Should you use Spot Metering for Wildlife Photography?
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Janine highlights 3 REASONS why she doesn't particularly like using spot metering for WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY. Janine spends most of the year teaching her guests how to become better wildlife photographers. Which metering mode to use is a common question she is asked.
Metering modes can often be confusing for wildlife photographers. In this spot meter tutorial, she will explain why choosing spot metering for wildlife photography is not always the best solution.
Sabine made a great video all about Light metering which you can see here: • Metering For Wildlife ...
This is one of our many wildlife photography for beginners and wildlife photography tips videos.
Timeline:
0:01 Introduction to spot metering for wildlife photography
0:45 Spot metering on a hippo in the water
1:48 When the subject is not evenly exposed
6:52 When the meter and the focus arent linked
9:15 You must not eliminate exposure compensation
10:20 High and Low Key Images
11:20 Evaluative metering
11:40 Conclusion
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Janine is a Photo Host at Pangolin Photo Safaris in Botswana. If you are interested in joining her on a photo safari please visit www.pangolinphoto.com/safari-...
Welcome to our channel which is dedicated to the wonderful world of wildlife photography. We endeavour to load one new video every week featuring beginner to advanced photo skills, editing tutorials, hacks and gear reviews and all things nature photography. We are based in Northern Botswana in The Chobe National Park and we invite you to travel here, either virtually or physically, and we will do our very best to make you a better wildlife and nature photographer. Enjoy the channel.
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What metering mode do you use most?
Spot metering
Nikon Highlight-Weighed meter except for backlit or dark scenes is best. In the 2 scenarios I mentioned spot or matrix meter (more often spot)
I almost always use partial metering on my 7Dii
I generally use spot metering with both the EV lock and back button focusing. After about 40 years I can generally sense where the right level of tone is, so I lock the exposure, lock focus on the eye (or other critical object) and then recompose.
Where necessary I am quite happy to use the EV compensation dial quickly. I think a big part of doing this is to know the controls so one does not have to feel or look for the camera controls.
Personally I never focus and recompose. That is that the area you focused will not be in the same focal plane when you shoot and/or the subject may have moved before the shoot is taken. That technique is really flawed and usually leaves a lot of extra work in post.
Steve Perry came up with the same recommendations. He also suggested allocating a function button to spot metering ( using a Nikon D850). So 90% of the time use matrix metering and for those rare occasions quickly be able to change to spot metering.
I watched that from Perry too, good info, and I shoot with Nikon D850 most of the time.
Thanks Janine, a truly interesting and thoughtful VLOG that certainly made me think about my use of spot metering when shooting wildlife.
Hi John, thank you so much... let me know how it goes on your side! Cheers Janine
Thanks Janine, this confirms my experience. On our last trip to Ndutu, where we were photographing lionesses and their cubs in the trees, i had my metering on spot. The result was that the lions where spot on but I could not recover the blue sky through the tree in post. The next day I set my R3 on evaluative metering and had a much better result. I set my exposure compensation on the Quick control dial 2 and use it very intensively to adjust as needed, specially for creative shot.
Learned and reinforced the idea of spot metering. There is no other way like you said to either over expose or under depending upon low or high key situations.
Great Vlog, Interesting subject, I would have assumed that spot metering was the way to go, Brilliant advice, very much on point Thanks for sharing
Hey Tony, thanks so much for your feedback - quite frankly my advise is: never say never 😂 as it really depends on your individual workflow and especially gear. If you can link your focus point to your meter then it will make spot metering way more attractive. But I like to stick to evaluative at this stage. The new mirrorless generations coming out will change up our workflows tremendously anyway...... they will make a lot of things much easier.- kind regards Janine
Very informative. Thank you.
thank you, brilliant and kind as always!
Thank you so much Gosse, I really appreciate that - Janine
Thank you Janey this was very interesting and well demonstrated 👍
Hi May, thank you so much - I really appreciate it - cheers Janine
I generally use spot focus with evaluative metering. I don’t use the exposure compensation much and will try that when I have shots where the subject isn’t properly exposed. Thanks for the video!
Hi Gary, thanks so much for watching. Let me know how it goes with changing your EV in high contrast shots. best regards Janine
Started with Matrix (Nikon), worked through centre-weighted to spot metering, experienced all the frustrations of unexpected exposure that you have described, and have settled happily back to Matrix for the past 5 years or so. Much easier to learn what EV factors to use on Matrix, and faster to change to requirement, than to change between the different modes (bearing in mind I do this as a hobby, am not a professional like you guys....)
