Metering and Exposure : Mastering the Toughest Part

Metering and Exposure – these two confuses the most new users. Both quite obviously has important relationship and needs a bit homework for the perfect result. We previously discussed about Metering in a separate article. Exposure has been explained too. But, these theoretical articles actually might not work for the newbies to Digital Photography. You can read the basics from those two articles on Metering and Exposure.

Basics on Metering and Exposure

Another part of Metering and Exposure is Exposure compensation. An external exposure meter can be, depending on the device, used for measuring daylight or flash. Daylight measurement is suitable for architecture and buildings very well. These have often sunlight varying at larger differences in contrast. With an external exposure meter, we can determine exposure time and / or aperture accurately.

So, another variable became obvious – that is aperture. We can not ignore the importance of Aperture, f-number and ISO; ISO is important now as it is a variable parameter in Digital camera.

How to handle Metering and Exposure

Things become more difficult when the main three terminologies arrive – Center-Weighted Metering, Partial Metering and Spot Metering. Spot Metering calculates the smallest area and Center-weighed being the highest. Partial falls in the middle.

The whitest regions are those which contribute most towards the exposure calculation, whereas the black dark areas are ignored. Each of the above metering methods may be located at center or off-center, it depends on the metering options and autofocus points used.

What you are thinking is clear to me – how you will understand which setting combination is right. In order to calculate these combination. Zone System in Digital Photography is still used in other form for this setting. Various kind of gray cards are available for this purpose. Some are quite great and has the equivalent digital values printed on the back. Your work is to initially position these set of card in a fan like fashion right in the place of the subject and take a photo.

Actually, photography is an art, it is difficult to say or describe any method as ‘the usual way’. But, usage of gray cards, possibly helps to understand your own camera. In film days, the quality of the film was almost constant for one brand and ISO. But, sensor can differ, which is nothing but the digital negative.