Understanding Exposure Meter Settings

All digital cameras have an exposure meter of some sort. Most models have multiple exposure patterns for measuring the light hitting your camera’s sensor. Let’s take a quick look at three of the most common type of exposure meter patterns.

Center-weighted

In center-weighted meter mode your camera’s sensor is going to take a measurement of light hitting the entire picture area but it will put extra emphasis on the subjects in the center of the frame. This is typically your camera’s default setting and tends to do a great job in situations where the lighting isn’t too extreme in dynamic range.

Evaluative

Your image area is divided in six or more sections and light is measured in each section. Using preset algorithms, your camera’s meter will evaluate and match patterns to adjust the camera’s settings for exposure.

Spot

As the name suggests, your camera’s light meter will only measure the center of the viewing area. Typically this is inside the brackets but can also be moved to specific focus points on certain camera models. Spot metering is great for high contrast lighting situations and portraits.

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