MASTER METERING MODES

Mike Harris encourages you to learn all your camera's metering modes so that you can nail exposure fast in any conditions

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You may not have realised that your camera possesses multiple different metering modes; and even if you have, you might wonder why you should bother understanding them. After all, if you know one thing about metering, it’s that plenty of photographers use the all-purpose Matrix mode (Nikon), Evaluative mode (Canon), Multi mode (Sony), or their camera’s equivalent.

You can largely get by using just those modes, but you’ll eventually encounter a lighting situation where the camera struggles to expose the scene correctly, or simply isn’t able to replicate the creative outcome you have in your mind’s eye. However few, these are the situations where knowing your camera’s metering modes will pay dividends.

All DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have two other main metering modes: Centre-weighted or Centre mode, and Spot mode. Some camera brands or specific models have additional modes; for example Highlight-weighted, which is available on Nikon Z cameras and selected Nikon DSLRs, and Partial, which is specific to Canon. You’ll need to be shooting in Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Program mode to use all of these modes, as your camera’s auto and scene modes default to Matrix/Evaluative metering.