How exactly do use the light meter in a digital camera ? Am using an Olympus E-500?

Question

I am a beginner to digital photography and have gained a half decent grasp of many of the important concepts ie. white balane, shutter speeds, f values etc but I am not quite sure how toi meter light.

I understand the concept of metering light but I am not sure how to do it.

Do I simply point the camera at the area where I want to meter from or do I have to press the shutter or something else.

I know that i have to half press the shutter to focus, I am just not quite sure at what point the metering comes in to the equation.

Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

Most digital cameras (and, for that mater, most other cameras with auto focus and auto exposure) have an instruction that has the operator press the shutter half way down for a moment before pressing it fully.

This halfway step starts the auto focus and exposure features. Some cameras will flash a light next to the screen or within the viewfinder, such as a yellow or red light while the camera sets itself, then green, to tell the operator that it is ready to shoot.

You really must read the manual for more specific details on this feature. It is very handy, and can be used to great advantage in tricky lighting and focusing situations. For example, if your subject is in a low, bad light, but the rest of the frame is well lit, you can trick the camera into exposing your subject properly by making sure the central, critical area in the viewfinder is exposing the poorly lit part. You can even aim the camera at one thing while getting the focus and exposure for it, then reaim the camera to frame it differently when you shoot.

Knowing your camera's features, and how to use them will result in a lot more good pictures, and a lot less of them being deleted, or missed entirely.

Answer 2

You need the book "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson, available at Amazon or your local bookseller.
Take control of your camera in the manual mode, and a new world awaits!

I shoot Nikon, so not sure how many exposure modes the Olympus has, but many have a "matrix" or averaging meter, a center-weighted meter, and many also have a spot meter. The difference is in how much area is measured, with spot being usually just a few degrees.

You could also buy a handheld incident meter for exact readings. Your camera reads reflected light, which is why it can be fooled by backlight, or bright things like snow or beach or reflections off the water. An incident meter reads the light that is falling on the subject, thus giving you the "correct" exposure.

Good luck with your new camera!

Answer 3

you press the flash button