Nikon D5100 Experience Manual

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Nikon D5100 Experience46Metering is used to determine the exposure values of several important parts of the scene, andthen the desired exposure is determined and then manually set using Manual Exposure Mode. Inthis way Spot Metering Mode is used to turn your camera into a light meter, as a tool todetermine proper exposure of a subject or scene before switching the camera to Manual Mode(M) for a controlled studio shot, a critical shot, or a series of shots where the lighting is not goingto change.Manual MeteringA fourth metering mode is manual metering, which isn’t actually a mode in your camera, but is amethod of metering. This is where you use a light meter or use your camera as a light meter(such as described at the end in the Spot Metering section above) and then manually set yourexposure based on the meter readings. This is used when you want ultimate control of themetering and exposure.An example of a critical exposure that will vary depending on which metering mode you use andwhere you meter in the scene is an image of a bride and groom. The bride is typically in allwhite, and the groom may be in a black tux or dark suit. If you are using Center-Weighted orSpot metering and meter the exposure on the bride, the camera will most likely underexpose theimage and the nice white dress will turn to grey in the photos and the groom’s suit will turn intoa pool of deep, dark black. If you use Center-Weighted or Spot metering and meter on thegroom, the camera will most likely overexpose and the dark suit will become a medium greysuit, and the bride will disappear into a blown-out blob of white. This is just an example to helpyou realize the differences and importance of metering modes. It is quite possible that MatrixMetering will capture this situation just fine. But be aware that there are situations where it iscritical that you know how the metering modes of the D5100 work, and make a decision forwhich one will serve you best.Exposure LockAs discussed in the Custom Settings section, with the default settings of your camera, the focusbut not the exposure is locked when you press the Shutter-Release Button halfway. Theexposure meter begins metering, but exposure is not set until you press the Shutter-ReleaseButton fully and take the shot. But there are situations where you may wish to lock the exposurebefore taking the shot or for taking a series of shots. In Custom Setting f2 I recommended thatthe AE-L/AF-L Button be set to exposure lock – AE lock only or AE lock (Hold). This way youcan lock exposure and focus independently of each other.A situation where you may wish to use this is in conjunction with Center-Weighted Metering orSpot Metering. You may wish to meter for a specific area of the image, such as a person’s face,and then recompose the frame before taking the shot. The face or area you wish to meter is thusno longer in the center – the area being metered by the camera for exposure – and thus if you donot lock the exposure you desire, the camera will meter for the wrong area when the shot is takenand possibly underexpose or overexpose the image (see Figure 31). Or you may be taking aseries of shots of a particular scene that contains a wide range of bright highlights and darkshadows. You may carefully meter for the area you want properly exposed and lock in thatexposure setting, and then you can take the series of photos. If you set the AE-L/AF-L Button