What metering mode it recommended for MARKIII?

[Rene A]

I would be interested to find out what MarkIII users use for shooting raw&jpg?


Thanks

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Renate you will find evaluative would be used most of the time When I had a MK3 it was the only one showing I did away with the others since I never used it Would prevent from setting on the wrong one !!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I use evaluative metering most of the time.

[David Kennedy]

Evaluative is the way to go. Check the histogram to make sure you're getting information in the "fifth box" (on the right side) and you're good to go. No need to obsess with spot metering because anything burning out will blink in the review image.

[Toomas Ili]

Ever since getting the 1DM2 in 2005, I've been using only spot-metering. Never had the need to check the histogram, because there are always some neutral tones or whites or blacks "around" to get the exact exposure. Renate, it's very personal, half of my friends are shooting (mostly Av and) in evaluative, the other half (including me) are using spot and manual. If you know your technique, you get it right either way.

[Alfred Forns]

Ever since getting the 1DM2 in 2005, I've been using only spot-metering. Never had the need to check the histogram, because there are always some neutral tones or whites or blacks "around" to get the exact exposure. Renate, it's very personal, half of my friends are shooting (mostly Av and) in evaluative, the other half (including me) are using spot and manual. If you know your technique, you get it right either way.

Man that is one strong statement !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charles Glatzer]

Another vote for the value of spot metering and manual mode in obtaining exacting exposures. I prefer to eliminate the variables whenever possible.

Never had the desire to "compensate" for the compensation already being applied in Eval. through algorithms that do not consider a small subject within a larger background of varying tonal values. And, that Av thing is another story altogether :)

Respectfully,

Chas

[Alfred Forns]

....do ever have the need to "ever" check your histogram Chas?

It seems with any method you use the histogram is a valuable tool?

[Charles Glatzer]

Hey Al,

Yes, when in doubt I will verify highlights and/or shadows via histogram.

There is no way anyone, myself included, can nail every exposure, everytime....regardless of the pattern and mode used.

I consider the histogram simply another crayon in the box. Why not use all the tools at your disposal when necessary.

Best,

Chas

[Toomas Ili]

Man that is one strong statement !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heh :) Well, before digital no one had any histograms to check while shooting, and they/we all did pretty well, huh? ;)

Just to set the record straight - I do not deliberately avoid looking at the histogram :D Guess I'm just used to different techniques...

[Alfred Forns]

It does not make a difference how you arrive at the exposure !!!! Using spot generally will teach you something about exposing.

One of my concerns with in camera spot meters is they are not true spot meters. The area you are metering will vary with the focal length You could be metering in much more than the intended area. I find incident a very reliable source once you know what you are doing. Have gotten a lot of help from Chas in this type metering and can highly recommend. btw he also has some technical workshops. I thought I was strong in metering/exposure till I took his workshop .... eye opener !!!!

Sorry If I came in the wrong way. I was just floored by the statement that you did not need to see a histogram since you could nail all exposures !!!! btw while shooting film (slides) all the pros I shot with did bracket exposures. All the people shooting models would do film clips before developing All indicating they were not 100% sure about the exposure. Shooting negative film was another story You could nail everyone since gross overexposing was the thing to do.

[Charles Glatzer]

It does not make a difference how you arrive at the exposure !!!! Using spot generally will teach you something about exposing.

One of my concerns with in camera spot meters is they are not true spot meters. The area you are metering will vary with the focal length You could be metering in much more than the intended area. I find incident a very reliable source once you know what you are doing. Have gotten a lot of help from Chas in this type metering and can highly recommend. btw he also has some technical workshops. I thought I was strong in metering/exposure till I took his workshop .... eye opener !!!!

Al,

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.

As long as the size of the spot pattern in use covers a specific tonal value in the same light as my subject, I am good to go. It does not have to be the subject, itself.

Best Amigo,

Chas

[Art Peslak]

I use manual mode spot metering virtually all the time. When i switched to nikon, i tried Nikon's vaunted rgb evaluative metering and still found I couldn't get the exposures I wanted so I went back to my tried and true manual mode, spot metering.

[c.w. moynihan]

If you shoot in aperature priority (Av) you will be better served with Evaluative metering. Using spot under Av can be risky as you may not be metering what you intend to when your composing the shot during the moment. When I use spot metering I only use it in manual mode, since once you meter and are happy with it, that exposure is locked in. With Av, the exposure will always be changing based on what the spot meter is picking up when your composing the shot, especially when there is action...ie: birds or mammals

[Charles Glatzer]

Hey Chris,

With Av, the exposure will always be changing regardless of the pattern in use, unless your subject and background tonal values remain constant.

