Excellent explanation of light meter modes. Once again I am very impressed with the quality of Pangolin videos! Not only are they free they are often superior to those that cost money! Like the speaker I tend to use Manual Mode>Auto ISO>Matrix Metering nearly all the time with my Nikon500 DLSR. Based upon the results displayed on the histogram I then add or subtract exposure with the exposure compensation feature. The key to getting exposure correct with a DSLR is paying attention to the histogram and exposing as far to the right as possible without burning the highlights. This records the most picture data and allows the most flexibility in post processing.
Always spot metering for wildlife & Landscape. After the vid & reading the comments I'll have to try some evaluative metering. Thanks for putting this up.
Hi, Sabine, For perched birds I typically use spot metering and then in post processing crop for my rule of thirds composition. I assigned this setting and others to the custom one dial setting. For flying birds with the sky behind them I make the bold assumption that the bird will usually be darker then the sky and so I switch to evaluative mode and set my exposure compensation to plus one. I assign those settings and more to the custom two dial settings, and will change the exposure compensation as needed for a bright white bird. Thank you for another nicely organized and well presented lesson!
Yes you're correct in all you have said in this tutorial. I generally set my camera for evaluative metering and have a quick access for spot metering on hand if required or exposure compensation. Great tutorials. Keep up the good work . Hopefully I'll book my first safari trip with your company very soon. 😊
Wow!! I frankly would say that you have explained it pretty nicely. Till now i was having confusion and gone through videos of various instructors but no one have explained it you this much detailedly and technical aspects like autofocus percentage calculation..
Spot metering works great for totally static subjects. And if that is all you’re shooting it works the best. But if anything moves it’s hard to keep it in place. So I agree that Evaluative is the best way to go. And, of course, exposure compensation. I enjoy your videos very much.
Thank you so much for this video. You covered everything I needed to know about metering. A lot of the time, I will use Spot metering for my bird photography. I pretty much only use spot or Multi on my Sony a6400.
Wonderful, without doubt, the best presentation on Metering that i have had the pleasure to watch, listen to and most importantly learn from. Excellent work Sabine, thank-you . .Bruce Terrill Australia
Thank you Sabine. I use a Canon 5D Mk III. I use mostly Evaluative but sometime the others. I have been out with Pangolin on the Chobe Rivera few years ago. Great experience.
Matrix metering, have tried each one for extended periods after advice from various professionals, have gone full circle and using virtually only Matrix with exposure compensation again.
Hello Sabine, This is a very informative and well produced video on the subject. My preferred metering mode is Matrix ( I am a Nikon shooter ). Looking forward to viewing many more videos from Pangolin Safaris.
I am a Nature photographer, shooting mostly static subjects, and spot-metering is my go-to mode. Meter on the subject highlights, and let the shadows go.
Again a great tutorial...i don’t think you guys know how super amazing your tutorials are and not just for wildlife photographers...Thank you for sharing
Mostly matrix , but in contrast situation spot metering works great. In static condition spot metering is easy where to focus but for moving subject it is tough to spot on. Great discussion, thank you.
I like to use full manual metering in the evaluative mode. I’ve just gotten used to thinking how the meter sees the world and I look at overall tones. Great informative video! Thanks 😊
Thank you. I agree 100%. I've been teaching the use of Evaluative Metering (only) with Exposure Compensation for years. By using one metering mode you will learn to quickly evaluate any scene and know exactly how much Exposure Compensation will be needed. Too many other things to think about to be worrying about which metering mode to use. Also, with super-telephoto lens, I shot 90% AV, either wide open or stopping down 1 stop if the lighting permits. If the lighting is consistent on the subject with an ever-changing background I switch to Manual exposure.
Very nice vid ! I rest in evaluative mode in Av. And in spot in M mode (without auto iso). Dont forget to use mémorisation. Of course in spot but also in evaluative or center average
Hello Sabine, Thank you for the tutorial. My Nikon has Highlight metering? I mostly use matrix, especially for my wildlife then use my exposure compensation only when needed.
