Which metering mode for photographing birds?

[Pete Collins]

My Panasonic FZ18 has a choice of three metering modes for measuring the exposure - Mulitiple (the default, and the choice usually recommended in the manual), Centre Weighted, and Spot. I assume these are standard across most cameras.

Which would be best, in general, when photographing birds?

Being a total novice, I'm guessing that Multiple would be fine if the bird is close enough (or large enough) to fill most of the frame. Otherwise, if the photo will need to be cropped, Centre Weighted or even Spot might be better (unless the bird has a lot of contrast, like a Magpie).

Thanks in advance for your help.

Pete

[big bill]

Myself use centre weighted as it takes the reading from the central part of the image where as spot normally takes it from the central 9% of the image the default setting is not bad for general shots but it could cause you to either under/over expose your main image as this takes the reading from the whole image then calculates your exposure so I would go for Centre weighted

[Geoff F]

Like almost everything else, there isn't one simple answer; but as a general rule centre weighted or spot metering usually work out best. Centre weighted is OK if the bird is of uniform colour and fills the centre metering spot. If you have a black and white bird (some birds are badly designed for photography) then it can be better to spot meter on the lightest area to prevent overexposure of highlights. Dark shadows can be recovered with software but blown highlights are gone forever.

Another approach is to add or minus a little exposure compensation as required. Particularly useful for those quick shots using multiple metering. Underexpose for a white bird or overexpose for a black one. How much is a question of experience.

The chief problem is that while you were working out the correct exposure the bird flew away. If it is likely to be a quick one off shot I like to get in one image using the auto or semi auto settings so that I know that I have something in the camera while I am working out the clever bits.

[delros1]

when shooting in RAW i have found that the spot metering works best for me,and i normally under
expose by -1.3 to -1.7 depending on how much light is available.as it is better to under-expose,than over-expose.

[RichBrew]

Pete,

Be wary of spot metering, as it can be a liability if you don't know how to use it. I use matrix (multi-pattern) metering in most situations, as it will always be better than your best guess. It's only in difficult lighting situations that I consider taking a spot meter reading. I'm not saying never use the technique; just be aware of the results you will get before shooting anything important.

RichBrew

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by RichBrew

Be wary of spot metering, as it can be a liability if you don't know how to use it.

How does one use it then ?

[glsammy]

I have a very simple approach to metering. I generally use centre weighted, plus exposure compensation depending on the main subject.
For bird such as Great Tits, I'll use -2/3rds if the bird is in strong sunlight. Grebes usually get -1 to - 2, again depending on the amount of sunlight. There's no hard of fast rule I just have to use the knowledge I've learnt from all the failures in the past!
Lately I've been experimenting with partial and to be honest I can't see much difference in the end result from using centre weighted. I still have to apply roughly the same compensation I was before. Considering it's supposed to allow for brighter backgrounds, so far as I've seen it doesn't do it well at all. Yesterday I shot some Chiffchaffs using partial, all were hopelessly wrong.
So my advice is to not rely on the metering mode at all, use your eyes and if the area has a bright background, apply positive compensation. If the subject has bright parts, such as Grebes, apply negative and vary the amount according to how bright the sunlight is.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Lately I've been experimenting with partial and to be honest I can't see much difference in the end result from using centre weighted.

It probably boils down to personal preference. In my case, I always use "partial".

[RichBrew]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

How does one use it then ?

True spot metering reads only 1% of the image area. This narrow angle allows precise metering when faced with tricky lighting or excessive contrast ranges. All light meters used in manual mode evaluate what they read as an 18% grey: they have no way of knowing the colour, or the brightness of a subject. They just assume that the image has a full range of tones, from a deep black to a pure white. A spot meter reading will do the same, reading your target as an 18% grey tone, irrespective of what it actually is; you need to meter from a mid-tone to get an accurate result, then the other tones will fall into place. Metering from a white subject using this method will result in that white reproducing as a grey. Conversely, metering from a black subject will also give a grey tone in the image. This is where exposure compensation is needed to reproduce the metered subject as its correct tone.

Matrix/multi-pattern will compensate for this to a large extent (as will centre weighted metering), with the former adding its own compensation automatically. The skill lies in deciding what is a mid tone, and exposing accordingly. This could be green grass, or red brick, but as Graham rightly points out, you need to apply your experience to get the exposure you want. Get to know how the meter in your camera responds in a given situation. Eventually you will find yourself dialing in compensation for whatever metering mode you are using, without thinking.

RichBrew

[Tormentil]

Thanks for the explanation RB.

"Partial" metering in a EOS350D is 9%, apparently.