Which exposure metering is best on Nikon. Which type of metering to choose

Litigation Educational program: exposure metering in

What is exposure? This is the determination of a precisely dosed amount of light that should fall on the photosensitive material (film or matrix) at the moment the frame is taken, that is, at the moment when the camera shutter is open. If not enough light reaches the sensor, the picture will turn out dark and underlit. It will be very difficult to “pull” him into graphic editor– colors will be distorted, color noise and graininess will appear. If too much light comes in, the photo will be overexposed. Such a “bleached” frame cannot be saved by anything, since the details are hopelessly lost.

If the optimal amount of light hits the camera, the photo will turn out well-developed. All details will be preserved in both light and dark areas. If the dynamic range of the camera is small, and the light sensitivity is set to very high, then details may be lost in deep shadows, although the main object will turn out to be quite well detailed. Therefore, because the sensor does not have a very wide dynamic range compared to film, it is very important to set the exposure correctly, otherwise there is a greater chance of losing detail in the light and dark areas of the image. Different cameras react differently to lighting in different conditions.

Since the days of film photography, there has been a special device that measures illumination - this is an exposure meter. It measures the light that falls on the subject. There is also a spotmeter, which is used to measure the amount of light that is reflected by the objects being photographed.

The amount of light falling on the matrix is ​​determined by the brightness of the scene being photographed and the lens aperture. By adjusting the aperture you can change the amount of light that enters the sensor. The aperture value is indicated by f-stop numbers. Exposure time is determined by shutter speed. The light sensitivity of the matrix also affects the exposure time - the higher the light sensitivity, the shorter the shutter speed, for example. The automation built into the camera necessarily takes this into account. The set values ​​- aperture, shutter speed and light sensitivity - are called exposure parameters. Proper setting of the exposure pair, shutter speed and aperture will ensure correct exposure at the set light sensitivity.

Previously, in film photography, exposure was determined in two ways: using an exposure meter, the illumination of the object was determined, that is, the intensity of the light flux incident on the object; In addition, the intensity of the reflected light was measured. Today, when exposure metering devices built into digital cameras have appeared, only the second method is used.

For novice amateur photographers who are picking up a digital camera for the first time, almost every model has a fully automatic mode. You absolutely do not need to think about such “little things” as shutter speed, aperture, photosensitivity, all this is calculated for you by the “smart” camera electronics. You only focus on composition. Is this good or bad? This is good when in manual modes you shoot worse than your camera’s automation can handle. But this is bad when it is still possible to manually achieve best result than the average result in automatic mode. Why is this so? Let's try to figure it all out.

In digital cameras you can set different types of exposure metering - everything is determined depending on the scene being photographed.

Matrix metering, Pattern Evaluative, E

It is also called multi-zone, multi-zone, multi-segment, evaluative. In automatic mode, the camera sets the standard – matrix metering, which is used more often than others. This is the most intelligent metering; exposure is measured by the camera in several zones of the matrix. Segment zones are distributed over the frame area, each camera has a different way, and the priority of the zones is also different. The camera analyzes the data of each zone, the ratio of brightness of individual zones, and compares the information with its own database of standard, frequently occurring scenes. Matrix metering is the most universal, but it has its limitations, since the lighting is not always the same and uniform across the entire field of the frame, and objects can be different. Matrix metering is convenient when the illumination of the entire scene field is approximately the same. But it is not always predictable, although most of the time you will get the correct exposure. It is recommended for beginners who have not yet learned how to use manual settings.

Matrix metering will not work well in the following cases:

• In shutter priority or aperture priority mode (exposure compensation will help to some extent),
• Backlighting, when the light source (sun, lamp, spotlight, etc.) is located opposite the lens or to the side,
• If you need to focus on the main thing, highlight the object from the background,
• When you want to make a photo lighter or darker by changing the overall tone of the photo,
• Artistic photography

Matrix metering makes the exposure of the entire frame average. Highlights become overexposed and shadows become dark.

There is also three-dimensional (3D) spatial segment-matrix metering. In this variation of matrix metering, exposure is determined at different locations in the frame separately, independently of each other. Brightness, contrast and distance to various objects scenes. Three-dimensional exposure metering is used mainly in DSLRs.

If you want to learn how to shoot not only in the automatic “point and click” mode, taking a mediocre “memory photo”, but want to get more expressive and interesting photos, then it makes sense to get acquainted with other methods of exposure metering.