Hi Leon, it seems like you know exactly what I am trying to say in this tutorial. I went through the same process !!! Let's hope our experience will help other photographers safe time , effort, and frustration....greetings Janine
I use Matrix, Excellent Video lots of good knowledge imparted by a very intelligent, Beautiful Lady. Thank You.
Thanks for your insight and I will use these helpful suggestions in my next outing.
Hi Jon, so glad if it helped you.... happy shooting Janine
Yes it’s a great advice/reminder.
Thanks.
thanks so much
I use evaluative metering for wildlife with exposure compensation as need it. I once try spot metering for white birds but after some tests I decided to stick with evaluative. I enjoy your videos, keep it up!
Hi Sergio, thanks so much for following our channel. You have a very solid work flow and it will provide you with a great sense for light and contrast! - greetings Janine
Hi!. I would strongly recommend you to use Highlight Weighted Metering mode on pro Nikon bodies for clear and bright animals such like egrets. It´s amazing to use. Matrix metering is my common one but I have the highlights metering asigned to a custom button to switch quickly if bird is clear or the person is wearing a clear clothing. I also use it for landscape at the sunset. Regards from Spain.
Looking forward to it! Canon's Evaluative metering is excellent and more or less gets it right every time. I find it easier to leave the metering to Evaluative and if any correction is need, I can adjust the raw files in post production (LrC). I do the same with White Balance settings as it's one less thing to think about - especially if you frequently move to different lighting conditions.
Regards, Jeremy
Hi Jeremy, I really hope you enjoyed it. I do agree with you even though I do some fine adjustments in the camera as your dynamic range as well as your white and black range does have its limits, even on a raw file. I only really change my white balance when it comes to star photography. However, I must admit that the new mirrorless cameras with the electronic view finder will change the game as you the results right then and there... the constant reminder might change your work process... cheers Janine
Hi Janine, the game changer will be Canon’s mirrorless R1 camera body when it’s eventually released to replace the 1DX3. I’d love to bring that to the Chobe along with an RF400f2.8 mirrorless lens! God knows how much they’ll cost...
Until then, I’ll continue to use exposure compensation to prevent clipping as and when required with Eval metering.
Regards Jeremy
I have been using my new EOS R more and more and have been using Evaluative Mode mostly. With the mirrorless I can see the brightness in the finder and the screen. I have also turned on the histogram and can see that in the viewfinder too. For many of my wildlife images I also use Shutter priority or Aperture priority as that makes exposure compensation easier to do while looking through the viewfinder.
Hi Sophie, that is a great way to go about. Also note that you can easily use exposure compensation when you are on manual with automatic ISO - you can usually programme your set button to change exposure ... that way you can double function one of your wheels and have great control!
Yay, can't wait! 😊
Hope you enjoyed it....!
@@PangolinWildlife Yesss! 😊 Thanks!
Great video. Congrats
Very helpful. I always use evaluative metering on my Canon DSLR s apply exposure compensation, often while keeping glued to the viewfinder as I tend to know roughly what compensation is required in most scenes. I really want to try the Canon R5 both for the focus tracking and the real time compensation
Hi Howard, thanks so much - it seems like you didn't even need my tutorial. Your work flow is rock solid. But I totally agree with you that the new mirrorless generations will make it so much easier for us - I cannot wait to try it out - cheers Janine
For most of my wildlife and landscape photography I use matrix metering (Nikon) as it works best in most situations. Occasionally I switch to spot metering especially when there is a high contrast between my primary subject and the background.
Hi Alex, thanks so much for your input. This is the best way to approach it. I am often too lazy to switch metering modes so that I end up adjusting the EV instead. If your focus isn't centered it might just trick you despite the higher contrast. cheers Janine
I’m fairly new to photography, shoot a lot of sea shore birds, birds are often black or brown and white. Living in Southern California we have a lot of clear cloudless days. My problem, as I raise the exposure compensation for the dark bird/bright background I blow the whites and the reverse when I lower the EC. After watching your video I’ll pay mote attention to the meter mode. Canon 5D iv, 100-400mm ii
Many thanks. Opened my eyes and mind to being more creative
Hi Gerald, so glad you enjoyed this video - happy shooting Janine
Thank you very much for your great. Tutorial. I use spot metering with AE lock on Canon mirrorles camera. It's something I learned from theater photography and I have found out that it works, most of the time, good for animal's photography.