EV mode I use 95% of the time for Wildlife and in manual mode so I can do the trick below. It is kind of doing the Brenizer Method or a Pano to have more resolution when cropping. If you tend to use or shoot a subject in the center of the frame then crop in post try this instead for none moving wildlife, Take the centered shot, depending on where you really want to have the subject in the frame, overlap 1/3 and take another 1 or more images so you can stitch them together and have lossless or more resolution than a single image uncropped from your camera.
Excellent video as ,as well as the technical stuff, this is practical help highlighting what works best in different situations. Personally, I started out a few years ago using centre weighted average on my Canon camera, but soon changed to evaluative and spot metering depending on the situation in front of me. Thanks
I usually use Evaluative for most action shots, but if I’m shooting night sports, (like HS football with variable light) I tend to go with Spot metering more. I find that it helps with the shadows a lot more as evaluative can get faked out with the really dark backgrounds. In terms of composition, I’ll hit it with a slight crop just to position the subject where I want.
I never let my built in light meter of my camera dictate me my exposure. I use almost systematically manual mode and Spotmetering (using built in spotmeter or my Pentax V spotmeter). Meter from a middle tone on the subject, or in the vicinity (then recompose), or shooter another tonality and compensate.
I was hoping I could get information from you on the adjustable tripod type set up you have? I’m disabled and it looks like it moves pretty freely for you which may help me a great amount. Thank you for any help.
Thank you! I am since last year returning to "real" cameras. My old "real" camera is an Olympus OM-2n (film). I now have a Panasonic GH5 that is extremely capable.... My old knowledge is to some help as I understand the "three". Luckily I am IT, so I can understand menu systems... Again, thank you for doing very good videos, I'm a new subscriber and maybe, maybe will sit on your boat!
My Panasonic G9 had a recent firmware update & Highlight Weighted metering mode was added. Have you had an opportunity to use this. I have the 3 you talked about but this Highlight Weighted I have yet to find info on. Enjoy your groups instructional videos.
Hi Sabine, Made me to switch to Matrix Metering on my D850. However, I'm still wondering about the use of Focus Points, with Continous or Still focus... Thanks a lot for this very useful tutorial.
Hi big fan of your channel... please clarify if 5D Mark IV has an option of selective spot metering based on the focus point..... If yes would appreciate it if you can make a video particularly covering this scenario. Thank you so much for making such excellent and practical videos.
Hi Sabine Which metering mode would you recommend for black and white rabbits ? Which are in a very low light room ..ps I will be very close to them with a 50mm lens 😁
I photograph mainly birds of various sizes and kinds and mostly use spot metering, it allows me to really highlight the subject. I use matrix for birds in flight or if the subject fills the frame.
Very nice. I think it might be dead on for Canon, not quite perfect for my Nikon. An early mention of the benefits of shooting in RAW to give yourself more of a chance to correct in post processing would have been good. Wildlife scenes change rapidly, hence the need to practice a lot well before going to Chobe. I thought I had done so way back in 2008, and Matrix metering did a great job even with a D80, but I could have done better with videos like these and some personal thoughtful practice. You did mention to read the camera’s manual. It’s hard even for me, and I like reading manuals. Slowly, a few pages a day, some web searches, and soon you learn a lot.
Spot metering and I always use center focus points and keep the subject centered. I can worry about composition in post. Fast moving wildlife does leave much time to play around. If my subjected exposed correctly the rest is less important.
Hi Sabine. Thanks for your explanation and knowledge transfer. I am a simple amateur photographer of wildlife and if possible I would like to have your advice on which is the best metring mod to photograph birds in the middle of the branches and / or on very cloudy (gray) days. Thanks Best regards
Hi Joao. Thank you for watching. As explained in the video I personally prefer shooting on evaluative metering and use exposure compensation when needed as I feel the room for error is less than using spot metering. However if you couldn't be bothered with changing your exposure compensation all the time, the scenarios you mentioned can work with spot metering, given that you have the bird exactly where the spot metering takes place. Hope this helps ;) - Sabine
Hi there. Thank you for watching! If you are happy with the results you get by using spot metering by all means stick to it. I just personally had a lot of heavily over or underexposed images that way and prefer a more global light meter mode like evaluative. And in addition I can quickly use EV to correct the exposure if needed. If you use spot metering and EV with it that is also fine of course. Whatever works for you ;)
In one of the videos, I remember that you provide Sigma 150-600mm lenses to your guests. Do you have a review of that lens on your channel? I tried searching, and didn't find anything particular..
