Exposure Question (possibly Nikon specific.)

crashtestmac

crashtestmac

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Mac
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I have a Nikon D700 which i love to bits, the first change i made to it was to move focusing to the AF-ON button which helps for sports shooting and kids...

I shoot quite a lot in manual and i think i know what i am doing. (at least some of the time).

I was chatting with someone recently and he was using a canon, and he was explaining to me that he focusing on something with a neutral colour to get the exposure then he recomposes his shot then presses the shutter.

Now from what i understand if i am in manual that will not do anything.

He likes to shoot in shutter priority to make sure that his pictures are pin sharp so i can understand that he needs to lock the exposure.......


Now the bit that i am struggling with...!

If i want to shoot in Aperture priority or shutter priority how can i lock in the exposure and then focus...? The AF-On button and the exposure lock button are next to each other so i cannot press both with my thumb.

For weddings in the shooting banks am i going to have to have another preset that changes all of this around or am i missing something more fundamental....



I think that makes sense...! :shrug:
Thanks
Mac
 
I think that i might have sussed it.

Does half pressing the shutter button do the exposure...?
 
If you're shooting in manual you are metering the scene, not the camera. Sounds like he's using spot metering.

Normally you half press the shutter then hit AE lock to lock exposure. Sometimes this locks focus too, whether it does on you Nikon I don't know, but you can choose on My Panasonic whether to lock AF, Exposure or both.
 
Your camera will have 3 different metering modes, Spot, Centre Weighted, Matrix all selectable from a dial on the rear of the camera.

TTL Metering
When using the in built camera meter sometimes referred to as TTL metering (Through the lens) then camera is measuring all the light reflected off the subject as luminance values and is then mixing all this data together too try and reach a middle grey value also known as 18% Grey.

If you select Matrix Metering, the camera metering system is looking at the entire scene and trying to find a middle grey.

If you select Spot Metering, the camera is looking at a very small area in the centre of the viewfinder usually 8mmon a Nikon and trying to find a middle grey.

If you select Centre Weighted Metering, the camera is looking at a slightly larger area than spot metering in the centre of the viewfinder and is trying to find a middle grey value.

Decide what part of your scene you want to be properly exposed and then choose the appropriate metering mode.

Manual Mode (M)
If you have a particular subject within the scene that you need to be properly exposed, point the camera at the subject, set your Aperture for the desired depth of field and then adjust the shutter speed until the internal meter is in the middle.

This will ensure that your subject is properly exposed but anything else within the scene may not be.
 
ianbarber said:
Your camera will have 3 different metering modes, Spot, Centre Weighted, Matrix all selectable from a dial on the rear of the camera.

TTL Metering
When using the in built camera meter sometimes referred to as TTL metering (Through the lens) then camera is measuring all the light reflected off the subject as luminance values and is then mixing all this data together too try and reach a middle grey value also known as 18% Grey.

If you select Matrix Metering, the camera metering system is looking at the entire scene and trying to find a middle grey.

If you select Spot Metering, the camera is looking at a very small area in the centre of the viewfinder usually 8mmon a Nikon and trying to find a middle grey.

If you select Centre Weighted Metering, the camera is looking at a slightly larger area than spot metering in the centre of the viewfinder and is trying to find a middle grey value.

Decide what part of your scene you want to be properly exposed and then choose the appropriate metering mode.

Manual Mode (M)
If you have a particular subject within the scene that you need to be properly exposed, point the camera at the subject, set your Aperture for the desired depth of field and then adjust the shutter speed until the internal meter is in the middle.

This will ensure that your subject is properly exposed but anything else within the scene may not be.
Click to expand...

Great explanation Ian, thanks.
 
Thanks for that Ian but it is not quite what i was after, if you meter off something neutral or as close to 18% grey as possible you can then recompose, my question is more specific to how to do that with the af-on button, how can you use the exposure lock and af-on at the same time...?

I think the answer i am looking for is that you get the exposureon the neutral target with a half press of the shutter and then recompose and focus with the af-on button.

I have yet to try it but i think that is it.

Either that or i need to set the exposure lock to work from a single press till the next shutter actuation.

Thanks
Mac
 
if you're in manual mode though, you don't need to lock the exposure, because it's not going to change when you recompose etc...
 
exactly...!

But he shoots in shutter priority and does recompose, i am just trying to get the method he uses right on my camera...!
 
Why not just assign whatever function you want to the 'function' button?
You could assign 'autofocus' to the F button, leaving the AF/AE button free for just locking exposure?
 
I mostly work in aperture priorty mode, i shoot in continuous (c on the switch) and shutter button has the funtion of release only and focusing to af on button , ae/al to ae lock and hold. it works briliantly for me . even focus and recompose is a toddle with these settings.
 
crashtestmac said:
exactly...!

But he shoots in shutter priority and does recompose, i am just trying to get the method he uses right on my camera...!
Click to expand...


Crash test,

sounds like he and I use the same method. I've got the ae/al button set to lock exposure when I press it. Point the camera at the subject you want to expose for and hit the ae/al button. That will lock the exposure. Recompose and take the picture.

In the menu settings (for my D90 and my old D40) you set the AE/AL button to AE lock (I'm pretty sure). Then it will lock exposure with one press. You'll see AE light up in the viewfinder. There is another option to AE hold so that if you hold the AE/AL button it will lock, but release if you release it.

Thanks
Rick
 
That is what i am after.....

SO i can set the AE lock to be a single press rather than a hold, that means that i can then recompose and shoot.

Thanks
 
It should be f7 on the D700, using one of these options - AE lock (Hold) / AE lock (Reset on release).

Both lock exposure until the button is pressed a second time, the meters turn off, or (for Reset on release) the shutter is released.
 
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