Best exposure strategy?

[BAASCH]

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Our beloved X Vario, with its almost equally beloved beloved quirks ("almost"... see the first link in my signature, below), forces us to devise cunning exposure strategies. We have no exposure lock (holding the shutter release doesn't count if you want to focus after setting the exposure) and manual shutter speed is set in full stops only. How to achieve perfect exposures? After using center weighted metering for a while, lately I've been experimenting with spot metering. This seems to give me considerably more control. I use it in conjunction with aperture priority and exposure compensation; sometimes also in full manual mode (but then the full stop shutter speed dial quickly becomes a problem again). Most of the time I don't bother to pick a part of the scene that I want to place in a certain Adams' Zone — this would be feasible with exposure lock, or again with full manual — but instead I just decide where the spot area that I am focusing on should be placed, Zone-wise, and dial in exposure compensation, a little on the conservative side (0 for V, ⅔ for VI, 1⅓ for VII and 2 for VIII, which is often too much already, at least in the jpegs; the negative compensation follows a mirrored pattern). I find this works quite well. Only when there is an important highlight outside the focus rectangle (that coincides with the metering 'spot') will I revert to full manual and meter off that highlight, and hope that my full stop shutter speeds will fit the bill.

 

How are others' experiences with this approach? 

[Manoleica]

Cor Blimey" - watta performance" are you taking pictures or preparing to write a Thesis! --  I use Aperture Priority, Spot and chimp if I think it's necessary...

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[BAASCH]

Cor Blimey" - watta performance" are you taking pictures or preparing to write a Thesis! --  I use Aperture Priority, Spot and chimp if I think it's necessary...

 

 

Haha, yes, writing a thesis, too. But on a different subject.

[teb1013]

Great post!! I mostly use spot. I've never been one for center weighting, in any camera. I usually use aperture priority but sometimes use "chimp mode" if I'm lazy or in a hurry. I need to use this camera a bit longer to get into exposure compensation. Thanks for the tips, the X-Vario has me back taking pictures again after slacking off with other equipment to "special events only".