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What Metering system/method?


Jerren

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I was just curious how does the m8 go about deciding what is the correct exposure? Like with the DSLRs there is spot metering, center weighted, matrix, etc. What does the m8 use?

 

Oh and here is a random picture since I haven't posted anything here recently!

 

13724168105_50b1d568d7_c.jpg

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I was just curious how does the m8 go about deciding what is the correct exposure? Like with the DSLRs there is spot metering, center weighted, matrix, etc. What does the m8 use?

 

Oh and here is a random picture since I haven't posted anything here recently!

 

 

It is center weighted.

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If you lost your manual, it can be downloaded.

 

Jeff

 

No, I haven't lost my manual. I just had an on the fly question as I sat at my desk at work. Please forgive me for posting this question here instead of looking up the answer in my manual.

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Ummm thanks?

Don’t get me wrong; the exposure is an artistic choice, so your treatment is perfectly fine with me. However this thread is about technically correct exposure and that means getting detail in the highlights instead of 255,255,255.

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No, I haven't lost my manual. I just had an on the fly question as I sat at my desk at work. Please forgive me for posting this question here instead of looking up the answer in my manual.

 

The point is that there is a lot of good stuff in the manual as well as in the FAQ linked above by Jaap, not just the answer to your question. And your question is not some ancillary aspect to the camera; it's rather fundamental to its use unless one uses a handheld meter and/or already knows lighting and exposure by experience (and maybe you do, as an M2 owner….according to your profile). But, if not, you may learn a lot by reading both.

 

Experience is the best teacher, but it can't hurt to know your tools first.

 

Jeff

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The metering pattern is like a fat spot meter. The meter assumed that the image will average out to a mid grey. That's fine most of the time, but if the scene is predominantly dark or light, you'll need to under or over expose accordingly to prevent what ought to be dark or light appearing grey.

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Don’t get me wrong; the exposure is an artistic choice, so your treatment is perfectly fine with me. However this thread is about technically correct exposure and that means getting detail in the highlights instead of 255,255,255.

That's an interesting definition of a technically correct exposure. Given that it is often not possible to retain both shadow and highlight detail, I'm not so sure that I'd agree. I preferred your first sentence myself.....

 

But to get back to the OP's query, the M8 uses a centre-weighted meter which averages and simply indicates an exposure based on this reading yielding a mid-tone value - ie the assumption is that its looking at a mid-grey scene. Its an old fashioned system which relies on the photographer's experience to adjust it to yield the desired result. Fortunately a test shot and review of the histogram will help here.....

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Let's call it the Ansel Adams approach: all tonal values must be present in the negative and placed correctly in the print ;)

In a digital image there is a sharp cutoff in the highlights and a tapering off into the noise floor of the shadows. So the "proper" exposure technique would be to expose the highlights to contain some detail and let the shadows take care of themselves, to regain as much as possibl in postprocessing.

If that is the basic technique one can decide to break the rule, of course...

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If that is the basic technique one can decide to break the rule, of course...

Whilst I do agree in principle, I probably 'break the rule' rather more than I live by it;). So is it still the (my) rule?

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It isn't centre weighted, the edges don't influence the exposure.

Per the manual: "Exposure metering: Exposure metering through the

lens (TTL), heavily center-weighted with working aperture." Ummm. OK its got a caveat:).

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Sure. How could you break it otherwise?

I suppose it depends on how you go about exposure determination as to whether a 'rule' is relevant or broken or not. I shoot exclusively manually on my Leicas these days. To determine exposure I adjust firstly to what I guestimate the exposure to be, also based partly on what settings I'd prefer to use. I then shoot, check the histogram and adjust to allow for anticipated post processing 'pulling' and/or any highlight areas I can afford to lose, and then keep on shooting at the adjusted setting. The camera's own meter serves me merely as a 'guide' and the 'heavy centre-weighted' meter suits me just fine - I detest 'matrix' or multi-segment meters - just another form of data-poor automation.

 

This is based on my own empirical experimentation and works well for me - most importantly it yields good prints at 20" x 16" off my M9 with noise control surprisingly good.

 

I can't work like this with the Canons which are far less tolerant of underexposure.

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