Page 26 - Learning How to Photograph with your DSLR Camera 2nd Edition Jan 2021

Types of in-Camera Light Meters

Matrix (Nikon) Evaluative (Canon) – Most commonly used

This type of metering creates lightness and darkness zones in the entire image
depending on where your focus point is. After evaluating the entire image, it will mark
where you focused at and make this more important than the other zones. This is for
most general photography, landscape, and travel.

Center-Weighted

In the Center-Weighted Metering Mode, the camera does not evaluate the entire frame,
but just the middle leaving out the corners. It is also not based on where your focus point
is, just the middle of the frame. This is useful for headshots, or a portrait that is being
backlit as it is only metering in the middle. The background elements will be
overexposed.

Spot Metering

I use this metering mode for my bird photography, small subjects with a bright
background and my moon photography.
Spot metering (Nikon) uses a single about 5% of the image in the frame of the
viewfinder. Where you place your focus point it will meter just in that tiny area. If you
tried bird photography with matrix/evaluative or center-weighted (unless the bird filled
most of the frame), you likely ended up with an underexposed bird or silhouette.

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