Author Topic: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?  (Read 4969 times)

Bent Hjarbo

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Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« on: April 21, 2019, 18:32:16 »
I have for some time had problems when having white in the frame, my D500 seems to underexpose.
So in snow I had to set +1 or 2 to get it right :o
So now today in bright sunshine I took my cameras out to take some test shot.
My house is white and gray, the sky was blue.
I used a Df, D800 and the D500
Two set of pictures the house and the concrete tiles in the garden.
The problem seem only to be present in matrix metering.
The files has not been changed in LR, just exported

Birna Rørslett

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2019, 18:41:07 »
My D500 behaves in a similar fashion.

Ann

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2019, 19:04:46 »
I have never yet used a Nikon which didn't under-expose by default if you shoot NEFs.
 
Nikon seems to program their settings for JPG-shooting but we have much more headroom with NEFs.
There is a program called RawDigger and it lets one see exactly by how much Nikons are under-exposing a RAW file.

I get over this by changing the internal meter settings in the menus for +0.66 EV and I then over-ride on the fly with the external ±EV button for special circumstances.

You might find that would work well for you as well?

CS

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2019, 19:58:27 »
I have for some time had problems when having white in the frame, my D500 seems to underexpose.
So in snow I had to set +1 or 2 to get it right :o
So now today in bright sunshine I took my cameras out to take some test shot.
My house is white and gray, the sky was blue.
I used a Df, D800 and the D500
Two set of pictures the house and the concrete tiles in the garden.
The problem seem only to be present in matrix metering.
The files has not been changed in LR, just exported

Of the 3 house shots, I like the D800 best, but, it seems to have blown some highlights in the table top. Or maybe it's me and my nearly blown eyesight.
Carl

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2019, 00:16:55 »
the real problem is the coupling of the AF system and the exposure system  ... the interdependence is not easily learned
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richardHaw

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2019, 07:26:55 »
this boggled me before when I was still shooting with a D700  :o :o :o

i think its averaging the values of the house and the sky.

SO FAR i have noticed that the F6's meter seems to be almost always spot-on ::)
its smart enough to pick the human in the scene and meter from it/them.
havent shot snow yet but they said that the F6 and F5 meters can recognize a snowy scene.

what i do now is if i suspect my camera exposing for the sky i will just do spot and then average the scene myself. i am used to using a separate spot meter and its second nature to me.

i am not sure if this is just NEF file specific though...

Nikons film cameras metering seems to be really accurate for most situations EXCEPT scenes with lamps and lanterns because the camera will consider them in the metering too. for this, spot metering is indispensible

richardHaw

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2019, 07:28:22 »
i can ask mr. Goto for his inputs  :o :o :o

he should definitely know this.

Bent Hjarbo

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2019, 08:52:04 »
That would be nice.
With my D700 I didn’t have this problem, so I think that something is changed.
Regarding the AF and the metering I will read more about it in the manual.
I was considering not taking the D500 with me to Scotland, but I have changed my mind now.

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2019, 10:00:25 »
Bent: I am very happy with my D500 and will sure take it with me to Scotland. Tom Hogan has a chapter on the D500 AF where he explains how the AF mode influences the exposure metering. I a nutshell: the metering usually follows the AF point but sometimes it does not, then AF can be at the perimeter while measuring is done in the center of the frame. Confusing. In real life I might have trouble with this once in 1000 frames.
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

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richardHaw

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2019, 10:56:52 »
Bent: I am very happy with my D500 and will sure take it with me to Scotland. Tom Hogan has a chapter on the D500 AF where he explains how the AF mode influences the exposure metering. I a nutshell: the metering usually follows the AF point but sometimes it does not, then AF can be at the perimeter while measuring is done in the center of the frame. Confusing. In real life I might have trouble with this once in 1000 frames.

looks like the camera is trying to be smart  :o :o :o

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2019, 13:37:05 »
looks like the camera is trying to be smart  :o :o :o

grand user irritaton = GUI
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Bent Hjarbo

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2019, 14:09:01 »
I actually have Thoms book, may have to read more in it ;)

Erik Lund

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2019, 11:11:21 »
When metering the camera weighs the area where the selected focus area is very high, like very high!


So if you focus and recompose, for instance with a MF lens shooting same scene moving the focus area around you will se the meeting change.
Erik Lund

Bent Hjarbo

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2019, 12:43:45 »
I will try and play with this in mind to see if it solves my problem.

charlie

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Re: Is my D500 lightmeter defect in matrix metering?
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2019, 19:34:16 »
Yes, what Erik said. I recall a big difference between the D700 & D800 matrix metering regarding where the focus point was in the scene. The matrix exposure can be a 2-3 stop difference based solely on where the focus point is in the scene. Switch over to center weighted and this behavior goes away and the cameras meters behave more similar to one another.