01 3D matrix metering 02 Centre-weighted metering 03 Spot metering

Here’s a quick and dirty guide to which metering mode to use when

Because it takes several readings across the whole image, and also uses the distance from the camera to the subject that you have focused on, 3D matrix metering is perfect for shooting most subjects where the lighting is pretty even, and the scene is mostly made up of midtones. In centre-weighted metering mode your camera will give a reading based on the overall brightness of the scene, but biased towards the middle. It’s a halfway house between matrix and spot metering, so suits subjects where what’s in the middle of the frame is a midtone. Using spot metering successfully takes more practice than either of the other two modes, as it only measures brightness from a tiny area. You have to position the spot metering area very precisely over a part of the scene that you want to be captured as a mid-tone.