Hey, so glad that it does work well for you! If you leave your focus point in the centre it should generally yield great results. cheers Janine
I use spot metering with AE lock with my Canon 80D fairly often. Works when you can judge what area is close to 18 per cent gray, then meter it.
Great video Janine, it is tricky. For me, I change the metering mode based on the size of the subject in the viewfinder. Small bush birds which are hard to get close to get spot metering, anything which is larger usually get evaluative. The exposure compensation gets a workout though when I am in spot depending on how bright the subject is relative to the background. The scenario I find most awkward is a bid in flight against an overcast sky, very difficult to get a good photo. Thanks again for a very interesting video, Lachlan.
Hi Lachlan, I find that I get confused with how much EV compensation to apply when I keep on changing my metering. So I usually stick to one. With a bird in flight against the sky you would have to overexpose a lot on evaluative metering! cheers Janine
@@PangolinWildlife I have learnt some rules of thumb for the exposure compensation which work ok. Using the mirrorless cameras at work where one can see the effect live is cool though. Time to upgrade the 6D :).
Excellent advice yet again from the wildlife oracle's
🙂🙃🙂 thanks
The photo of the elephant is absolutely great. Great piece of art.
Thanks Harri.
For most of my widlife photography (so far) I generally have used a light meter, and then unless the light changes significantly, I just set it manually. I might stop every say 20 minutes or 30 minutes and re-check, but I don't usually mess with this much while shooting as the light doesn't change all that fast usually (except for maybe in low-light like at sunrise or sunset) but during the day I've found this to be the most effective, and also in less desireable lighting (shall we say) like overcast, this makes it easy as the overall lighting changes even less (in my experience) so I can usually shoot for an hour or so in these conditions without worrying about metering that much. But if I'm at a zoo, for example, and there are areas that are of different lighting (say a cage that's in shadow versus a field in sunlight, then I'll adjust my metering as needed (using the camera's meter) but for "open" wildlife, I don't mess around with it that much. More on sunny days than on overcast days.
Hi Ranier, you will be surprised how your light changes by the minute with us on the river due to shady river banks, water reflections and different coloured animals. This environment is a really good teacher....But I guess, this really depends on which conditions you generally shooting in. cheers Janine
Subscribed.
Hi Jenin,
My biggest concern has always been to protect the highlights. The metering modes you mentioned required me to keep tweaking them during the shoot, which kind of became a hassle for me and I used to loose good shots to over or under exposure quite often, i also ended up blaming my camera system sometimes. Ignorance is a bliss they say. Until I found out highlight-weighted metering . I use Nikon gear. Highlight-weighted metering protects my highlights and darks brilliantly. I dont worry about exposure compensation any more. My camera takes care of it brilliantly. I have not changed my metering since i switched to HL metering. There is a downside to it though. My camera does under expose often because of this and I end up opening the shadows in post which brings in quite a bit of noise in my shots. With new generation AI based NR software, that problem has almost gone away. So the choice I made is a balance between noise and protected highlights.
I do not know what is the highlight-weighted metering equivalent metering system in Canon or Sony; perhaps you could help us with that and also your thoughts on HL metering.
Cheers,
Imtiyaz
Hi Imtiyaz, that is some great advise and as I am not shooting Nikon regularly enough something I wasn't too familiar with. I will need to discuss that with Danielle as well. Thank you so much. We have centere-weighted metering but no such equivalent as HL metering. I will need to check it out further... cheers
Great tips, i have noted and will use in my wildlife photography. Thank you very much.
New Delhi, India.
