How to take a reading

[Graemey]

Hello All,

I'm a newbie and was wondering, when I'm reading my photography books, what is meant by 'take a reading'?

Thank you as always,

Best wishes
Graeme

[teaking]

I would think it would mean a meter reading, in manual modes like AV,TV and M either on the bottom of your camera screen or the left hand or right hand side you have a gauge with a level that moves around -2 --- -1 --- 0 --- 1 --- 2 this is the exposure value. Different metering modes get your reading based on different methods of analysing the scene.

Do you have a section on metering modes in the book your reading? It can often help to understand how your camera is taking a reading.

Usualy you are aiming to get the meter reading on "0" how ever there is the option to compensate by + or - amounts for example with snow as large amounts of white or black can effect this reading.

[wulf]

Are these older books? I suspect they are refering to taking a reading with a light meter. You can do that to some extent with a modern camera, which has a light meter built in, but you tend to just get the option to under- or over-expose compared to what it judges right rather than the more detailed numbers that would come from a typical light meter.

Wulf

[Graemey]

Thank you, I have a meter that looks like you suggested. So if I half press the shutter then use - or + to get to Zero?

Best wishes
Graeme

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Graemey

Thank you, I have a meter that looks like you suggested. So if I half press the shutter then use - or + to get to Zero?

Best wishes
Graeme

If youre using the meter in your camera, the bar indicates what kind of exposure you have.

For instance

- _ _ _ | _ _ _ | _ _ _||_ _ _ | _ _ _ | _ _ _ +

The above is an example of the graph showing 3EV each side. Each "bar" on the bottom represents 1/3 of a stop of exposure. There will be a marker that will move up and down depending on what the camera sees, what metering pattern youre using and what settings you adjust. If the marker is in the middle, then you have what the camera considers a "perfect" exposure.

If the marker is to the left, like this:
- _ _ _ | _ _ | _ | _ _ _||_ _ _ | _ _ _ | _ _ _ +
Then the camera thinks you're UNDERexposed (things will be dark). This is because the marker is on the - side.

If the marker is to the right, like this:
- _ _ _ | _ _ _ | _ _ _||_ _ _ | _ _ | _ | _ _ _ +
Then the camera thinks you're OVERexposed (things will be too bright). This is because the marker is on the + side.

In either case, you'd want to adjust your shutterspeed, aperture or ISO (or a combination) to get the marker back to the middle.

Now, Nikon cameras work backwards from most other brands, with the + side on the left. THis is because of the control scheme that Nikon uses (but it can be inverted in the camera).

A handheld meter is VERY different though.

[wulf]

Yes - getting the setting to zero doesn't magically make your photo well-exposed. The camera sets zero to represent what it thinks a good exposure would be based on what its sensors tell it about the scene (which may or may not be a good guess).

Have a read in your camera manual about what "metering modes" are on offers (options for helping the camera make a better choice helping you in evaluating the scene). Meanwhile, I would tend to skip over what the old books tell you to do (take a reading) and try to concentrate more on why they suggest doing it (I am sure they are giving examples of good and bad exposures for particular scenes).

Wulf

[Graemey]

Thank you so much everybody, I can't wait to give it a go.

One other thing, I was trying to get some shots of the snow at night and I couldn't et the flash to stop going. I tried loads of settings but could not find the one to stop the flas.

Thank you as always,

Best wishes
Graeme

[OsmosisStudios]

Anything outside the automatic (so the PSAM) modes will not fire the flash automatically. Generally the camera does this because it's too dark out: you may need a tripod.