Sheila, your memory is better than mine. : ). Yes, I do use spot metering for most shots. The quickie group here was shot from my easychair at a corner across the room. The white spot shows where the metering was done. There is significant difference in the overall images. I tried the "matrix" or averaged metering and got one close to #1 but the shadow was darker on the left of the picture frame. Matrix averaged metering would work ok on this particular shot but would not allow me to select the lighting for the effect desired. This is in reference to the Zonal System thread where you posted. My cam allows "exposure lock" meaning I can take a reading, lock the exposure, then zoom out or in, recompose and take the shot. Without this feature, some digitals allow you to go half shutter, while the cam then does exposure and focus. Then move the view to where you want it and shoot...otherwise, a handheld meter would be good with a spot reflected light view. If you have a meter for your studio "hot lights", maybe try that in reflected and not incident(ping pong ball dome)reading. Anyway, this is a simple post but shows at least the some difference in where the exposure is metered. When it comes to Zone metering, I have little experience but have tried it on large expanses of landscape, not shots such as these quickies. Tom.

thanks, Tom! :) i also use spot metering most of the time now. Yes, there IS significant differences in the images depending on where you meter. i guess where we meter depends on how we want our image to look. when i said i just kinda feel my way around blindly i guess what i meant was i just meter based on what looks right to my eye. is that what you do too? my cam also has exposure lock but i forget to use it most of the time. i wish i didn't forget stuff. when you're shooting landscape shots do you still spot meter? i am. my understanding (which may be wrong) is that with zone metering we do want to spot meter. am i understanding that correctly? basically if we're shooting snow we overexpose by a stop or two. if we're shooting black, we underexpose by a stop or two? what else am i missing Tom? anyway...that's all i can articulate right now. i'm exhausted...worked tons of hours the past couple of days and gotten too little sleep. night, Tom...and thanks so much again! :)

A difficult scene to meter anyway. I have a question though. Is that spot meter realty spot meter? Sorry I am not nor trying to be pedantic, on my camera Canon 20D spot metering is not available the closest is has is partial, which is 9% at center of frame, as opposed to my 1V film body which has a 1% spot metering mode. With canon only the 1D series and 5D have true spot as far as I know.

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Lostpatrol, According to the Nikon manual, the spot is approximately 1% of the frame. "Center weighted" metering is different, however, with three choices of diameter and I assume still "averages" the full frame while giving precedence to the area selected as "center weighted". If 1% fits the definition of spot, then the Nikon does spot meter. My handheld Sekonic meter has available reflected light adaptors for 1, 5 and 10, while the one that comes with the meter is 54. If I have done the math correctly, 1 degree is close to 1/2% while 5 degrees is close to 3%. What would you consider needed to define a spot function as "true" spot metering? In a large landscape, for instance, 1 % of frame can be a considerable area of physical landscape while still only 1% of the picture frame being shot. I would think 1% would be adequate and not too large in most scenes I encounter. Sheila, I can tell you how I "generally" meter a scene but not more on the Zone system. Will be back...work calls now. Tom.

Sheila, I know you didn't need the example images I posted but thought that might be useful to any readers who for some reason or the other have not used "spot" metering. I have learned a bunch here but know my bucket is only a few spoonfuls full so far! LOL. Tom.

Hi Tom Thanks for answering my question. The Canon has: Partial 9% (so a large spot) not averaged. Center weighted average and Evaluate (same sort of thing as Nikons matrix I think) I had heard that the Nikon had spot metering option, (something that Canon IMO should offer on their prosumer bodies) It really depends on the entire scene what I use but usually partial 9% (best in camera option I have as far as spot metering goes) other than that I take an incident reading with a hand held meter and usually shoot in manual. Of course for studio work I meter each light individually and shoot manually, so not having a spot doesnt matter. As I understand it spot is 1-3% at least that how it is on the high end Canon bodies, like you say even 1% of a landscape is quite a large area.

Message edited on: 01/17/2006 08:09

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Great example not only for Sheila, but for all of us. Thanks Tom.

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tom, your images showing those examples were VERY helpful! Did i say they weren't???? oh gosh, if i did then i owe u a HUGE apology!!! reinforces just how important it is to meter in the right place. i never really know where to meter. i just kinda go by what i see. anyway...again...your examples Did help me. i'm so sorry if what i said made you think otherwise. i was so sleepy when i wrote that last night. and i just found out that Tedz was given the BOOT from RR and i was steaming mad. i guess my post didn't convey my gratitude to you, and i'm so sorry for that. :( Please forgive!!!!! pretty please!!! :)

Shelia it is always best where possible to meter from a mid tone (or gray card if you have one) as I think pic 1 illustrates.

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Sheila...I just felt like my post might sound like "talking down"..that is all..no gratitude need be shown on the posts! I like you well enough to know you are a kind lady.... I knew you were using hot lights, too, figured you might have a hand meter. This graphic shows the approximate size of a 1% meter area. If my math is right.. now for the life of me I don't have a clue if digitals meter a circle or rectangle area(square pixels). The green represents about 1 % of the frame. I had to do this one for me..not sure just how much was covered and how much was not. From this, the spots in the sample images would be larger. Yes, gray card...mine got lost somewhere, misplaced around my nest. I intended to use one as a last shot to see the diference. The mid tone area of the wall in #1 had to make up for that. Results are from this particular metering: The best exposture overall.

Tom, phew i thought maybe i had upset you or that my tone didn't come across the way i intended. Nah...don't be silly, Tom...your post didn't sound like you were talking down to me. :) you are a very nice person and a gentleman, and you were just trying to help me 'cause i said i feel like i'm groping in the dark when it comes to spot metering. anyway, no...we don't have a hand meter yet. i use spot metering on my digital cam, and kemal meters the same way. i ran into some problems over the summer when i was metering differently. when i went back to spot metering, my images started looking more the way i wanted. tom, i believe with my cam it meters a rectangular area. Simon/Tom...i'm not sure what the percentage is with my cam either. it doesn't say in my manual. i might have to dig a bit on the web to find that info. Simon, i don't have a gray card. i probably need to do that. thanks for the advice. :) now if i could only get composition down...sigh. dunno why that's so damn hard for me! oh well. thanks so much again, Tom, for taking the time to help me by posting those pictures and sharing your expertise. and thank you, too, Simon! :)

I do have and sometimes use a gray card. Around here, the only kind I found was the cardboard versions, a pack of 3 for about $8. The salesman ask if I only wanted one pack! Apparently, these cardboard ones are seen as something certain to wear out or be damaged. A while back someone posted about a more costly but durable plastic material card. I do not recall the brand name but it was not available anywhere in my area.

i can imagine the cardboard ones would wear out, especially if you are shooting in conditions which are anything less than dry. i might have to try using a gray card. might really help. i'm sure the camera shop we go to has them. thanks, tom! :)