Which metering to use

You can always decide to over or underexpose your image on purpose, but adjusting the right metering mode is crucial both in automatic and manual mode. The main metering modes in Nikon are matrix, center-weighted, and spot metering. The basic metering modes in Canon are evaluative, center-weighted, spot metering, and partial metering. The available metering modes in Sony cameras are Multi, center, spot, and entire screen average. I hope this metering modes tutorial has helped you understand the main metering modes and metering systems in photography.

To understand camera metering modes better, as well as the difference between the main modes like spot metering vs. If you have any questions related to camera metering modes , please leave them in the comments below! Dan Zafra. Dan is a professional nature and landscape photographer, photography educator, and co-founder of Capture the Atlas. His base camp is in Philadelphia, USA, but he spends long periods of time exploring and photographing new locations around the world.

Apart from shooting the Milky Way , the Northern Lights , and any landscape that can stir powerful emotions, he enjoys leading photo tours to some of the most remote places on Earth. You can find more about Dan here. Search for:. What is a metering mode? Camera metering mode examples. Matrix Metering Mode. Spot Metering Mode. What are the different Camera metering modes? What metering mode should I use? Does metering matter in manual mode? What are the metering modes in Nikon?

What are the metering modes in Canon? What are the metering modes in Sony? Share on Pinterest. Share with your friends. Don't miss out What is exposure? Exposure in photography explained. How to read a histogram? Understanding histograms in photography. The exposure triangle in photography explained for beginners. What is aperture?

Understanding aperture in photography. Photography composition — Best composition rules in photography. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. A close-up view of Nar's Iceland Volcano Cauldro. Hidden gems of Iceland! A fiery sunrise taken at the Rhino rock in Iceland. Browse All Buying Guides. Best Portable Monitors. Best Gaming Keyboards. Best Drones. Best 4K TVs.

Best iPhone 13 Cases. Best Tech Gifts for Kids Aged Best 8K TVs. Best VR Headsets. Best iPad Mini Cases. Best Gifts for Cutting the Cord. Best Bluetooth Speakers. Awesome PC Accessories. Best Linux Laptops. Best Gaming Monitors. Best iPads. Best iPhones. Best External Hard Drives.

Browse All News Articles. Smart TVs Ads. Team Comes to Workplace by Meta. Block People Spotify. Verizon Selling PS5. Windows 11 SE Explained. Windows 11 SE. Microsoft Default Browser Firefox.

Google's New Pet Art. This mode has different names depending on the manufacturer. Canon calls it evaluative, whereas Nikon calls it Matrix. But there is no difference in the way they decide on exposure. It collects data from across the entire frame and even gives priority to your focus point. If the camera sees a bright area, such as the sun, it takes that spot into account. According to this spot, it will try to work out the best exposure settings. This metering mode collects data from a small circular area in the metering centre of the camera.

Partial light metering is useful when your subject is in the centre of the frame. Most likely, you want the camera to prioritise the subject during exposure calculation. It sets the exposure according to where your focus point is. To get the focus point right and achieve your desire results, your subject has to be still. This is a more advanced way of working out the good exposure for your camera. This is because it involves metering for the small area of your focus point.

The rest of the scene may not be correct, leaving that up to you to work out. Notice that the white fur on the dog looks much softer and less highlighted.

Even though this is pleasant to look at, it leaves the rest of the scene underexposed. Be careful when using this metering mode. Some newer Nikon cameras have highlight-weighted metering as an option. It is almost the same as spot metering. But unlike spot metering, here, the camera recognises the highlights even in motion. This prevents the whites on your photo from blowing out.

It is the most useful when photographing moving, highlighted subjects, such as a white car. The centre-weighted mode is a halfway between matrix and partial metering. It measures the exposure of a pretty big metering spot in the viewfinder of the camera. Most people take photographs in which the subject is in the metering centre of the image.

DSLR camera manufacturers realised this. They needed to include an effective centre-weighted metering system in the camera. This way, photographers can reach an accurate exposure value. This results in darker, less visible background and surroundings. For this reason, centre-weighted metering can add a special atmosphere to your photos.