How would you recommend setting up image playback settings on a Nikon camera so that I don’t have to get out of position to check how my images have turned out before I keep clicking further?
I typically don't give ISO much consideration as I shoot manual with Auto ISO for my bird photography. I'm much more concerned with action, pose, and background than how noisy a shot might be. With today's noise reduction software it almost doesn't matter. Composition, sharpness, and action are what viewers notice. Not dynamic range. Nobody is going to chose a technically perfect by boring image over one that captures action or unique behaviour but might be a little noisy.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
So what is your preferred metering mode?
You re so smart! 😚
Spot Metering!
Such a great tutorial. I often use spot, then take a picture and adjust my settings!
Usually spot metering for wildlife and matrix metering for landscapes.
For birds against bright sky I tend to use spot metering. all the rest evaluative metering.
Thanks!
Excellent explanation of light meter modes. Once again I am very impressed with the quality of Pangolin videos! Not only are they free they are often superior to those that cost money! Like the speaker I tend to use Manual Mode>Auto ISO>Matrix Metering nearly all the time with my Nikon500 DLSR. Based upon the results displayed on the histogram I then add or subtract exposure with the exposure compensation feature. The key to getting exposure correct with a DSLR is paying attention to the histogram and exposing as far to the right as possible without burning the highlights. This records the most picture data and allows the most flexibility in post processing.
Always spot metering for wildlife & Landscape. After the vid & reading the comments I'll have to try some evaluative metering. Thanks for putting this up.
Hi, Sabine,
For perched birds I typically use spot metering and then in post processing crop for my rule of thirds composition. I assigned this setting and others to the custom one dial setting.
For flying birds with the sky behind them I make the bold assumption that the bird will usually be darker then the sky and so I switch to evaluative mode and set my exposure compensation to plus one. I assign those settings and more to the custom two dial settings, and will change the exposure compensation as needed for a bright white bird.
Thank you for another nicely organized and well presented lesson!
Hi Den. Thank you very much for your input! I am sure other viewers will appreciate your advise :)
Yes you're correct in all you have said in this tutorial. I generally set my camera for evaluative metering and have a quick access for spot metering on hand if required or exposure compensation. Great tutorials. Keep up the good work . Hopefully I'll book my first safari trip with your company very soon. 😊
Wow!! I frankly would say that you have explained it pretty nicely. Till now i was having confusion and gone through videos of various instructors but no one have explained it you this much detailedly and technical aspects like autofocus percentage calculation..
I finally understand after all these years - Thanks!
E' da poco che seguo i tuoi video e devo ammettere che sto trovando cose molto interessanti, una vera Maestra. Grazie.
Spot metering works great for totally static subjects. And if that is all you’re shooting it works the best. But if anything moves it’s hard to keep it in place. So I agree that Evaluative is the best way to go. And, of course, exposure compensation.
I enjoy your videos very much.
Hi Alan. Thank you very much for watching and give your feedback on metering modes!
Thank you so much for this video. You covered everything I needed to know about metering. A lot of the time, I will use Spot metering for my bird photography. I pretty much only use spot or Multi on my Sony a6400.
Wonderful, without doubt, the best presentation on Metering that i have had the pleasure to watch, listen to and most importantly learn from. Excellent work Sabine, thank-you . .Bruce Terrill Australia
Many thanks!
Thank you
Nikon coolpix p510. Looks great
Informative and useful video. Thank you for the video.
Thank you!
Another great video Sabine with some great tips
Thank you Richard :)
Thank you Sabine. I use a Canon 5D Mk III. I use mostly Evaluative but sometime the others. I have been out with Pangolin on the Chobe Rivera few years ago. Great experience.
