Chris wrote: > Uh... not exactly. Photographers can never learn how multipattern > metering systems work.
Weird. I know how my Pentax multipattern metering works. >The algorithms are extremely complex; some Nikons, > for example, have a database of tens of thousands of sample scenes that > the camera will consider when choosing an exposure. This is a long lived myth. The camera manufacturers may well use thousands of images to find an agorithm for the matrix metering but the camera does not scan through thousands of images when it meters. >The photographer has > no idea whatsoever which of these scenes the camera will select. Matrix > metering does a good job with print film for the most part, but the point > is that the photographer, no matter how much they use it, will never be > able to know for sure how much importance the meter is attaching to each > individual segment in any given (and changing) lighting situation. At > least with CW metering you know exactly how much weight the camera gives > to the segments. This is a misunderstanding. The matrix metering will give you closer reading to the correct (here meant as 18% reflectance) than centerweighted metering. The difference in the real world is that matrix metering will compensate to some extent for backlit subjects. That's about the extent of it. Otherwise matrix metering will be equally fooled by scenes dominated by tones far off from medium; eg. like snow. I've checked matrix metering agains spot metering for several years now. Not once has the matrix meter suggested a weird or unpredictable exposure. P�l > > I'm sure that, given enough time and experimentation, a photographer can > learn how their camera weights the segments in some very common lighting > conditions, but this is almost impossible to assess because of the sheer > number of segments and variety of lighting conditions. And it's only good > until you switch cameras (most of the MZ series, for example, use > different algorithms to decode the same six segments). > > chris > - > This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
