1Dmk4 Spot Metering Issue

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jezza8

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Has anyone found a solution for the 1Dmk4 deciding not to allow AE lock when the shutter is half pressed in spot metering mode? I know that you can work around this using the star or AF-On buttons on the back but I am shooting really quickly while switching between portrait and landscape mode and having to press two buttons instead of one for each shot seriously mucks up the handling and speed of shooting. I can't believe Canon don't allow a way of configuring this, but have poured over the manual and just can't see how it can be done. I can't even see mention anywhere of this unexpected behaviour in the manual.

I have seen a Nikon user commenting on this very issue with Canon, apparently Nikons simply do the AE lock as normal on the half press of the shutter button. I really hope I have missed something here - please tell me I am wrong!
 
Is there some sort of extreme circumstance where you need to use spot metering and focus & recompose? The two just don't seem to go together in my head.

When ever i've needed to use spot metering, i've kept the af point on the area i want to meter from and thus don't need to AE lock.
 
I don't see why it should be viewed as an extreme case. I use a manually selected af point, the chance of it being in exactly the right position so that I don't need to recompose is slim at best, just like with evaluative metering.

For reference I am shooting musical theatre and dance on stage, hence the requirement for very fast shooting. I will typically take 400-500 shots in 1.5 hrs and half an hour later will have 40-50 printed out for sale, so I don't have the luxury of editing, I have to get it right in camera!
 
It just sounds to me like using spot metering how you describe in that situation is making things difficult for your self anyway. If you need to get things right in camera and quickly, why pick a metering mode where you need to find an area on the target that is a mid-tone or there abouts and then have to lock exposure as well?
Spot-metering is prone to over-exposure if you hit a dark or black area of your target and vice-versa if you hit a light tone. You've already said there's a slim chance of the af point being in the right position so there's a chance it won't be when you're taking the meter reading and locking yes?

Taking an exposure reading and setting that in manual mode or using centre-weighted sounds more ideal to me, letting you get on with just focussing and composing without any of that worry at all.
What are your thoughts on that idea?
 
Spot metering would be dead easy if it worked like matrix metering. I simply hold the nearest af point on the face, lock focus and metering, recompose then take the shot. Quick, easy and accurate.

You can't use the same exposure reading for two consecutive shots in a theatre environment as the light often changes by the second.
 
jezza8 said:
Has anyone found a solution for the 1Dmk4 deciding not to allow AE lock when the shutter is half pressed in spot metering mode? I know that you can work around this using the star or AF-On buttons on the back but I am shooting really quickly while switching between portrait and landscape mode and having to press two buttons instead of one for each shot seriously mucks up the handling and speed of shooting.!
Click to expand...

You press them both at the same time :) plus I found it quicker anyway.. and believe me as a sports shooter using mainly prime lenses i do a lot of switching between portrait and landscape.
 
OK first
C.Fn III-16 Orientation Linked AF Point selection, so the camera will switch AF points as you turn from Landscape to portrait, you can have 3 user selectable points, landscape, portrait camera turned 90 degrees left and portrait camera turned 90 degrees right

C.Fn I-7 Spot metering linked to AF point - This wiil not work with 45 AF points so

C.Fn III-10 and selected any option that is not 45 AF points.


Your camera will now spot meter at the selected AF point, which is what I think you require if I understand the original question.

Select your AF point, half press the shutter and camera spot meters at that AF point, full press shutter to take a photograph.
 
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Whiteflyer, thanks for the suggestion, I am familiar with these custom functions, but they do what I want. I simply want the camera to lock exposure and focus on a half shutter button press so I can recompose and take the shot. This is what we all do currently on evaluative metering, no different. I really don't see why it should be so difficult.

And Kipax thanks again for the suggestion, but having to press the * or AF-On button slows me down and compromises the way I have to hold the body, (which is otherwise supremely comfortable for a heavy body-lens combination) making it much more tiring over a couple of hours of continuous shooting.

I am pretty sure the answer is this can't be done with Canon bodies, only with Nikon.:bang: Not sure this is reason enough to move to the dark side though.
 
I can confirm that my 7D exhibits that behaviour too. Haven't tested my 1Dmk2 yet.

I'm a rear button focus person myself so i'm used to holding the camera in a way where my thumb is always doing something on the rear buttons row. Just something you'll have to get used to i guess?
 
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