multi-spot metering

[jamesmck]

I know that Olympus m4/3 cameras have highlight-spot and shadow-spot metering modes, but do any m4/3 cameras have multi-spot metering as on certain Canon DSLRs and the old Olympus OM-3 and OM-4 SLRs (wherein one can select up to eight separate spots that get averaged to determine exposure)?

 

[Steve M.]

I don't know of any. I'll probably get some flack for saying this, but why on earth would this be a good way to meter a scene? There's always going to be some part of a shot that doesn't get metered exactly. With film you have more useable exposure range (useable vs the figures camera makers give), and even with digital I can't see the value of spot metering multiple spots in a shot. Just find the area you are most interested in and go with that reading, or fudge it a little bit to account for others. Multi spot metering sounds needlessly complicated, and I suppose that's why only a few manufacturers have seen fit to offer it.

Nikon's matrix metering probably works in a way similar to multi spot metering. I have that on my camera, but never use it as it almost always is the same as my center weighted meter readings. Here's an interesting article below on metering.

Years ago I went into the Organ mountains around Las Cruces with a pro large format photographer. He took out his uber expensive and sensitive Pentax spot meter, fussed around with multiple readings, and after calculating came up with what he said was his ideal exposure. I looked at what we were photographing, found a spot of ground nearby that had the same middle range, and metered that with my cheapo hand held meter. It was exactly the same exposure that he arrived at.

https://photographylife.com/understanding-metering-modes

 

[Huss]

Using my Olympus OmD, I never even pay attention to the metering patterns. As it has a WYSWIG EVF, I just view the scene and use the exposure compensation to get what I want.

 

[raid]

Canon F1N has spot meter (screens) that I liked to use, but I also used a hand held Pentax digital spotmeter. Transparency film required such accuracy in metering.

 

[jamesmck]

I agree with Steve and Huss that exposure compensation with the WYSWYG in the viewfinder lessens the need for multi-spot metering (or even messing with the histogram), though spot metering of one important area might speed up the process. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[kangaroo2012]

Movie makers have used incident meters forever.
That way you measure the light falling on the subject and you can use
the appropriate compensation for the tones in the subject, eg. black or light backgrounds.
Worked for me with Kodachrome for years.

 

[Huss]

Movie makers have used incident meters forever.
That way you measure the light falling on the subject and you can use
the appropriate compensation for the tones in the subject, eg. black or light backgrounds.
Worked for me with Kodachrome for years.

The OP is talking about a digital Olympus camera, with built in metering that has a real time Electronic View Finder that instantly shows you what your exposure is on that image.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

The OP is talking about a digital Olympus camera, with built in metering that has a real time Electronic View Finder that instantly shows you what your exposure is on that image.

I have an Olympus Pen-F. The real-time exposure preview in the finder sounds cool, but I found it to be not very accurate in practice. An incident meter is still the most accurate way to determine exposure in most circumstances with a digital camera.