Hi, I am so glad it works for you - greetings from Botswana Janine
Spot metering allows the photographer the most control of your exposure. It does one thing it turns one item into a neutral grey. Every histogram is comprised of five boxes from 0 on the left total black 128 midtone 18%grey in the center and 255 total white on the right. And each box in a canon cameras histogram has one and a third stops. With nikon it is one and two thirds stops of light. So knowing this i use the RGB histogram and spot metering in manual mode for all my photography. If iam metering a white egrets feathers I know its roughly two stops or three click ot turns of my dials to midtone. So I must add two stops of light. Unless my subject is in flat soft light then I must add two and a half stops(roughly). So I overexpose this much from my meter recommendation. Check my RGB histogram and make any adjustments to get a exposure to the right. For whites must be in the last box to the right. Midtone in the center and blacks in the left. Buy no clipping of your main subject is a bonus. Extreme highlights are exceptable like reflected highlights in water or off of shiny objects. Black with detail like fur on a black bear requires underexposing by two to two and a half stops from your metered reading for a correct exposure. And metering a midtone requires little too no compensation. I never use automatic settings of any type in my photography , shutter, aperture or iso. Nor do I trust nothing but my spot metering method. Unless I use my handheld sekonic 380 incident meter. Then I just take my meter reading from the same light thats hitting my subject and set accordingly. Easy as one two three. All other camera metering methods rely on preset algorithms and spot metering does that one thing that I as the photographer can control 100% of the time.
I have started using matrix metering mode mostly now , been shooting a lot of Rabbits and cats to help get them adopted, and as they don’t tend to sit still 🤣..I find that spot metering is hard to use as the subject is constantly moving , which can cause problems like you said as a lot of the bunnies and cats are black and white..ps great tips there 😁
Well explained, thanks 😊
Hi, so glad it assisted you - cheers Janine
Great video....love the giraffe on your laptop :)
Hi Andrew - thanks so much 🙂🙃🙂 we need things in our lifes that make us smile 😉
Thanks Janine, this is once again a very interesting video.So far I only used spot metering on leopard heads at night but I loved the spot metering on the squirrel picture resulting in a very dark background. How do you link spot metering on AF point on a Canon R5.?
A+ TY!!! Spot ONLY for single color/luminosity subjects...ex; Great White Egret. Otherwise, evaluative w/ EC is best for me.
Hi Matt, you are quite right - I am really impressed though, that you remember to change your meter ever time.... I do forget and stick to the exposure compensation therefore. But your workflow is "spot on" 🙂🙃🙂 - cheers Janine
hi Janine, i use always Spotmetering, but always make a little +/- compensation.If the subject is in the sky- +2 if its to the ground -1.(use functionbutton for faster control) (Body 1dx2 ). With the R6 you have always direct control, you see imideatly how you need to compensate and the eye-af works well with the spot.
nice regards, and thank you for your video ;)
Hey Ho, I am glad spot metering seems to work for you. However, unless you want to achieve extreme exposures such as a high key image you shouldn't have to compensate much on spot metering. (I am curious, have you linked your meter to your focus point?) - Yes the new mirrorless generations will make all of our workflows so much easier.... the focus is pretty mind blowing. - greetins Janine
@@PangolinWildlife Yes Janine the focus is on the spot! a very helpfull tool on my Body! iso auto at least 1/1000s ( moving subjekts also faster) and lens open for blurring out background...most of the time it works😇🦉🦎🦌 its good to see how other Photographers do i will try yours too and look how it works( i will tell you if you like) greetings Guido
The Canon R5 and perhaps other mirrorless cameras permit enabling "Exposure Simulation" either continuously or after pressing the Depth-of-Field preview button. This can be useful to assess in real time the effect of adding exposure compensation. A bonus is that use of this setting reduces the likelihood of leaving exposure compensation set inadvertently when you no longer intend to use it. Sometimes, Exposure Simulation will make the viewfinder too bright or dark, so I added this item to one of my Custom Menu panels so that it can be quickly turned on or off as the situation warrants.
Hi Arthur, so great to hear from you. How are you doing in these crazy times? You are absolutely right! The new mirrorless technology makes assessing your exposure so much easier and I was so impressed by the speed of the view finder of the R5... what are you shooting with at this stage? best regards Janine
@@PangolinWildlife Hi Janine. Good to hear from you as well. No travel opportunities lately, of course, but have been hanging out at the neighborhood lake which is visited near daily in winter by a bald eagle and has resident great blue herons and two species of hawk. Even a kingfisher. Can't get as close as we could on Pangolin's houseboat, and it's hardly the Chobe, but it does allow me to get the cameras out of the cupboard. Good opportunity to gain familiarity with new R5 and 1DXIII. Traded in the 5D4 and 5DS. Still hoping to get to Kasane for the Contest trip.
I tend to use Ansel Adams zone system with a spot meter but knowing several exposures off the cuff like sunny 16 and identifying a middle grey color in the frame can also suffice
I liked and subscribed.
