Being a casual amateur, I am trying to determine which Elan7e metering mode will suit me best for the majority of my photos. Most of what I take are general travel photos. While Evaluative considers the whole scene, it probably doesn't do a very good job on backlight objects. If I consider Partial to be a very soft spot, and since the primary part of most photos is the area around the center, do I have a better chance at proper exposure in most cases by using Partial? Any thoughts?

-- Myer Kwavnick (kwavnick_fla@compuserve.com), August 23, 2001

Answers

There's no general rule to guide u 'which metering mode will suit me best for the majority of my photos.' Elan7(eos30) has 3 metering modes:evaluative,centerweighted and partial,each of them has its own usage for travel photography. For backlight objects,i recommend u to try BOTH the partial metering and exposure compensation(+1EV,+1.5EV.....etc) and then compare the results,see which perform better result. For me,my slr is eos300(rebel2000),which has just the metering system as elan7.i find the partial metering quite good but i prefer compensation since the operation is easier.

-- legnum (legnum212@email.com), August 23, 2001.

A couple comments based on my personal experience with the Canon Elan 7E:

I've used evaluative metering on the CE7E with backlit portraits and found the results surprisingly good.

Set Custom Function 8 to 1 to link the selected focus point to partial metering. This works with eye controlled focus so you can quickly select focus point and if you want that rendered as a medium tone you're set. (If it's a light or dark subject you can adjust accordingly.) This is a powerful capability: I leave CF8 on all the time.

Which works better: my take: I would use partial with CF8 as method of choice. But if I got in a situation where I needed to capture quick action and was in the evaluative mode I'd have good confidence in the results.

-- Rod Nygaard (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), August 23, 2001.

Thanks Rod. I guess I have to read and reread each of the Custom Functions to really understand what they mean and do. Partial with Function 8 on sounds quite good. I am in the midst of moth-balling my AE-1 for my new Elan7e. One feature I miss the most is the 1.5 stop compensation (most useful for backlit objects). While it is fixed on the AE-1 (1.5 stop), it is turned on by the press of a button and turned of by merely releasing (normal sequence of events) the button. I am a bit concerned that the reason an on/off switch is required on the Elan7e is that people were inadvertantly turning the knob. By the same token it must be consciously turned off. I imagine this is a setting that is used most for photos under very spcific circumstances (backlit). Why would they make compensation act like a permanent (semi-parmanent) setting? It is great on the AE-1. I can imagine photographing a backlit subject, turning on compensation 1-2 stops, and then fogetting to turn it back off. Rod if Partial and Function 8 really works that would solve the problem. What happens if I set to Partial and Function 8 (on), have Eye Control on, and then focus on the far left or right? How will Exposure be set if Partial does not read the far outside focusing points? Hmmmm. Rod. Back to your suggestion. Does this mean that using Partial and Custom Function 8 (on) causes the metering to be more of a spot by moving to the focusing point? Or possibly does this mean the center- weighted metering shifts toward the focusing point but remains the same size? Any more ideas? Is all this documented anywhere other than in the regular manual?

-- Myer Kwavnick (Kwavnick_fla@compuserve.com), August 23, 2001.

>One feature I miss the most is the 1.5 stop compensation (most >useful for backlit objects). While it is fixed on the AE-1 (1.5 >stop), it is turned on by the press of a button and turned of by >merely releasing (normal sequence of events) the button. I am a bit > concerned that the reason an on/off switch is required on the >Elan7e is that people were inadvertantly turning the knob. By the >same token it must be consciously turned off. I imagine this is a >setting that is used most for photos under very spcific >circumstances (backlit). Why would they make compensation act like a >permanent (semi-parmanent) setting? It is great on the AE-1. I can >imagine photographing a backlit subject, turning on compensation 1-2 >stops, and then fogetting to turn it back off.

Yes, forgetting to turn off exposure compensation is a danger that you must be aware of. The reason the camera is not designed so that you must press a button every time you want compensation is the basic assumption that you will be taking a series of photographs all dealing with the same lighting situation. For example snow scenes, where you may want 1.5 to 2 stops compensation every time. The other reason it is done this way on the Elan 7 – this camera is considered to be at the level of serious amateurs moving up to pros (& some pros use it for a light weight backup) and all of the pro cameras are designed with exposure compensation in this manner. The assumption is that a professional (or someone learning to be one) will be more aware of his/her camera settings and how to adjust them as the scene dictates. If you are looking for a down and dirty “one shot” method of controlling exposure value, utilize the AE Lock/F Lock button on the back of the camera. It’s the one with the asterisk (*). It will lock focus on whichever point you selected, and will lock the exposure reading of the metering mode you have selected. If using Partial, it will lock on 10% around the AF zone selected. Push & hold the button with the target to be exposed for in the AF zone, then recompose the scene to you desire and fully depress the shutter button. When you release the AE Lock/F Lock button, control goes back to the camera.

