Slightly confused

[eon]

Hi Guys.

I wonder if you can help.

As a relative newbie, I am confused about the auto exposure lock button on my Nikon D7K.

I understand what it does (I think) but my question is this....

Most of the time I shoot manual, single point focus with centre weighted metering.

If I want to shoot a portrait and place the subject in the finished shot in the far right of frame do I place my single focus point relatively central (within the centre weighted area) so I can fix the focus point on the subjects eye, centre my meter to zero, hold down the exposure lock button with my thumb, keeping my shutter button half pressed, then move subject to the right of frame?

Daft question I know, but wont that mean that my focus will be out?

Up until now, I have been placing my subject to the right or left of frame and moving my single focus point over with the selector button, focus on the eye and shoot, but I think I may not be getting the best from the finished shot exposure wise as the camera sensor will be metering part of the background?

Thanks in advance.

[Wirefox]

M

ost of the time I shoot manual, single point focus with centre weighted metering

Then the exposure lock is not needed
and will not function. The exposure lock is for use with aperture priority mode (or Tv mode). In Av mode the camera recalculates the exposure depending where the camera is pointing. With centre weighted if you point the camera at an off centre subject to focus and then recompose then the camera will recalculate the exposure based on where you are now pointing the camera. The AE lock holds the camera exposure settings - for Av mode that will be shutter speed (and ISO if you use auto iso) at the point when you press the AE lock button. You can then recompose without the camera recalculating the exposure. The focus will be held on the subject that you were pointing at when you pressed and held the shutter half way....so you do not lose focus.

In manual you set 3 parameters to get the needle centre (or either side depending on the effect you want and the lighting conditions) - aperture, ISO and shutter speed. So you meter off the area you want to and leave the setting at that - they will not change unless you change them manually. Again focus is held as long as you keep the shutter depressed half down. I have describe common default modes on most DSLRs but you can programme the shutter and the AE lock to do different combinations of these things. My Canon also has a separate button to lock focus so the shutter can be used as AE lock whilst half depressed.

Of course you do not have to centre spot focus as you have said above. I do not know about your camera but with entry level and prosumer Canon cameras the outer focus points do not function as well as the centre spot - particularly in low light. You would have to do a google search to find out how well you peripheral focus spots function. The problem with focus recompose is that with shallow depths of field recomposing can put the focus out.

[eon]

Steve,

Many Thanks for your help and such a detailed reply, appreciate it.

Regards
Eon

[Wirefox]

No problem Eon. We all go through this stage in our learning, It will all come as second nature in a few weeks and you will be telling others how its done