Metering modes

The proper brightness of your image starts with the camera's built-in light meter. This device measures the amount of light reflecting off the scene, entering the lens, and striking the sensor to create the photo. The meter ignores colors and only measures the brightness of the light reflected off the scene.

Most cameras provide three different metering methods to choose from. 

Pattern metering (called Matrix, Evaluative, Multi, etc.) looks at the entire scene framed by the lens and divides the scene into multiple areas, measuring the amount of light in each. Then the camera calculates the best overall exposure, often prioritizing the focus point. Pattern metering works extremely well in almost all situations.

Pattern Metering

Spot metering (sometimes called partial metering) does the opposite. This meter setting measures light only inside a small circle, or sometimes at the focus point, and ignores everything else in the frame. The camera then bases the exposure for the entire picture on this one small area. Spot metering is good for a bright subject surrounded by a very dark background or a dark subject surrounded by a very bright background. Beware of subjects with a mixture of white and black (such as a zebra or a referee's striped jersey) because small changes in the location of the spot metering circle can have a big effect on the overall exposure.

Spot Metering

Center-weighted metering covers more than a spot meter but less than a pattern meter. Center-weighted metering measures light from the middle (center) of the frame and gives that the most importance compared to the outer edges. It is effective when the main subject is larger than the spot metering circle,  but the outside edges of the picture are not as important. Center-weighted metering can be appropriate when photographing a family group outside. The meter looks at the people in the middle for the exposure and gives less attention to the surroundings.

Center-weighted Metering

Learn more controls to help your pictures in Taking the Next Step with Your Digital Camera, meeting March 28, 2026, at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana. Click here for details and registration.