>Rod if Partial and Function 8 really works that would solve the >problem. What happens if I set to Partial and Function 8 (on), have >Eye Control on, and then focus on the far left or right? How will >Exposure be set if Partial does not read the far outside focusing >points?

Does it say in your manual that Partial only works in the central area? It was my understanding that the computer adjusted Partial metering to be around any focus point. The system is well able to read all of the 35 evaluative metering zones (& indeed does when left in Evaluative metering mode) – when set to Partial, it just chooses to ignore a large subset or give them reduced importance to the exposure calculation.

> Does this mean that using Partial and Custom Function 8 (on) causes >the metering to be more of a spot by moving to the focusing point? >Or possibly does this mean the center- weighted metering shifts >toward the focusing point but remains the same size? Any more ideas? >Is all this documented anywhere other than in the regular manual?

I’m a little confused here. The Elan 7 has 3 metering modes: Evaluative, 10% Partial & Center Weighted. Center Weighted is just that. It stays in the center of the viewfinder like it always has. Partial metering selects value from whichever one of the 7 AF points you’ve chosen, the value coming from an circle consisting of approximately 10% of the viewfinder area. In ECF it moves to where you look. Otherwise it moves to where you assign it with the command dial or the cool new AF point selector arrows within the command dial.

You can buy books concerning your Elan 7 that is more informative and laid out to teach you all of the features of the camera and their uses. The manual is just meant to instruct you on the cameras features and how to activate them – it isn’t designed as a tutorial on their use. Magic Lantern is one such publisher of tutorial books on cameras. If they don’t have one on the Elan 7 yet, the will soon. I’ve not used any of the guides personally, so I can’t give you my opinion on them.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 24, 2001.

Thanks for your response James. Regarding Partial Metering Mode, the manual shows a picture that encompasses the center 5 focusing points and omits the far outside points. Also, the written description for Partial Metering is as follows: 'This is effective for backlit objects. An area covering about 10% of the viewfinder screen at the center is used for metering'.

-- Myer Kwavnick (kwavnick_fla@compuserve.com), August 24, 2001.

Myer,

I don't mean to be a pain, and I certainly don't mind being corrected. However, it still sounds like you are describing center- weighted metering rather than partial. The center five focusing points would constitute more like 50% than 10% of the frame.

The Canon USA website Elan7/7E Specs (http://www.usa.canon.com/camcambin/cameras/35mm/slr/elan7_specs.html) has this to say about metering: "TTL max. aperture with a 35-zone silicon photocell. Three metering modes available: (1) Evaluative (2) 10% partial metering linkable to the focus point by Custom Function control (3) Center-weighted average metering."

"10% Partial metering linkable to the focus point" has got to mean that the 10% area can be assigned to any of the focus points. It's not that I don't believe your quoting of the manual. Perhaps it's classic Japanese-English mistranslation? :-)

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 25, 2001.

>I doubt very much if I'm in a position to correct you.

Of course you are. We’re all human (aren’t we?) :-)

> Upon reading and rereading both the description of Partial Metering in my manual and the purpose of Custom Function 8, it appears Custom Function 8 modifies the partial metering from 10% at the center to 10% at the focusing point.

Yes. Whichever one you choose. ;-) >Since you're being so tolerant of me I have another question. I understand One Shot and AI Focus. What is the purpose of AI Focus?

You repeated yourself at the end there :-o I assume that you meant to ask about Predictive AI Auto-focus. The camera has threes AF modes in addition to manual focusing, for a total of four: (1) One-Shot AF (2) Predictive AF with AI Servo AF (3) AI Focus AF (4) Manual.

1. One-Shot: Depress the shutter button slightly, the camera acquires focus at the selected focus point & then disables the AF. Press the shutter button down all the way to take the shot – or release and depress part way again to refocus on something else. Portraits, landscape, etc. – where you focus on a subject & then recompose the image in the frame.

2. Predictive: This behaves the same as One-Shot, unless it detects the subject is moving. If so, it then tries to keep the subject in focus – and when the shutter button is fully depressed, it tries to calculate where the subject will be when the light hits the film & focuses to that point. Used when you aren’t sure how you subject is going to behave (i.e. my small boys ;-) ).

3. AI Focus: The same as Predictive, except the camera continually tries to focus on whatever is at the AF focus point while the shutter button is partially depressed, rather than deactivating as it would in One-Shot mode. Used with nature photography, sporting events, et al.

4. Manual :-) When you want total control, or the scene lacks enough light or contrast for AF to work reliably.

I’m very happy to answer your questions. I suppose it has to do with my unrequited desire to be a teacher? In any case, I hope that you will keep using this forum, and share your knowledge with others as well.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 26, 2001.