ABSTRACT
The following exposure guidelines can deliver acceptable exposures
under a wide variety of conditions with a minimum of fuss.
Camera Light Meters Are 18 Percent Gray Contrast Built-in camera exposure meters are the device most of us initially
employ to make our exposure calculations. All DSLRs have sophisti-
cated thru-the-lens (TTL) metering system that makes getting a good
automatic exposure in most situations a sure thing. However, there
are particular times when you want to change the exposure mode
from Automatic and make specifi c exposure decisions. The more you
know about the camera’s metering system, the greater the likelihood
you will use it to achieve your desired exposure. All meters are par-
tially blind; they see only a middle 18 percent gray refl ectance. This
18 percent refl ectance reading tells the photographer that if the object
the meter is reading is a middle gray or averages out to be a middle
gray, this is how the camera should be set for an average exposure.
