Metering question

[Cathrine]

Hi, I don't know where to post this question in the forum. I have a question about the metering. What metering do you guys use? Do you use the evaluating, the spot, or the center weighted metering?

Can someone also explain to me what each one is for? Could this be the reason why I am having trouble focusing on a flower that is located in a bed of flowers?

Thank you!

[Chip]

Hi, Catherine -

I wouldn't think that metering is causing your focusing problems. Rather, my guess is that your flower is too close to the lens. Lenses all have a minimum focusing distance and, if your subject is closer than that distance, the lens can't focus. So, you might have to move back a bit, then crop.

For the metering, I use mostly spot and evaluative/matrix. Spot does what it says - meters off one spot. Evaluative/matrix give more or less an average of the whole scene. And center give more weight to what's in the center of the frame.

To see for yourself, you might want to try this: put something (toy, stuffed animal, book) in a window that's facing the sun. Take shots in each of the 3 metering modes, making sure to focus on the same part of your subject. The results should give you a good illustration of how the different modes work.

The more you experiment with metering, the more you will be able to predict how you camera will react in a given situation - which will lead to better photos.