Hi Tyran. Thanks for watching and hopefully we'll see you back in Chobe sometime :)
Great video Thx
Thanks for the info Sabine, much appreciated
Matrix metering, have tried each one for extended periods after advice from various professionals, have gone full circle and using virtually only Matrix with exposure compensation again.
Hi Leon. Thanks for your feedback...same as me then :)
I often overlook this very important subject. This helped me a lot, Thank-you!
Thank You! Very useful and informative!
Glad it was helpful!
Hello Sabine,
This is a very informative and well produced video on the subject. My preferred metering mode is Matrix ( I am a Nikon shooter ). Looking forward to viewing many more videos from Pangolin Safaris.
Thank you very much! There will be more soon :)
Great tutorial for beginners like me. Thanks.
Glad I could help, thank you for commenting ;) -Sabine
Good description of the application of the various metering modes. Thanks
I am a Nature photographer, shooting mostly static subjects, and spot-metering is my go-to mode. Meter on the subject highlights, and let the shadows go.
Hi Vladis. Thank you for your feedback :)
That was the best explanation of the light metering modes I've ever heard! Great video. Thanks!
Awesome, thank you!
Such a smart presentation. Thanks
Glad you think so!
Again a great tutorial...i don’t think you guys know how super amazing your tutorials are and not just for wildlife photographers...Thank you for sharing
Glad you found us.
Perfect as always. Clear and well prepared explanations, great. Thank you so much for all your awesome work!
You're very welcome!
Przyroda potrafi zaskakiwać pięknymi i ciekawymi spotkaniami. Brawo. Pozdrawiam serdecznie Rafał 👍🌲
Thanks Sabine. As always, very informative.
Thank you Dave!
Glad it was helpful!
Very useful
Awesome, thanks so much!
Thank you for this great information
You are welcome and thank you very much for watching!
Mostly matrix , but in contrast situation spot metering works great. In static condition spot metering is easy where to focus but for moving subject it is tough to spot on. Great discussion, thank you.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you!. 🤍🇨🇦
brilliant as usual Sabine.
Thank you very much!
Awesome instructions 👌
Thankyou I find your videos very informative and helpful.
Great tutorial
Glad you think so!
Wow!! Very informative video !! Thanks for sharing 👍
I like to use full manual metering in the evaluative mode. I’ve just gotten used to thinking how the meter sees the world and I look at overall tones. Great informative video! Thanks 😊
Yes, I use manual settings as well and dial in the over/ under exposure as the scene dictates using the meter while composing.
I used the evaluative mode for most of time in photography but I preferred spot metering mode in extreme lighting!
Thank you for your input on the topic, much appreciated!
Another excellent tutorial !!!
Thank you very much!
Perfect timing. Thanks for taking the time to do and share the tutorial.
Thank you Steve :)
Thank you. I agree 100%. I've been teaching the use of Evaluative Metering (only) with Exposure Compensation for years. By using one metering mode you will learn to quickly evaluate any scene and know exactly how much Exposure Compensation will be needed. Too many other things to think about to be worrying about which metering mode to use. Also, with super-telephoto lens, I shot 90% AV, either wide open or stopping down 1 stop if the lighting permits. If the lighting is consistent on the subject with an ever-changing background I switch to Manual exposure.
Hi James. Glad you agree and thank you for watching ;)
I use spot metering if its a small target against bright backgrounds and then more general light use evaluative. Great videos that give great content.
Thank you very much!
Great tip!
Thank you! You make complicated photography concepts very easy to understand. I appreciate the videos on this channel!
Wonderful stuff! Thanks so much!
Glad to help and thanks for commenting ;) -Sabine
Very helpful 👍
Glad you think so!
Thank you! A great help indeed.
Great information yet again from the wildlife oracles.
Thank you Nik ;)
@@sabine-pangolinphotohost9232 more than welcome
This is great, thanks! I will start playing around with my metering modes as I go out now.
Great, have fun!
Brava e bella, grazie
You are welcome ;)
Very nice vid ! I rest in evaluative mode in Av. And in spot in M mode (without auto iso). Dont forget to use mémorisation. Of course in spot but also in evaluative or center average
I used Center-Weighted on my Canon for underwater photography, and nearly always Matrix (Evaluative) on my Sony for above-water images.
