Photo How To

Matrix Metering? Evaluative metering? Center-Weighted metering? Spot Metering? All these options are enough to make one's head spin, especially if you're an inexperienced photographer. This tutorial from the Photography Explained YouTube channel clears up all the confusion so you'll understand which metering mode to use when.

Today's unnamed educator is a British pro who explains his mission like this: "I help amateur photographers get better at their hobby so they can take better photos." This episode is particularly important because the metering mode you choose for various situations can make the difference between an epic shot and a missed opportunity.

This lesson will greatly accelerate your learning curve and avoid the plight of our instructor who makes this honest admission about the evolution of his work: "After a ton of trial and error, and a lot of mediocre images, I finally wrapped my brain around how metering works—and more importantly, how to use the different modes available to step up my game."

Fortunately for you, it's possible to skip all the frustrating experimentation by paying close attention to this 10-minute primer. Of utmost importance is the fact that choosing a metering mode is not a set-it-and-forget-it operation. That's because a mode that works great for certain conditions can easily hold you back when shooting other subjects or under different types of light.

In simple terms, the concept of metering describes how your camera measures light in a scene to determine the "ideal" exposure settings to achieve balanced tones for whatever situation that you confront. It boils down to this: "The camera doesn't know what the most important element of a scene is." In other words, successful photographs often require a bit of human intervention, and this begins by selecting the most appropriate metering mode before pressing the shutter button.

Matrix metering, also known as Evaluative metering depending upon the camera you own, is the first topic of conversation. This option is the most commonly used and you'll see why it's the "Jack of all trades" when it comes to metering modes. Matrix is also the default setting on most DSLR and mirrorless cameras. This mode often delivers great results, but sometimes it's necessary to make another choice.

As the video progresses you'll learning how the other metering modes work, why and when to use them, and how they may influence other key camera settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Once you get the hang of it, and it doesn't take long, it will be become send nature to pick the right mode every time.

There's a lot more to learn by paying a visit to the Photography Explained YouTube channel— especially if you're relatively new to our craft.

And speaking of camera settings, be sure to watch an earlier tutorial we featured with another accomplished pro who explains how to capture stunning environmental portrait photographs under harsh, midday lighting conditions.