Chas

[c.w. moynihan]

Hey Chris,

With Av, the exposure will always be changing regardless of the pattern in use, unless your subject and background tonal values remain constant.

Chas

I realize that Chas...using matrix vs spot in AV mode offers less chance of exposure errors since matrix takes the whole scene into account rather than the small spot metering area. It all depends on the scene and subject tonality....

Looking back at my post, the wording could of been better.

Cheers ! ;)

[Charles Glatzer]

Hey Chris,

I believe we are on the same page :)

Less chance for error in Av with Eval/Matrix, perhaps. As you stated... the problem is Eval/Matrix takes the whole scene into account. I can guarantee a small subject within a larger background of different tonality will not be correctly exposed with Eval/Matrix regardless of the mode used.. However, if you can keep the spot meter in Av on a white bird at plus 2 EV the bird will remain white even in changing light.

Knowing the benefits and pitfalls of each metering pattern and metering mode will allow the photographer to choose the best reflective, incident or reference method for a given scenario. Know one method is best for all circumstance.

Respectfully,

Chas

[Robert Hardy]

i use partial pointing it an aprox tone of the bird and then setting manual working of the LCD , but at the end of the day any of them are only a guide no meter know's what to exspose for That's up to the photographer to decied.
Rob.

[Arthur Morris]

With all due respect for Chas' great knowledge and talent one of the many problems that I have with spot metering is as follows: spot meter the apparently unifromly white breast and/or flanks of a Great Egret at close range in bright sun and your readings will vary by as much as a stop depending on the exact spot that you meter (while to the naked eye, everything looks the same).

However you meter, if you do not use your histogram and expose to the right you are seriously missing the boat...

[Rene A]

Thanks for all the info!
I have read every comment posted here ...and now I'm more confused then before:)
Now I don't know who's workshop to attend to learn proper metering:)

Renate

[Alfred Forns]

..... simple .... you need to attend both !!!! :)

[Charles Glatzer]

With all due respect for Chas' great knowledge and talent one of the many problems that I have with spot metering is as follows: spot meter the apparently unifromly white breast and/or flanks of a Great Egret at close range in bright sun and your readings will vary by as much as a stop depending on the exact spot that you meter (while to the naked eye, everything looks the same).

However you meter, if you do not use your histogram and expose to the right you are seriously missing the boat...

Hey Artie,

No need to meter in full sunlight :) just shoot the white birds at 1/1600 @ f/8 for ISO 200 or any equivalent thereof. This is effectively closing down .7 EV off FL sunny f/16 or incident.

Note- this is for all Canon and Nikon D3 bodies.

Yes, using the histogram as a tool to check and/or verify exposure can be beneficial.

Best Amigo,

Chas

[Jim Poor]

..... simple .... you need to attend both !!!! :)

That is one of the best answers I've seen to just about any question.

I attended two back to back weeks in FL last month and each week was radically different based on the style of the person doing the instruction. I've taken some from each week to integrate into my own way of doing things.

[Grady Weed]

I am a very technical person, I repair PC's and networks for a living since 1989. And this thread has my head spinning! I can see I need to take a few workshops with Chas and Artie both. When I can stop having dizzy spells from all of this.....:)

[Rene A]

Chas
No need to meter in full sunlight :) just shoot the white birds at 1/1600 @ f/8 for ISO 200 or any equivalent thereof. This is effectively closing down .7 EV off FL sunny f/16 or incident.

Note- this is for all Canon and Nikon D3 bodies.

I'll test these settings here tomorrow. We have plenty of Ibis & cattle egrets flying and hanging around here right now in the canal in the backyard.


Renate

[Charles Glatzer]

Chas
No need to meter in full sunlight :) just shoot the white birds at 1/1600 @ f/8 for ISO 200 or any equivalent thereof. This is effectively closing down .7 EV off FL sunny f/16 or incident.

Note- this is for all Canon and Nikon D3 bodies.

I'll test these settings here tomorrow. We have plenty of Ibis & cattle egrets flying and hanging around here right now in the canal in the backyard.


Renate

You may prefer closing down an additional .3 EV, but realize the clipping of highlights in the histogram and blinking highlights on LCD are dependant on the contrast parameter settings you have in the camera. With a higher contrast setting you will unnecessarily under-expose the image to prevent highlight clipping. By setting the contrast to minus 2 you will better utilize the full tonal range the sensor can record. Note-It is far better to bring the whites just inside clipping, than to make the whole image darker. It is more prudent to selectively bring out the highlight detail in RAW conversion or post-production, as opposed to having to make the shadows lighter...a big no no in the digital world.

The metering thing is not complicated once you understand a few basic principals ;)

Best,

Chas