I am just starting to try Matrix metering for Wildlife & Landscapes after watching an earlier vid from Pangolin on it, Before that it was spot metering & spot focus with Auto WB & Auto ISO in Manual. Thanks for the vid.
Hey Ted, that is a huge step. I am really proud of you for trying.... the Auto ISO in manual works like a charm together with the spot focus... but if you do shoot on AI Servo or Continuous Focus you will probably have to shift the focus point some time and then it can become an issue depending on the gear! - cheers Janine
@@PangolinWildlife Thanks. I don't think its a huge step. Just have to play around & see what works. When I purchased my set up in spring 2016, I took a couple of shots in the Nikon P mode. Looked at the shutter , aperture & ISO to get an idea of a starting point. Put it in manual, spot metering & spot focus & never took it off. After reading on some forums & watching some wildlife vids , I changed the WB & ISO to auto. After all that is what the computers in the new cameras are for. Last fall I played around with Matrix metering & I switch between that & spot depending. I tried going off single point focus but was shooting small back yard birds in tree cover & went back to spot. The D810 was hunting all over the place not being in single point focus. The D810 is bad enough in low light areas by itself & needs no help using a wider focusing area. If I get for larger birds in open well litt areas I'll try some group & dynamic area focus again. Thanks for replying , Enjoy Pangolin's vids.
Hello, thanks for the video. Most the time I use evaluative metering on my Canon cameras because it delivers 90 per cent spot on values. When using the manual metering mode I often prefer selective metering. I rarely use spot metering , only when actors on a stage in front of a very dark background are in the frame it is useful for me (then also with "M"). Short hint: Canons DPP software shows all the active and non active AF points. Does no one use this software? After several updates it is able to do a lot of things but it seems noone knows it.
Great stuff.
Thank you so much Philip - cheers Janine
By far one of the best metering tutorials. One question Janine. Does it matter which metering to pick if you are on full Manual mode? I always though metering is effective with manual with auto ISO or other settings. In other words, if in full manual, what does the camera change to achieve required exposures with each different exposure metering setting. Thank you for all the useful contents.
Hi Mohsen, thank you so much for your feedback. Your metering mode will also be relevant in full manual. The reason being is that it basically is your cameras way of telling you how much light is out there in front of the lens. So even in full manual you will adjust your settings (namely: aperture, shutter and the ISO) according to the light meter values to achieve the exposure you desire and they will differ depending on your light metering mode. I hope this made sense - kind regards Janine
thank you for your kindness of your answer, even with a duplicator and a cropped 200mm camera, but my idea will be the 6D body and the sigma or tarom 150 / 600mm they say? It will always be better than the 200mm loll I like watching your videos, thanks
thank you very much
Hi Noam, so glad you enjoyed it. You are most welcome - cheers Janine
Santa delivered to me the Canon EOS R5 and the 100-500 lens for Christmas. The eye focus is a game changer, I went down to the pond and photographed some ducks, once you have the focus point near the head, the eye focus will lock onto the eye and follow it even when the duck is moving. Plus with the mirrorless, you can see how the picture will be exposed before you take the picture. You can even display the histogram in the viewfinder before you take the picture.
Hi Bill, what a fantastic Christmas present. We are just busy putting those cameras through all their paces to be able to give you even better advise so please stay tuned. However, keep in mind that only the 1Dx series can link the meter to the autofocus at this stage... cheers Janine
Hi, I entirely agree that getting it as near 'right' in camera is the best way. But how about those cameras where raw can be used? Much more flexibility to modify things afterwards in post - takes a lot of time of course - but Lightroom or Photoshop can work wonders on a once in a life time 'not quite right' shot. BobUK.
Canon R5 best is evaluative spot metering for me so far.
Thanks for another great tutorial. Sorry to be pedantic but for reason 2, it's focus not "foucs"!
Hi Ben, thanks so much for pointing it out. You are quite right!!!
great
i don;t know what camera system are you using but on my nikon spot metering works for whatever focus point is selected (center or side ones).
I use Matrix on a Canon EOS RP. My EVF shows my exposure of the picture. What you see is what you get mostly. I certainly use my light meter and I do use exposure compensation in certain scenes and subjects.
I’ll use spot metering when I’m trying to get an idea of the light but not while I’m on a subject. If I’m shooting hawks I’ll meter off something I think is about the same brightness then set that ISO and leave it with the shutter and aperture I want for that picture.
