Metering compensation
A reflected-light meter assumes everything is mid-grey. Bright scenes come out grey and muddy; dark scenes come out washed. Pick the scene to see how much to compensate.
Add exposure (+) for bright scenes so they stay bright; take it away (−) for dark scenes. Colour negative film loves a little extra; slide film needs a lighter touch.
About this tool
Reflective meters aim for mid-grey, so bright snow comes out grey and dark scenes come out muddy. This tool lets you pick a tricky scene such as snow, beach, backlit, or dark subject and enter your metered shutter, then returns the exposure compensation in stops and the corrected shutter. It keeps whites white and shadows rich.
How to use it
- Select the scene type, such as snow, beach, backlit, or a dark subject.
- Enter the shutter speed your meter reads for the scene.
- Read the exposure compensation in stops the tool recommends.
- Apply the corrected shutter speed, opening up for bright scenes and closing down for dark ones.
FAQ
Why does snow trick a light meter?
Meters assume the scene averages to mid-grey, so a bright snow field is read as too bright and underexposed. Adding one to two stops restores it to white.
Which way do I compensate for a dark subject?
Give less exposure. The meter tries to brighten a dark scene to grey, so reducing exposure keeps blacks looking black.