Integral metering (Average metering, A)

Averaging metering. With this simple method, the illumination of the scene is averaged over the entire field of the frame. All frame zones have the same priority. Integrated metering strives for a predominant mid-gray tone. The advantage of integral metering is that, regardless of the intensity of the reflected light, the average value is used. It is not suitable for shooting contrasting scenes, as well as black and white surfaces, clothing, animals - there is a risk of incorrect exposure. It is also not suitable in low light conditions: light objects will not be light enough, and dark objects will be too dark. When shooting in the evening, you risk getting too bright a photo. In this case, the exposure should be reduced by 1 or 2 steps. When shooting white objects, the opposite effect will help - a larger exposure of 1 or 2 stops.

There are also spot and center-weighted exposure metering. They will come to your aid when the lighting conditions are unusual, when you shoot complex scenes, when you want to get an original result.

Spot metering (S)

It is also sometimes called partial. This metering method provides the most accurate result; the exposure of the subject being photographed is optimal. In cells with manual settings Spot metering is required. In this case, the camera's exposure meter measures the brightness in a small area of ​​the frame - usually 1-3% of the area (or up to 9%), depending on the camera model.

The measurement takes place at the center point of the frame. If your subject is not in the center of the frame, you can recompose the frame by centering the subject and pressing the shutter button halfway (without releasing it) or locking the exposure. In more advanced cameras, such as professional DSLRs, the metering points, combined with the autofocus points, can move around the frame. They are combined with autofocus points. The number of such points depends on the specific camera model; there can be five or more.

“Advanced” cameras have a built-in exposure locking (saving) function - AE. The “AE-L” button means “Automatic Exposure Lock”, locking exposure metering. If you need to recompose the frame, just press the lock button and the camera will remember the settings.

With spot metering, the background may turn out to be overexposed or underexposed, but the main subject, the one you measured against, will turn out well, as detailed as possible with the maximum amount of detail. Spot metering can be used when shooting contrasting scenes in backlit situations. That is, in cases where it is important to correctly determine the exposure for the main part of the frame.

Center-weighted metering (CW)

It is also called averaged. With this method, the system evaluates the overall brightness of the scene, but focuses on the central part of the frame, which covers about 9 percent or slightly more. This exposure metering method is advisable to use in the following cases:

• Portrait photography,
• When the subject occupies most of the center of the frame,
• When the subject is against a contrasting background

Multi Spot metering (MS)

Exposure is measured at several points in the frame, and the camera averages the resulting values. Multi-point metering is mainly used in professional SLR cameras.

Partial metering

Metering resembles spot metering, but the “spot” is increased to a “spot” with an area of ​​up to 6-10 percent of the frame surface. This method is often used in amateur SLR cameras.

Exposure compensation

Different surfaces reflect light received from the same source differently. That is, each object has its own reflection coefficient. Average coefficient reflections – 18-20%.

When shooting a medium-gray object, matrix metering will correctly determine the exposure - the aperture and shutter speed. An object with 20 percent reflectivity will have a reflectance of 0.2, black velvet fabric will have a reflectance of 0.02, and snow will have a reflectance of 0.8. In order for these objects in the picture to turn out not gray, you need to introduce an exposure correction - that is, make exposure compensation. A summer landscape reflects on average about 18% of the light, 8-10% if there are greenery and foliage in the frame. If there is sand, the dry surface is 30-40%. Human skin has a wide range of reflectivity, with the specific reflectance varying depending on race and tan. For light skin it is 0.35, for very dark skin it is 0.035-0.06.

In modern digital cameras There is a set of story programs, and often quite rich. So, for example, if you set the mode to “Snow/Beach”, the camera will adjust the settings so that the snow appears in the photo as a true white. In this case, there is no need to enter exposure compensation.

The "+/-" button on the camera body controls exposure compensation. You can make adjustments by rotating the tuning dial or pressing the appropriate buttons. Also, for simpler camera models, this function may be available through the menu.

Exposure compensation is indicated by EV values. EV (short for “exposure value” - translated from English, value, exposure value.) is a conditional value that includes all possible combinations of shutter speed and aperture number, which, under constant shooting conditions, provide the same exposure. A change in EV value by one (one stop in either direction) corresponds to a doubling of the exposure. If you enter +1 EV, the exposure will double. Exposure compensation increments are typically 1/3 EV stop. For example, to get rid of grayness in bad weather, adjust the exposure compensation by +1/3 or +2/3.

