Nikon's Metering Issue

[astroNikon]

So I shoot a lot of indoor sports including Soccer.

Today I took my D750 for a spin using a 80-200/2.8 AF-D. Most images at f/2.8.

I'm using Spot Metering @ 12mm Centered Metering (8, 15, 20, Avg other available options).

And I was testing the AF-C-D9 (and later went back to AF-C-Single pt) focusing. I keep the spot focus in the middle to have the best AF. Sometimes I'll move the focus point but it is mostly on the same level or the row below mid.

Being indoor the lighting is variable throughout each shoot. Depending upon the light which is reflected up the airdome's side but larger lights. It seems as though my SPOT Metering at times will meter on those background lights that are Above the middle spot. Most other times the metering is fine.

Normally my photos are like # 1 (SOOC),
ISO at 1250, versus ISO 220 on the dark image #2.

# 2 happens every so often. If you noticed the above reflective lights those are metered properly. But those are OUT of the metering zone and shouldn't affect the metering. But I'm sure somehow the camera is metering for those.

#3 is Exposure +3 which gives a good approximate exposure (thought WB/Colors are way off) and the lights are blown out like they would normally be.

This also happens on my D600, and has happened on my D7000 in the past using the same 80-200/2.8 lens always (mostly ) at f/2.8. I've never experimented at other apertures.

==> For one potential solution I'm going to take a cheap square ND filter (or black construction paper) and cut out a "shade" for the top 1/5ish of the lens so that the lights will be darkened in future shots. Since I always shoot in the middle or the AF point row below the middle I see this as a viable solution to improve the number of keepers.

So the question is what is happening here as Spot Metering should be in the center spot ??

# 1
Meter-GoodExp-SOOC (1 of 1) by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

Good-SOOC by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

# 2
Meter-BadExp0Exp-SOOC (1 of 1) by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

Bad-SOOC by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

# 3
Meter-BadExp+3-SOOC (1 of 1) by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

@Derrel @tirediron

 

[astroNikon]

I've also looked at my shots.

When the metering is OFF on the first shot during a Continuous run, the metering is off for the subsequent shots.
But when I check my D750, C1 the "Shutter-release button AE-L" is turned OFF, thus it should meter between continuous shots.

I can't recall if I used my AF-L/AE-L back button as I may when we have flying balls from a shooter. This is a normal technique I use outdoors but rarely indoors due to the shortness of shots. But I may have if my AF locks on a back player, and as players move around I may do a AF-L/AE-L. This is something that I'm going to pay more attention to at the next game. But anyways, the first metering is wrong.

 

[Derrel]

SPOT metering is not very useful for fast-moving action shooting.

I recall the very first time I got badly burned by using Spot metering when I thought I was using normal, center-weighted averaging TTL metering. I was 3,000 miels from home. My D1 had accidentally gotten set to SPOT metering. Bright sunlight, on Lake Huron, from a boat. Exposures were all over the place. I had only one battery with me. An absolute fiasco.

I seldom use SPOT metering. Some people talk it up quite often, but I've found it leads to more F****-ups than Fix-Ups.

 

[Dave442]

I do not try and use spot metering on subjects where I cannot keep the focusing point right on the spot I want to meter. As the focus point moves around the meter jumps around too much for me.

So what I do is spot meter on some still subjects, compensate that metering based on what was metered, then flip back to matrix and just adjust the spot meter reading based on the more subtle matrix meter reading changes.

What I did in the past when just using Center Weighted was to point the camera somewhere (usually down) so the overall reading only had the lighting of the subject.

 

[jcdeboever]

I have run into similar issues using spot on both the d3300 and the d7200. The only time I use spot anymore is the occasional non moving flower (no wind) and using a macro lens. I agree with Derrel that I have missed a lot of shots in this metering mode. I actually read on here that someone uses spot almost exclusively in action shots and I tried it, scratching my head afterwords. Not understanding Dave's direction and would be interested in more clarification.

 

[Alexr25]

Spot metering meters a 4mm circle centered on your selected focus point so in theory you could use any focus point to meter but as others have said for fast moving subjects you are better off using matrix metering.
I suspect that when you get results as shown in #2 you are actually using the highlight-weighted metering mode rather than spot metering, it's an easy mistake to make since the icon for highlight-weighted is the same as the icon for spot metering but with an added asterisk.

 

[Vtec44]

Maybe I missed it, but were you shooting in full manual or one of the modes?

 

[Advanced Photo]

The camera did what it was told to do. The problem was what you told it to do.
In computing there is an old expression for user error, PEBKAC meaning problem exists between keyboard and Chair. In this case it was PEBCAG (camera and ground).

 

[astroNikon]

Spot metering meters a 4mm circle centered on your selected focus point so in theory you could use any focus point to meter but as others have said for fast moving subjects you are better off using matrix metering.
I suspect that when you get results as shown in #2 you are actually using the highlight-weighted metering mode rather than spot metering, it's an easy mistake to make since the icon for highlight-weighted is the same as the icon for spot metering but with an added asterisk.

LOL using my better glasses my metering was set for highlight-weighted metering. Ugh. It has that asterisk next to the spot identifier. I wish they used a different icon for that.

I shot several games, about 800 shots, and 20 came out with the metering issue.
I never changed it during the games, so it was that way from the beginning.

FYI, this indoor facility is extremely variable in the lighting around the field. I have good exposed images ranging ISO levels from 640 to 6400 depending upon where you are pointing. So from now on I'm going to double check my metering on the rear LCD versus the shoulder LCD/Viewfinder.

Next time I'll go early and shot another game and try other exposure modes just to see the results.

 

[astroNikon]

Maybe I missed it, but were you shooting in full manual or one of the modes?

Manual with AUTO ISO
I set my Aperture f/2.8 and Shutter Speed (has to be above 500 for these age groups).
Can't use any mode that sets Aperture and Shutter for you, ever. It seems to always get it wrong. You could remove everything but Manual on my camera and I probably won't even notice. LOL