The intelligent exposure modes such as Matrix metering attempt to determine an exposure compensation for the scene. So even if you’re in the manual shooting mode, all you’re doing is following a meter reading that’s been biased by some Nikon photographer, depending on what type of scene the camera thinks you’re shooting. That’s not manual exposure. Manual exposure is when you examine the scene, meter a known reference, and apply an EC for that reference. Then you’ll have standard exposure, which you can then tweak to suit your pictorial vision of the scene. That’s taking control of exposure, and it’s skill that has to be learned.

To perform manual exposure you either intentionally over or underexpose in M mode, or apply EC in an auto mode. It’s the same thing…so much so that the same meter indicator is used for both M mode and for EC in auto modes.

Here’s an example. You’re shooting a bride and you want the best exposure for the white dress. You spot meter the dress and press Exposure Lock. Now you dial in +2.7 EC and you’re done…the dress will be well exposed without being clipped. If the light doesn’t change, you can use the same exposure lock for all following shots. (JPEG shooters better make that something like +2.)

Another good reference is the sunny side of grass. If you’re shooting a game on a field and it’s a sunny clear day, just point the camera at the grass and press exposure lock. Set EC to 0 and exposure is done.

What if the sky is full of rolling clouds and the sun is poking in and out? This is where EC and auto modes, and spot metering all come together. You pick your point of focus on your subject and you spot meter that area. Then you apply EC for correct exposure, either by knowing the amount required (because the metered area is a known reference such as light skin [+1]) or with a test shot or two. Now, you simply move your focus point onto that same area as you take your shots and change composition. On a Nikon, spot metering always follows the focus point, so you will focus and meter the same area, and will get the same exposure even though the light is constantly changing.

All this with auto modes, but it’s still manual exposure. As soon as you switch to Matrix you lose the reliable (but usually wrong) exposure of 18% gray. You can’t apply EC reliably because the camera is trying to do that for you.

People are not to impressed with me have to chimp the shot is there a better way to do this.

Alan
Great Site.

Brilliant uncomplicated tutorials…I’ve learn’t so much, just hope i can remember it all, when i am under pressure! Thank you :-)

Aaron, your camera’s meter will try to expose for everything as middle toned grey.

So if your scene is darker than average / middle toned grey … then you need to decrease exposure, since your camera will have already pulled up the exposure.

Neil vN

The last paragraph mentions if using auto exposure, if the whole scene is dark, you will lower the EV by one to make it darker, and vice versa for a lighter image.

I would thought one would do the opposite…if the scene is too dark, I would increase the EV so as to brighten up the image and the opposite for too bright of an image.