Bracketing

Bracketing, or exposure bracketing (exposure bracketing) is a series of frames when the exposure parameters change in each frame: the first frame is underexposed, the second is correctly exposed, and the third is overexposed. Cameras have the ability to set the bracketing step - the difference in exposure parameters from the norm. Bracketing is used when the illumination in the frame is difficult to determine and a “test” is required.

bar chart

The brightness histogram will help you correctly assess the exposure. This graph displays the number of pixels and brightness levels. The horizontal axis corresponds to the brightness value: from black to white. The more pixels with the same value, the higher the level – amplitude.

If the histogram is shifted to the left, it means that the picture turned out with a predominance of dark tones; if it is shifted to the right, it means that the picture has a predominance of light tones. It is desirable that the histogram is not “ragged”, that is, does not have sharp changes or “spikes”. It’s good when it goes smoothly, forming a uniform curve, similar to a “hill” with smooth slopes.

In a number digital cameras The histogram is part of the service (auxiliary) information recorded along with the image. This allows you to improve its balance during a possible re-shoot of the frame or helps you choose the method of light-tonal correction of the image when editing it on a computer. In more advanced cameras, the histogram is superimposed on top of the image of the selected frame on the display. This allows you to preliminarily assess the quality of the future photo and immediately either change the lighting conditions or composition, or introduce exposure metric corrections.

All modern cameras are equipped with an exposure meter. Currently, a camera's exposure meter is not just a sensor that measures the level of illumination, it is a highly accurate, sophisticated system of sensors and data processing. For example, Canon camera The 600D features a 63-zone exposure metering system.

These systems differ in different models from different manufacturers, but their principle is unchanged: sensors measure the brightness level in different areas of the frame. In this case, the light passing through the lens is analyzed, which automatically takes into account the light transmission of lenses and filters if they are worn on the lens. This type of metering is called TTL Through the lens.
The operation of the exposure metering system underlies automatic (auto, portrait, landscape...) and creative (shutter priority, aperture priority). It is she who must ensure the correct exposure of the photo. Most of the time she succeeds, but sometimes she makes mistakes. Let's look at why this happens.

Despite its significant advantages, this system has two fundamental disadvantages. First, the camera doesn't know how much light is falling on the subject. It only knows how much light is reflected from the object! And this, in turn, depends not only on the illumination of the object, but also on its reflective ability.

Let's consider this problem using the example of three cats: black, white and gray. For example, these:

They are posted below the photographs. It becomes clear that the brightness of the images differs significantly.

The camera knows nothing about what we are photographing; it assumes that there is an object of average brightness in front of it. In other words, it considers all cats to be gray and adjusts the exposure so that the high point in the histogram is in the middle of the histogram.

Good day! Timur Mustaev is in touch with you again. I am sure that the progressive category of amateur photographers has already heard about the concept. After all, this is one of the defining characteristics of photography!

All you and your camera do is light photography. Do you think that the method of determining the quantity and quality of incoming light is also important? I will say an unequivocal “yes”. Among the functions of any camera is exposure metering.

Not all photographers actively use it, but in vain, because it can significantly affect the image.

I repeat that you need to be able to understand the process of setting all the necessary parameters that make up the exposure, that is, photosensitivity (),.

But besides this, it is important to measure this very exposure, or visible light radiation, in the correct way. This is done using technology; the “by eye” method cannot always be trusted.

Types of Exposure Metering

I will tell you about the existence of three types of measurements in the camera:

• first - matrix;
• second - center-weighted;
• third - spot.

There may be more, but these are the main ones.

Now more details about each. Let's look at why they have such names, how they differ from each other, and which measurement to use depending on the situation.

It is believed that the preference for any of them makes a significant contribution to the illumination of the entire photograph and its individual parts.

Please note that measurements can be called differently - it all depends on the camera model. But Nikon, Canon or some other brand doesn't actually change their specifics.

I’ll immediately give an example where different exposure metering was used. The photographs have not been processed. The shooting was carried out at home under normal lighting. Parameters: , ISO-100, f/7.1, - incandescent lamp.

The first measurement is matrix

The metering mode is matrix. It can also be called evaluative, also multi-segment.

