Understanding camera metering modes is essential if you want consistent results and greater creative control over your photography. Metering affects how your camera interprets lighting in a scene, influencing your exposure settings and the overall look of your photos.
Coming to you from Benjamin Jaworskyj - Simply Learn Photography, this practical video explains camera metering modes clearly and simply. Jaworskyj emphasizes that, despite cameras typically offering several metering options, you’ll rarely need anything other than multi-metering mode, which evaluates light across the entire frame. He demonstrates how the camera’s exposure decisions differ dramatically depending on the brightness and darkness within a scene, using examples like photographing a bright, white hotel versus dark lava rocks. These examples make it obvious how much metering can impact your exposure, especially in automatic modes, and highlight the benefit of multi-metering mode for general use.
The video also covers two other common metering modes—center-weighted and spot metering. Jaworskyj illustrates the center-weighted mode by showing how it emphasizes the brightness of the scene’s center, often useful in specific lighting scenarios. Spot metering is even more precise, measuring a very small area, usually right in the center of your viewfinder. He explains scenarios where spot metering might be advantageous, such as photographing a face illuminated by a window, surrounded by shadows. However, Jaworskyj strongly advises that these specialized modes are rarely necessary given modern cameras' ability to preview exposure instantly. He stresses that your judgment and personal aesthetic decisions ultimately matter more than blindly following the camera's recommendations.
What makes Jaworskyj’s advice valuable is his emphasis on practical experience. He recommends practicing with all three metering modes—multi, center-weighted, and spot—to understand firsthand how each affects exposure. You'll find out quickly that sticking with multi-metering simplifies your workflow, especially for landscapes or situations with complex lighting. Jaworskyj also clarifies common mistakes caused by unintentionally leaving the camera set to an inappropriate metering mode, such as underexposed snow photos or overly bright night shots. Recognizing these issues helps you troubleshoot and refine your skills in various shooting conditions.
Jaworskyj touches briefly on manual and auto modes, explaining clearly how metering influences each. He demonstrates the unpredictability of auto modes due to their reliance on metering, resulting in inconsistent brightness from one shot to the next. Manual mode, combined with a good understanding of metering, offers predictability and creative control without frequent adjustments. This understanding also helps you manage challenging scenarios, such as photographing subjects with extreme contrast between highlights and shadows. Experimentation, as Jaworskyj points out, remains your best teacher in mastering these settings. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jaworskyj.
