Hasselblad Digital Camera, Manual

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Operating the H Cameras for Digital and Film Photography
71
Metering Approaches
In all automatic exposure modes, the lens settings change as the camera’s metering area is
moved to darker or lighter subject areas. This is ideal in fast candid shooting or when you are
following moving subjects. This change in the lens settings happens while you compose and
before you take a picture and again after the picture is made.
In more critical work or whenever you have time for a more complete subject evaluation,
you probably want to determine what the exposure should be rather than let the camera
make this decision for you. You probably want to base the meter reading on specifi c subject
areas discussed in detail in Chapter 15, and not necessarily on what happens to be in the
center of the composition.
A practical and fast metering approach in the CentreSpot or Spot metering mode is as
follows:
1. Evaluate the subject or scene, and check whether there are areas of average brightness
(18% refl ectance) and also receive the amount of light that looks appropriate for correct
exposure.
2. If you fi nd such areas, point the metering area at that part of the subject or scene and take the
meter reading. You can press the AE Lock button to lock the setting so you can re-compose and
take the picture.
3. If there are no areas of average brightness, measure a darker or lighter area and compensate.
Complete details about exposure, metering, and subject brightness are found in Chapter 15.
Locking the Exposure
In many cases, the subject area that you measure in the CentreSpot or Spot metering
mode is not in the center of the composition so you must move the camera to re-com-
pose. Before doing so, you want to lock the exposure setting. This is easily done by pressing
the AE lock at the rear of the camera grip before you move the camera. A locked setting is
indicated in the fi nder and on the display by an L between the aperture and shutter speed
indications. You unlock the setting by pressing the same button again. If the AE Lock does
not work as described, it may have to be programmed accordingly. To change the locked
aperture and shutter speed settings without changing the EV (exposure), turn the front
control wheel.
Because the settings are unlocked after the exposure they require a new meter reading.
This approach works fi ne when you are taking only one picture in a specifi c location. When
you are taking many pictures in the same location and the same light, as is usually the case
when you are photographing people or animals, I suggest using the Permanent Locking mode
described under custom option AE LOCK and QUICK ADJUST, and then turn the rear wheel
to Saved. Make the meter reading as suggested by pointing the measuring area at the selected
part in the composition, and then click the AE Lock. Re-compose and take the picture. The
locked exposure and any exposure adjustments that are made with the rear wheel are not
reset when you release the camera. You can unlock the settings by pressing the AE Lock but-
ton again.