Hi William. Thank you very much for watching and your input :)
Very well explained Sabine i really learned a lot plus using it with exposure compensation very useful thank you for bringing the tutorial to us
So great to hear it helped and thank you for your feedback ;) -Sabine
Hello Sabine, Thank you for the tutorial. My Nikon has Highlight metering? I mostly use matrix, especially for my wildlife then use my exposure compensation only when needed.
This was very helpful as I am new to photography and still learning , thank you 👍
Very welcome! Glad if it helped ;)
merci pour tous ces conseils Bonjour de France
Thanks dear
Awesome video, excellent explanation! I too use Evaluative Metering mode most of the time. I also use Exposure Compensation a lot.
Thank you very much Steve, also for stating what you use - always helpful for other viewers ;)
EV mode I use 95% of the time for Wildlife and in manual mode so I can do the trick below. It is kind of doing the Brenizer Method or a Pano to have more resolution when cropping.
If you tend to use or shoot a subject in the center of the frame then crop in post try this instead for none moving wildlife, Take the centered shot, depending on where you really want to have the subject in the frame, overlap 1/3 and take another 1 or more images so you can stitch them together and have lossless or more resolution than a single image uncropped from your camera.
as usual so practical :) I use evaluative with aperture compensation as my favourite choice
Thank you
Excellent video as ,as well as the technical stuff, this is practical help highlighting what works best in different situations. Personally, I started out a few years ago using centre weighted average on my Canon camera, but soon changed to evaluative and spot metering depending on the situation in front of me. Thanks
Thank you!
I usually use Evaluative for most action shots, but if I’m shooting night sports, (like HS football with variable light) I tend to go with Spot metering more. I find that it helps with the shadows a lot more as evaluative can get faked out with the really dark backgrounds. In terms of composition, I’ll hit it with a slight crop just to position the subject where I want.
Thank you very much for your input on this topic ;)
Love your channel, so well explained!
I never let my built in light meter of my camera dictate me my exposure. I use almost systematically manual mode and Spotmetering (using built in spotmeter or my Pentax V spotmeter). Meter from a middle tone on the subject, or in the vicinity (then recompose), or shooter another tonality and compensate.
I was hoping I could get information from you on the adjustable tripod type set up you have? I’m disabled and it looks like it moves pretty freely for you which may help me a great amount. Thank you for any help.
Thank you! I am since last year returning to "real" cameras. My old "real" camera is an Olympus OM-2n (film). I now have a Panasonic GH5 that is extremely capable.... My old knowledge is to some help as I understand the "three". Luckily I am IT, so I can understand menu systems...
Again, thank you for doing very good videos, I'm a new subscriber and maybe, maybe will sit on your boat!
Thanks Rudolph. We look forward to meeting you one day!
@@PangolinWildlife So do I!
My Panasonic G9 had a recent firmware update & Highlight Weighted metering mode was added. Have you had an opportunity to use this. I have the 3 you talked about but this Highlight Weighted I have yet to find info on. Enjoy your groups instructional videos.
Were is the best metring mode use good phots
Good video, great education . A learning experience. Nice accent.
Thanks! 😃
Very helpful. I use evaluative metering with exposure compensation on the control ring of Canon lenses.
Thank you David, same as me then ;) -Sabine
Great information, my comfort zone is spot metering.
Thank you very much!
Perfect!
Hi Sabine,
Made me to switch to Matrix Metering on my D850. However, I'm still wondering about the use of Focus Points, with Continous or Still focus...
Thanks a lot for this very useful tutorial.
Very nice explanation. Generally, I use Matrix metering in Nikon D800E and exposure compensation metering depends on the situation.
Hi big fan of your channel... please clarify if 5D Mark IV has an option of selective spot metering based on the focus point..... If yes would appreciate it if you can make a video particularly covering this scenario. Thank you so much for making such excellent and practical videos.
Thx!!
No problem!