Hi Chris, this sounds like a really solid and great work flow. Well done! I usually use an automatic ISO to save me some time for the action shots on manual. That also allows for easy adjustment of your EV. cheers Janine
@@PangolinWildlife I should have added that yes I do use auto ISO if I’m using a exposure compensation for action shots. And thanks for replying!
@@chrisschindler7634 hey... that is awesome! Have fun shooting!!!
I am beginer i will try spot m.
I usually spot meter on the grass, rock, or something similar that gives you that neutral grey.
Hi Steve, that is great way to go about it. I must admit that I rarely have the time to lock my exposure on a neutral subject first which is why I skip it entirely. cheers Janine
I'm with you Steve. Spot meter on a known value that is in the light of your shot and your good. The only time I venture into averaging or evaluative is when moving to a Av/Tv exposure mode for things that are in and out of wildly varying light. With spot metering I find I get much more accurate metering and have to think about it less. Granted, now shooting mirrorless, its very easy to get it right with a histogram in viewfinder.
My cameras are Pentax APS-C cameras a K70 and a K3-11 both 24 megapixel one with 11focus points on the K70 and 24 focus points on the K3-11. In wildlife I set the camera to continous focus matrix metering F-11 Apature priority so i know the picture is in focus. In landscape photography I set the cameras on single focus Apature Priority F-11again so I know the picture is in focus. If hand held i use Pentax IBIS to stabilize the picture. The problem with compensation is in wildlife I find I don't have time compensate. In landscape usually I have time to adjust setting
Hi, yes finding the time is the most tricky part of it all. It really is just a matter of practice and setting up your camera in a handy way. Try a lower F stop with wildlife photography to achieve these amazing depth of fields and maybe a faster shutter speed on aperture priority... remember you will need the light you take away from you aperture rather for creating a sharp image.... cheers Janine
Generally matrix, but if shooting bald eagles or other white birds, I like highlight weighted metering. I can tolerate some noise in the dark parts of the bird, but you just cannot blow out white highlights on the bird’s head or tail. Would also add that for anyone shooting Nikon, spot metering follows the focus point even if not in the center.
Hi Chad, thanks os much for your advise - does that hold for every single Nikon body (doesn't that mean that you would need a separate metering sensor in each camera)? You seem to have a great work flow going on - I am just simply too lazy (or forget) to swap between metering modes which is the reason I adopted changing my EV accordingly But I find the new mirrorless generations will make our work flow so much easier anyway in that regard - cheers Janine
Every “modern” Nikon body, yes. I suppose “modern” is last 10 years or so? The D300s was this way, as was my old D3100 (both >10 yrs old). Not always a good thing, as you have to lock exposure and recompose if you want to separate the two. I like your advice about just changing the EV in the heat of the moment, especially with the EVF on mirrorless bodies. Continue to enjoy and appreciate your work here.
I think maybe carry a light meter that’s calibrated to your camera (and then calibrate your camera to your light meter reading) and get the actual ambient light exposure proper like the human eye and not let the camera try and figure it out. Maybe you could even use manual mode with auto iso, and eye autofocus/meter once the camera is calibrated to the meter reading that was calibrated to the camera. Then post production any shadows you don’t like in post.
Hi Janine,
Thanks for such an insightful video and for bringing a different perspective for metering modes. I usually use Evaluative metering and wanted to dabble into spot metering for creative use.
I have recently shifted to Canon R6 and have a question for you. Can I link metering to the focus point on Canon R6?
Thanks in advance!
Unfortunately, spot metering following the focus point is currently only available on the 1Dx series I believe. Enjoy your shooting Janine
I just bought an R5 so I will have a look to see if this is available on this model. Thanks for the video.
Great video. Very helpful. How do you spell focus.
Hi Terry, thanks so much - I think there was a typo somewhere... I am sorry for that. cheers Janine
not in anytime it to used for example it is used with white birds, it the best for me And I usually a lot use the matrix metering with colorful birds, thanks to your idea
Hi, yes there is definitely a time and place for it. I am just simply too lazy to change my metering mode and rather use EV consistently...
@@PangolinWildlife @ I wish you good luck with your work. This is all the appreciation for you
It's horses for courses. Practice with different settings and see what works best for you.
if you have an old film camera, try comparing its spot meter readings
to that of DSLR.
i FOUND that its rather big difference although its still the same 3deg spot.
