Rod Lawton takes a look at this challenging metering mode, how it works and what it can do for your photographic projects
PRO TIP
Measuring exposure and balancing brightness levels means getting down to basics with shutter speeds, apertures and ISO settings, and you might find it a lot easier to work with these in Manual mode. You should also use a manual ISO setting, otherwise Auto ISO will try to ‘fix’ your exposures!
Spot metering is a very precise way to measure and calculate your exposures, but it’s also a way of getting to grips with the very basics of exposure theory. It can also open up techniques long since forgotten amidst the modern automation of Canon EOS multi-pattern metering systems!
The idea is very simple. It means taking an exposure reading from a very small area of the scene to base the exposure on that alone. One obvious application is where you’re photographing a stage performance, for example, where the main subject is lit by spotlights but the rest is in darkness. Regular multi-pattern metering will try to expose for the whole scene, background and all, and the result will be wildly overexposed photos.
Another is where you’re shooting a backlit subject, where the camera can’t possibly know whether you want a silhouette or a brighter subject. With Spot metering, however, you’re in the driving seat.
Spot metering also gives you an opportunity to think more carefully about your subject and whether it has an intrinsically light or dark tone. To keep light tones light you need to increase the exposure with positive EV compensation, otherwise the camera will overcompensate and try to produce a mid-grey brightness. It’s the same with very dark subjects - in this case you’ll need to apply some negative exposure compensation to keep them dark, so they look punchy and not washed out.
This becomes more important with Spot metering because you’re picking a specific area of the scene. Regular multi-pattern metering is nowhere near as precise, but it does cover up a lot of cracks you may have in your exposure technique!
So why not give Spot metering a shot? It takes just a few moments to set up on your Canon EOS camera and only requires a slight change to your shooting technique. I went to a local bike meet to try it out. Follow my tips and watch the accompanying video to see how I got on.
STEP BY STEP SET UP SPOT METERING
01 FIND SPO