You can quite guess what the term means: a matrix is, in mathematics, a rectangular table divided by columns and rows; and the prefix multi- speaks of multiplicity or multiplicity (for example, segments or certain sectors).

We conclude that thanks to this measurement, photographic equipment divides the frame into several zones in which it measures the lighting. After which all measurements are summed up and a certain average value is given.

For what genres and subjects is it most useful? This may include:

• landscape and nature photography, where all the parts and all the objects on different planes play a role in the overall picture. Therefore, assessing the lighting in each corner of the frame is important.
• a photograph with many significant elements throughout the photograph, including highlights and shadows.

The image will be generally satisfactory if the external conditions are quite simple; in more complex conditions, try other exposure meters.

Second measurement - center-weighted

Center-weighted option. What is this? Perhaps the word “weighted” is a little confusing. But here it appears in the sense of assessed and measured.

The main thing here is center. Similar to the previous measurement, since the light is taken into account throughout the scene, but a larger percentage (about 70-80) still falls in the middle.

It is assumed that the main object, character, that is, an object that is more significant, brighter, more intense, etc. will be located in the center.

Sometimes a partial type occurs. The only difference from the central one is that it covers a smaller area where it takes measurements. About only 10 percent. And so he similarly focuses attention on the center of the picture.

It is probably useful if in the middle of the photo there is an object with ambiguous lighting characteristics or it is important to measure some specific detail of the object that falls in this area.

Measurement number three - spot

Spot, or exposure metering using dots, is recommended when photographing portraits.

You may disagree - why not use center-weighted then? The only advantage of the third method of measuring exposure is the ability to determine in which particular zone it is necessary to evaluate the lighting (not necessarily in the central one).

True, this area will be very small, even smaller than for the partial view. There is one caveat. Canon users claim that, unlike Nikons, their spot metering only works in the middle of the photo, and the movement of the focus point does not affect it in any way.

I cannot recommend any metering mode. I use matrix or center-weighted metering less often than spot metering. In different cases, a different measurement is used.

As you can understand from the above, a certain situation, certain conditions shooting and objects require the appropriate type of measurement. This is ideal. In fact, it is worth trying everything, and then making a personal choice in favor of the one that is most convenient for you.

Useful facts

Did you know that there is a device for accurately determining exposure? You may have already heard about it or read about it from my recent article. This is (exposure meter).

Unlike in-camera metering, that is, an exposure meter, many amateur photographers resort to this external device. It, of course, does not come with a standard set of photographic equipment; it is purchased separately.

Despite its small size, it can be expensive. The fact is that the camera does not always clearly determine which settings are suitable in a particular case. It is especially difficult for him to cope when the subject in the frame is contrasting, there are many bright and dark areas.

Therefore, if it is important for you to get the perfect shot that fully corresponds to the idea, then I recommend buying yourself a flash meter. Not only does it measure incoming light in different ways, but it is also capable of storing multiple measurements taken.

With such a device, it will most likely be easier for you to adjust all photographic values ​​during shooting and spend less time subsequently on image processing. In addition, a simple photo exposure meter built into the camera is indispensable when working with pulsed light in studios.

Before I say goodbye to you, I would like to introduce you to the video course “” - for owners of NIKON or “ My first MIRROR"—for CANON owners. What's good about it? The answer is simple - you will learn to understand your reflex camera and take decent pictures, getting the most out of it. You will learn a lot of new things that you didn’t even know about your camera. Don't stand still, develop, everything is in your hands!

Digital SLR for a beginner 2.0- if you have a NIKON SLR camera.

My first MIRROR- if you have a CANON SLR camera.

Goodbye, visitors to my blog! Subscribe and read new articles!

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.

Light meter- device for instrumental measurement photographic exposure and determining the correct exposure parameters.

Exposure Metering Mode- in modern photographic and film equipment determines the method of evaluation brightness different parts of the frame during instrumental measurement exposition , mainly using the light meter built into the camera.

Various metering modes have appeared with the development TTL exposure meters , since they are practically impossible to implement with their other types. Moreover, modern digital and film cameras have the ability to measure in various modes of both constant light and light photo flashes , measured, as a rule, by the same sensors as continuous lighting.

Average metering

With average measurement The brightness of all parts of the frame is taken into account equally. Both external exposure meters and most built-in ones have this measurement method.

The first TTL exposure meters only had a measurement mode that was suitable for low-contrast scenes, but produced errors if there was a large difference in the brightness of the subject and the background.

