Pixiq

How does the G11 know how much light is in the scene? A light meter is built into the camera, and it is able to see light coming through the lens. But if the meter were to simply average all of the light in the scene, the exposure would produce some improperly exposed pictures.

Take the case of a person standing on a white, sandy beach. All of that sand will reflect a tremendous amount of light, much more than any other object in the scene. If the camera averages the light reflected off the sand, anybody standing on that sand would be hopelessly underexposed. So instead of simply averaging the light in the scene (the one-size-fits-all approach), the G11 has several different metering modes from which to choose. To select a metering mode, press , to the right of the LCD, and then use to make your selection.

EVALUATIVE METERING

This is the most sophisticated of the three metering modes. The G11 evaluates the entire scene and compares its finding with exposure models that Canon has compiled over the years and programmed into the exposure system. The meter also connects with the autofocus system and weights the exposure toward the AF points. If Face Detection is used for AF, detected faces are also evaluated and the metering attempts to ensure that faces are well exposed.

Don’t confuse Evaluative Metering’s use of AF points with linking the Spot AE Point with the AF Point (which is explained below). Evaluative Metering measures other parts of the scene, as well as the AF points.

Evaluative metering is a good starting point when you use the G11. Keep in mind that since evaluative metering pays attention to AF points, if they change position, your exposure may change. As with all the metering modes, you can override the setting with exposure compensation (see below).

CENTER-WEIGHTED AVERAGE

This method averages the readings taken across the entire scene. In computing the average exposure, however, the camera puts extra emphasis on the reading taken from the center of the horizontal frame. Since most early film cameras used this method exclusively, some photographers have used center-weighted average metering for such a long time that it is second nature and they prefer sticking with it. It can be very useful with scenes that change quickly around the subject.

SPOT AE POINT

Use this mode to further reduce the area covered for metering. The exposure meter only measures the scene that is contained in the center Spot AE Point Frame, which appears as two brackets [ ] at the center of the screen. Spot AE Point can give you an accurate meter reading of a single object in your scene, ignoring everything around it. The Spot AE Point Frame only appears when the metering is set for . It cannot be manually repositioned like the AF point.

Linking Spot AE Point to the AF Point: As mentioned in the note above, if your subject is not in the center of the scene, you can lock exposure and reframe your shot. A more effective approach, and one that offers great control for both exposure and focus, is to tie the Spot AE Point to the AF Point when the camera’s AF Frame mode is set for FlexiZone. When the G11 evaluates exposure, rather than using the center of the scene, it uses the AF point. When you move the FlexiZone frame, you also move the Spot AE Point.

To link the Spot AE Point, you must be using exposure mode and the FlexiZone AF Frame mode. From the menu, select [Spot AE Point], then use to select [AF Point].