I feel the modern DSLR is too clever and is actually a matrix reading, ie combination of spot and its surrounding.
HI Vike, unfortunately I don't... but I found that different DSLR bodies cover different sized areas. Some less than five percent and some much more... cheers
Spot metering is like one spot AF: it has its uses in certain situations. Even in wildlife photography. I normally use Evaluative metering (Canon) but do find spot metering comes in handy now and then.
You are so right... it definitely has it's uses - especially in back lit scenarios. I am personally just to lazy to shift my metering modes and rather compensate with the EV. - cheers Janine
@@PangolinWildlife I know that feeling! Changing settings can be a pain at times. Especially with uncooperative little bids!
Hi Janine. Good video 👌 sorry 2 questions 😉
In a very cloud day (gray day) what metring you advice for take a photo a bird in tree branches?
You advice some credible website to buy used lens? Thanks regards
Hi Joao, thanks for watching. Unfortunately, I cannot advise you an ideal website for used lenses. Accredited camera stores would usually be the best to ensure quality but also demand a mark up. If you have an overcast day you would always have to overexpose birds that sit against the sky or alternatively use spot metering (but with the focus in the middle if it doesn't shift) - cheers Janine
PhotographyThanks a lot Janine. Best regards
How do I upload my pictures to composition in color. Please Help! Baroness Danuté Féderas
Thanks. I use spot metering and sometimes thought what went wrong. I would try with Evaluate metering.
I would love to know what focusing mode should be used for flying birds- Auto or Manual focus. I use Manual focus, Back button focussing and many a times the bird goes out off focus.
HI Subit, do you use Manual focus with the ring? I could not imagine one being fast enough to catch a bird in flight like that. Do not use auto tracking unless you work with the newest Sony or Canon mirrorless cameras. I usually use one single focus point or maybe 9 focus points when trying to pick a bird in the sky! cheers Janine
Thanks Janine for your message. I use single point focus point. Yes, auto tracking of flying birds are becoming impossible with Canon 80D.
I assume I have to keep my back button pressed for continuous tracking. I would love to have a video on this subject, if possible from your end. You can share the link if you already have a video on the subject. Thanks once again. State safe
Janine, a little off topic, but I have seen this disc shaped object with an orange rim tied to the camera strap connector, 8:03 in this video, in other videos. What is it? Thanks. Enjoy your tips -n- techniques.
Hi Michael, I am glad it is working for you. I attach my camera strap via these little disks ... I don't like it on all the time and it is an easy way to attach it quickly.... cheers Janine
Nikon Highlight-Weighed meter except for backlit or dark scenes.
Hi Eric, I have heard that in a comment earlier and I am definitely going to check that out. It seems to be really really great. I don't think we have an equivalent. - cheers Janine
I wonder why you have specifically mentioned the “Canon” mirrorless cameras. Is there something special in these, comparing to other mirrorless systems? I’m not a fun of any brand but I’m curious if there are some specific technology advancements. Thank you!
I’ve forgot to mention that video was great. Some small issues with audio levels but content and you are great :-)
I’m using your tips for kids sport photography which has something from wildlife...
Hey, thanks so much for watching my video. I am so glad you enjoyed it... yes, we are still learning with the sound and are looking forward to some new gear coming into the country. The reason I mentioned Canon is because it was the latest releases at the time I made the video and therefore the newest technology at that stage.... 🙂🙃🙂 cheers Janine
I think it is because the lady uses Cannon. I watched a good video and it demonstrated that the mirrorless Cannon cannot remember if it was the r5 or 6 was better than Nikon z7 ii at getting the focus right at greater distances and it was using birds in flight to demonstrate. However, the Z7 ii was still very good and for the bodies alone about £1000 (UK sterling) cheaper than the Cannon. In short, the Cannon certainly has better autofocus as we are continually told that Nikon is way behind in that department, in their mirrorless cameras. I am a Nikon user and soon to upgrade my cameras so have been doing a lot of research. One more important point is that Nikon do not yet have the long focal length new mirrorless lenses needed 500,600mm for the Z cameras whereas Cannon do for their mirrorless.
Agreed- Spot metering should be left to the expert/professional photographers...
Good audio today! Thanks for all your hard work! (edit...when you don't overlay music over your voice :/)
Noted! Thank you.
