Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/14
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> R8. Can someone please enlighten me on its supposed merits over matrix
> metering?
Simple. Matrix metering is like electronical cameras: if it works,
it works perfectly. If it fails..................................
With center-weighted metering, you can see what can foul your meter:
white snow, blue sky, beach, streetlights, reflections... With
matrix, you don't know anything. So it is simpler to use CW in
tricky situations, where your experience is so valuable.
Spot metering in those situations is usually not needed and
cumbersome, after you are used to CW and its quirks.
Matrix metering has only some fields, judging by which brightness
tries to achieve so-called "proper exposure". It cannot understand
that you are photographing a candle on a dark background and you
_want_ it to stay dark - it will be trying to correct you :)
It doesn't know that you want snow white and coal black...
CW will be fooled also but in a _predictable_ way.
- -----
St.
(Stanislaw B.A. Stawowy)
http://www.geocities.com/Stanislaw_Stawowy
Echelon/Carnivore lines: Bob Black, Hakim Bey,
Ralph Klein, Sabotage in the American Workplace