Center-weighted exposure metering In this mode The sensitivity of the sensor is distributed unevenly across the entire field of the frame, reaching its maximum value in the center, where the main subject is usually located. central part small format frame

, limited by a circle with a diameter of 12 millimeters, occupied 60% of the total measurement result. The remaining portion of the frame was 40%, allowing for more accurate measurements of most scenes. Unlike the spot mode, which reacts sensitively to the slightest changes in the position of the metering area and requires constant attention, center-weighted metering is more average and suitable for reportage shooting.

Spot metering

Spot exposure metering measures the brightness of a small area of ​​the frame, ranging in size from 1 to 5% of its total area. Usually the “point” is located in the center of the frame, although many cameras allow you to set it in other places. Spot metering allows you to correctly determine the exposure of contrasting scenes without getting close to the subject.

For example, when shooting a brightly lit subject against a very dark background (for example, an actor on a dark stage), using spot metering on an important part of the scene allows you to expose the subject correctly, ignoring the overall dark tonality. And although the background will be underexposed, the desired subject will receive the correct exposure.

Partial mode Partial metering

Matrix (evaluative, multi-zone) exposure metering

Evaluative or matrix metering is based on dividing the frame into several segments, the exposure of which is measured independently, and the resulting results are processed by the camera's microprocessor, determining the optimal exposure based on statistical data.

No matter how you photograph or what shooting mode you prefer to use, there is one element that remains the same - exposure metering. Either way, you or your camera need to know how much light is in the scene in order to determine the optimal combination of aperture size, shutter speed and ISO to get the desired photo. This tool, which may seem unimportant to new photographers, is called exposure metering.

Understanding how it works is critical to improving your skills and helping you get the shots you want. I hope this article will help you figure it out.

An analogy to help you understand exposure metering

Before I talk about how exposure metering works, think about the last time you grilled meat. Whether it was a steak, pork chops, or even a couple of hamburgers, you probably had an idea of ​​what the finished product would look like.

Backyard cooks like me who aren't very good at it use a thermometer to make sure the food is cooked properly. But the question arises where to stick the thermometer to check whether the meat is cooked. Or, in the language of photography, check whether it is correct exposed meat. You can only touch the surface, pierce to the middle, or insert the thermometer in different places to get the overall picture.

Each method will work differently, but it all depends on what you're cooking and how you want the dish to turn out in the end.

Metering your camera's exposure is similar to measuring the temperature of meat with a thermometer. Placement is critical to getting the right metrics.

How exposure metering works

When you point the camera at a scene, you need a way to measure the incoming light so you know how much there is and what settings you need to make to get the image you want. It's like measuring the temperature of food with a thermometer to make sure it's cooked properly.

Most modern cameras use a process called TTL light metering behind the lens. This means your camera checks the light passing through the lens and evaluates the brightness of the scene. You or your camera can then make the settings necessary to properly expose the image. You may not even notice how exposure metering works unless you shoot in manual mode. But believe me, he is constantly controlling the light, whether you know it or not.

Overview of the metering scale in Manual mode

To see how exposure metering does its job, put your camera in manual mode and look for a series of dots or vertical lines at the bottom of your camera's viewfinder.

In Manual mode, look at the bottom of the viewfinder screen. Find a scale with a zero in the middle. This is exposure metering at work.

The number scale at the bottom of the image above is an example of exposure metering, and the tiny little triangle shows whether the image is properly exposed or not. In this case, the triangle is 0, which means the image is exposed correctly, but changing the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO will cause the triangle to move up or down the line respectively and result in an image that is too light or too dark.

What part of the scene does the camera meter the exposure from?

While this is all well and good, it only tells part of the story because it doesn't explain how your exposure metering works. Does he see all the incoming light or only part of it? How much of the frame does he see? Understanding the answers to these questions is key to unlocking the power of this tool, and it all comes down to something called metering modes.

Metering Sveta

Most cameras today have a few basic ways of measuring incoming light:

1. Matrix or Evaluative Metering– the camera sees the light in the entire scene and averages it out (Nikon puts more emphasis on the area where your lens focuses). Nikon has Matrix metering, Canon has Evaluative metering.
2. Center-weighted metering– sees the light of the entire scene and averages it, but with an emphasis on the center of the frame. Both Nikon and Canon have this mode called Center-weighted.
3. Partial metering– measures light only in a small part in the center of the frame (about 8-12% of the entire scene). This is the metering mode in Canon, Nikon does not have this.
4. Spot metering– measures light only in a small area around the central AF point (about 1.5-3% of the frame). For Nikon and Canon this mode is called Spot.