Mem,
I’m using spot metaring,
Iam using canon 1dx mark ll and 1dx mark lll
HI Chungba, with the 1Dx series you can link the spot meter to the focus point which is great. - cheers Janine
I use Nikon's Proven over 45 yrs Matrix Metering and Manual everything including ISO
I actually also manually focus and use that double ring thingy for manual aperture, I photograph bif this way , usually I get as many shots as 2 per decade, it's fun. artistic. and gives me control over everything. I do not trust electronics, it ruins the experience as well. I am already working on a switch that will allow me to control shutter blades manually with just a bit of speed penalty. some day I hope I can move up to writing down pixel voltages on a piece of paper and then framing the paper, ditching cameras altogether.
Hi Peter, it is a well proven method. One just constantly needs to adjust for the subject matter in the frame... it is my work flow too and so far haven't found a better solution for consistent results - greetings Janine
Wow, I am really impressed Martin... this is a hugely creative process and a completely diffrent way to approach photography... I love it. In wildlife and action photography probably very difficult though...! cheers Janine
Let's face it, digital is easy. you can get away with almost anything as long as your dont blow the highlights, digital holds soo01011010oooo much data in shadows that can be pulled out in post. I like to spot meter first and decide my exposure, then compare to evaluative out of curiosity.
For a long time I thought I couldn't even use Spot Metering on my 7D Mark II, because the icon on the LCD screen includes an exclamation point (!), which made me think that Spot Metering was not a choice on this Canon model. So is the exclamation point kind of a warning that you shouldn't use Spot Metering, or just what is the practical purpose of displaying the exclamation point in this metering mode?
I believe it is usually a sign that your white balance has been shifted manually... but I would need to see a screen shot to tell for sure - cheers Janine
You can configure the camera to display the exclamation point if any one of half a dozen different situations or turn it off if you prefer. It's there to let you know you've selected an option that you might not otherwise notice. Check out the Viewfinder Display menu option.
@@jrd33 Thanks for pointing this out. I went into that menu option just now and discovered that the exclamation point is turned on for Spot Metering, but not for any of the other Viewfinder Warnings. I bought the camera new, not used, and I've never been in that menu option before, so the Spot Metering warning must have been turned on by default as a factory setting.
And if THAT is the case, that makes me wonder why Canon only turned on this warning by default. The User Manual for the 7D Mark II only says: "When Spot metering is set, you can display in the viewfinder and on the LCD panel." And there is this cross-referenced comment later in the manual: "If the metering mode is set to [Spot metering], the warning icon will appear."
But the manual offers no explanation, discussion, or rationale that I can find regarding why you should or shouldn't use any of the warnings.
So after re-watching Janine's video, I've concluded that Canon, like Janine, is warning you that maybe you shouldn't use Spot Metering in most cases.
@@LittleBurchie I would view it as a "don't use this unless you know what you're doing" rather than a "don't do it at all". The fact that the spot metering is not linked to the focus point is certainly not what most beginners would expect! Must admit I've never used spot focus, there's already more to think about when taking a photo than I can manage...
Center Weighted
You always have the best earrings lol
😂 glad you notice Rob - it is a little obsession of mine as I just get to wear uniform otherwise.... - cheers Janine
great video a typo at 6:33 though
HI Carl, thanks for the tip... really appreciate it! cheers Janine
On what mode metering mode works
Hi Ketan, please check out our other video on metering as well ruclips.net/video/rISe0Yg08Ns/видео.html as it will go into more depth regarding other potential metering modes! - cheers Janine
Thanks, can i have more winking please. You maybe Irish. Love from Philly
😂😂😂 Hi Duke, so funny - I have had people tell me that before - that I wink a lot - I guess I just never really notice - my face has its own agenda - greetings Janine 😉
Spot metering is fine if you subject is 18% gray in even lighting. Good luck with that.
😂 ... it does have its' uses but I am simply to lazy to change my metering mode. I rather use my EV compensation - cheers Janine
great info but really annoying music inbetween.
Get yourself a mirrorless camera so you can see what you're getting :-)
Hi Peter, I am busy testing them at the moment and they are fantastic. Busy saving at this stage... 2020 wasn't particularly kind. However, if you do shoot on a daily basis, your brain does a very similar job. Cheers Janine
@@PangolinWildlife We'd hoped to be with you next month, but it is not going to happen because getting there is impossible. Here's hoping for a bit of normality!