Hi Sabine
Which metering mode would you recommend for black and white rabbits ? Which are in a very low light room ..ps I will be very close to them with a 50mm lens 😁
I photograph mainly birds of various sizes and kinds and mostly use spot metering, it allows me to really highlight the subject. I use matrix for birds in flight or if the subject fills the frame.
Thank you for sharing.
Spot metering and matrix metering, both in combination with exposure compensation.
Very nice. I think it might be dead on for Canon, not quite perfect for my Nikon. An early mention of the benefits of shooting in RAW to give yourself more of a chance to correct in post processing would have been good. Wildlife scenes change rapidly, hence the need to practice a lot well before going to Chobe. I thought I had done so way back in 2008, and Matrix metering did a great job even with a D80, but I could have done better with videos like these and some personal thoughtful practice. You did mention to read the camera’s manual. It’s hard even for me, and I like reading manuals. Slowly, a few pages a day, some web searches, and soon you learn a lot.
Hi Edward. Thank you for watching and the remark about shooting in RAW. You have a great point there ;)
Nope, Canon might not be 'dead on', same with Nikon and others. :D I always see overexposed images at the Canon facebook group.
Love listening to your voice ❤️
Oh! Thanks so much ;) -Sabine
Spot metering and I always use center focus points and keep the subject centered. I can worry about composition in post. Fast moving wildlife does leave much time to play around. If my subjected exposed correctly the rest is less important.
Thank you for sharing that.
Nice video. Like n°500
I thought spot meter is only used in AV mode. Guess I was incorrect. Good piece
Hi Michael, glad you could learn something new ;) - Sabine
Hi Sabine. Thanks for your explanation and knowledge transfer. I am a simple amateur photographer of wildlife and if possible I would like to have your advice on which is the best metring mod to photograph birds in the middle of the branches and / or on very cloudy (gray) days. Thanks
Best regards
Hi Joao. Thank you for watching. As explained in the video I personally prefer shooting on evaluative metering and use exposure compensation when needed as I feel the room for error is less than using spot metering. However if you couldn't be bothered with changing your exposure compensation all the time, the scenarios you mentioned can work with spot metering, given that you have the bird exactly where the spot metering takes place. Hope this helps ;) - Sabine
Tks for ur explanation, I'm now confused 🤔, I was using all this time " spot metering " u think we should change it based on every situation??
Hi there. Thank you for watching! If you are happy with the results you get by using spot metering by all means stick to it. I just personally had a lot of heavily over or underexposed images that way and prefer a more global light meter mode like evaluative. And in addition I can quickly use EV to correct the exposure if needed. If you use spot metering and EV with it that is also fine of course. Whatever works for you ;)
Thanks for sharing! Evaluative metering mode 95% of the time for me.
Thanks for your input!
You're welcome!
In one of the videos, I remember that you provide Sigma 150-600mm lenses to your guests. Do you have a review of that lens on your channel? I tried searching, and didn't find anything particular..
Hello Sabina. Which tripod brand do you use on the boat? Who makes them?
It is a custom built mount Michael with a Gimpro gimbal on top.
Thank you very much, Sabina. Good luck with your work.
Matrix metering with exposure compensation. It works best for me.
Thanks for watching and letting us know your preferred light metering ;)
spot metering especially in the early morning.
Thank you for commenting ;)
Yes, true
👍
👍🏻👏🏻!!
Thank you!
Matrix for me especially when shooting outdoors for birds.....
Hi Sabina..
How would you recommend setting up image playback settings on a Nikon camera so that I don’t have to get out of position to check how my images have turned out before I keep clicking further?
Hi there. Here is a great video on how to do that by Morten Hilmer: ruclips.net/video/P9CUV21AnZc/видео.html
I typically don't give ISO much consideration as I shoot manual with Auto ISO for my bird photography. I'm much more concerned with action, pose, and background than how noisy a shot might be. With today's noise reduction software it almost doesn't matter. Composition, sharpness, and action are what viewers notice. Not dynamic range. Nobody is going to chose a technically perfect by boring image over one that captures action or unique behaviour but might be a little noisy.
Evaluative metering
Thank you!