Other camera manufacturers have different names for these modes, but understanding how your camera measures incoming light can have a huge impact on whether your photo is properly exposed. As an example, here are three photographs taken with different exposure metering modes.

Image #1 taken with Matrix (Nikon) or Estimated (Canon) exposure metering.

Image #2 taken with Center Weighted Metering.

Image #3 taken with Spot Metering.

Measuring reflected light against incident light

There is another aspect of light measurement that comes into play when taking a photo. It's about how the TTL system works compared to a handheld light meter.

Reflected light metering

The first (the type of measurement used in DSLRs) works by measuring the amount of light passing through the lens. But the problem is that if you don't point your camera directly at the light source, the light being measured actually bounces off your subject.

All the colors we see in the world around us acquire their shades and tonal values ​​by absorbing every color of light except the one that is reflected from them. As we learned while studying at primary school, light is made up of a spectrum of colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. A green tree leaf absorbs every color of light except green. A red car absorbs every color except red, and so on.

When your camera measures incoming light, it looks at the amount of light that bounces off your subject, not the amount of light that hits your subject. This is essential and can significantly impact your exposure. In the illustration above, the child is wearing clothing that absorbs most colors of light except blue, which means that a lot more light bounces off of him and is sent into the camera. However, if you change your clothes, a lot will change.

In the illustration above, although the amount of light hitting the boy has not changed, the camera will read the scene differently because he is now wearing a dark shirt and pants. The camera will think it needs to change the exposure to compensate for what it thinks is less light in the scene, and the result will be an overexposed image.

Here's a real-life example of how this works:

Nikon D7100, 200 mm,f/2.8, 1/8000.

In the photo above, so much light was reflected off the girl's white T-shirt that my camera had a hard time measuring the scene properly. Most of the sunlight bounced off the T-shirt and immediately returned to my camera, so it reacted very short shutter speed and a low ISO to make sure the T-shirt is exposed correctly. Unfortunately, the rest of the scene was underexposed.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/1500.

And this is what happened a few seconds later in the same place after the girl changed her T-shirt to a brown one. Since most of the light from the sun was absorbed by the dark color of her outfit, my camera created a much brighter exposure using a slower shutter speed. The TTL metering system received something different a large number of light, so the camera decided it needed more light to get a good exposure.

Incident light metering

This phenomenon can be especially frustrating if you're photographing a wedding; Grooms often wear dark suits, while brides usually wear dazzling white dresses, which can really confuse your camera's TTL metering system. The solution is to use an external handheld light meter, such as the Sekonic L-308S-U, which actually measures the amount of light falling on the subject.

A handheld light meter for measuring incident light (light falling on an object).

In the image above, you can see that the light meter shows the f/16 aperture, 1/125 shutter speed, and ISO 100 settings you need to get a properly exposed scene. These values ​​will likely be different from what the TTL system will give you because some amount of light will invariably be absorbed by the subject, which is why an external light meter can be much more useful.

This is what the previous circuit would have looked like if an external light meter had been used.

You'll often see wedding photographers use a tool like this to get a more accurate idea of ​​how much light is present in a scene when taking formal wedding photos. This is especially true if external flashes are used because they need to know how much additional light the scene will require or allow.

Often at weddings, the bride is dressed in a snow-white dress, which reflects a lot of light, and the groom is dressed in a dark suit, which absorbs the light. This can wreak havoc on the TTL metering system and the external light meter will great way solve the problem of.

Conclusion

The overall goal here is to understand how exposure metering works in your camera. This in turn will help you know how you will need to change your exposure settings to get the shot you want.

I hope this article was helpful in explaining how exposure metering works, how light bounces off your subjects, and why your camera may not be seeing a given scene the way you expect. Ultimately, it's important to remember that there is no one correct way to measure the amount of light in a scene. Any of the metering modes and methods will work as long as you know what you're shooting and what results you're trying to achieve.

Knowing the difference between different metering modes and types and understanding how light is measured as it enters your camera can help you get the shots you want. None of these methods is better or worse than the other, but each has its own strengths and weak sides. The more you know about how it all works, the more likely you are to get the photos you want.