a couple test shots.

The first thing to understand is that the camera meter is a reflected meter.

Reflected meters are aimed at the subject from the camera, and meters the light that the subject's colors reflect.
The white dress reflects a lot of light, and reads high, so the meter underexposes the picture.
The black dress reflects little light, and reads low, so the meter overexposes the picture.
The reflected goal is that all results come out middle gray brightness, not too dark, not too bright. We can compensate it to correct it to come out as as we want.

Incident meters are the reverse, aimed at the camera from the subject, which reads the incident light from the light source directly (is never influenced by the "subject").
So then any subject tone, be its colors light, dark, or middle, is shown as it is. Kind of a big deal. Point&shoot where it counts. Incident meters have the accuracy that newbies imagine their reflected meters ought to have (but can't). Of course this is not possible at the camera, incident meters meter the light incident on the subject (from the subjects position).


We can learn to use reflected meters. We see the subject too, and can anticipate what will be needed. See How light meters work

But also, you may be interested in an incident meter, which simply meters the light itself (unaffected by subject colors). The difference is incident meters have to be used at the subject (measuring the light incident on the subject).... not used at the camera.

 

[hotdrop]

The first thing to understand is that the camera meter is a reflected meter.

Reflected meters are aimed at the subject from the camera, and meters the light that the subject's colors reflect.
The white dress reflects a lot of light, and reads high, so the meter underexposes the picture.
The black dress reflects little light, and reads low, so the meter overexposes the picture.
The reflected goal is that all results come out middle gray brightness, not too dark, not too bright. We can compensate it to correct it to come out as as we want.

Yeah I kind of understood that but that helped better summarize the idea. The follow on question is have you seem a good chart, table, cheat sheet for adjusting your reflected meter readings to get correct exposure. Something along the lines of adjust XX for green, XX for white, xx for sky, xx for skin white, xx for skin black.

 

[KmH]

Page 61 of the D200 users manual describes the 3 light metering modes it has available - Spot, Center-weighted, and Matrix.

The D200 has no 'auto metering' mode though Matrix metering mode is the default.

Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure

 

[WayneF]

Yeah I kind of understood that but that helped better summarize the idea. The follow on question is have you seem a good chart, table, cheat sheet for adjusting your reflected meter readings to get correct exposure. Something along the lines of adjust XX for green, XX for white, xx for sky, xx for skin white, xx for skin black.

I know of no chart, and it would seem variable anyway. But we can see the subject, and we learn to recognize that there is a white wall background, or lots of sky in the background, or a bright window in the background, or the bride is wearing a white dress, or the groom is wearing a black tux, etc. We learn how the meter will react. Until then, we just do what we see is necessary (first trial picture on rear LCD), and then add compensation and take another picture. If we are thinking, it does not take long for experience to be an excellent guide, and since we have seen all that before, we just already know when we first walk up. Until then, look at the first test shot, and do what you see you need to do.

If lots of sky or a bright window in the background, we don't have to include it. We can aim the camera lower, like to focus at the subjects feet, aimed down to exclude the bright objection, and hold half press from there, and and bring the camera up for the final shot. Works real good. Old time trick. But we have to realize we see it first.

 

[table1349]

Hotdrop, the meter in camera is just a tool and like any tool you need to not only understand the tool, but you need to understand what you are using this tool on or for. To do that you need to understand light. There are some things you can read that will help:

Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure
Digital Photography Tutorials

Photography 101.8 - The Light Meter - Digital Photography School

Perfect Exposure Every Time: A Guide to Metering in the Viewfinder - Tuts+ Photography Tutorial

Which is best? Spot, Center Weight, or Matrix metering? - Digital Photo Secrets

Zone System

How to Read and Use Histograms - Digital Photography School

More importantly however, you need to go out and practice. Pick a scene use the exact same settings and meter off the sky and take a shot, meter off a green tree or building and take a shot, meter off of every variable and take the same shot. Go back and examine each shot, determine which one came the closest to what you wanted. Examine what element it was you metered off of and how it related to the rest of the scene.

This isn't going to be a one time thing. It takes practice to read light and read the variations in that light in each individual scene. Once you start to understand light and its properties you will become proficient in the use of your meter.

 

[ConradM]

As someone who's only owned Sony Alpha's it's crazy to me that people have to think about exposure and WB.

 

[KmH]

Are you suggesting that Sony Alphas always deliver perfect exposure and white balance with no artistic or technical input from the photographer? I would assume Sony Alpha cameras have an Exposure Compensation feature for those situations when the photographer wants/needs to override the camera's metering sensor.

How does a Sony Alpha deal with mixed lighting color temperatures, or when the photographer wants to gel a light to facilitate the subject and ambient light having different color temperatures?

What % reflectance is a Sony Alpha light meter calibrated to, and how does the Sony Alpha deal with exposure when a scene is predominantly white or black? (think white wedding dress and black tux in the same shot, or a scene that is [redominatly snow.)

 

[table1349]

Yea, I think it is called Program mode.

 

[robbins.photo]

Yea, I think it is called Program mode.

Hey, it also makes you coffee in the morning. And it cures syphilis.

 

[WayneF]

Ah come on, be kind. Auto everything does allow beginners to get pictures in which they can usually recognize Mom and Sis.

 

[table1349]

Ah come on, be kind. Auto everything does allow beginners to get pictures in which they can usually recognize Mom and Sis.

You better copyright that slogan or Sony is going to steal it. "Sony Camera's with Auto everything allowing beginners to get pictures in which they can usually recognize Mom and Sis."

 

[ConradM]

With an EVF, we can see exposure and WB in real time. We don't have to guess or chimp. Figured by now that was common knowledge with Sony's.