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Re: [OM] Real time spot metering (was: OM-2000 queries)

Subject: Re: [OM] Real time spot metering (was: OM-2000 queries)
From: "Mark Hammons" <astair@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 19:37:10 -0600
>Is there any way to freeze a real-time spot meter reading (as in
>exposure lock) on the OM-2SP and the OM-4Ti?
>
>regards
>

Owning both cameras, I'll give this explanation a try.

The OM-2S spot meter, when activated by going to Manaul
exposure mode, works continuously always -- you cant change that.
The idea is to meter on something that you want to be exposed as
Zone "Whatever" and then make sure your exposure indicates the
appropriate "Zone" reading.  When setting the exposure you are
"locking in" the aperture and speed combo to give you the desired
exposure.  So the exposure "lock" is by virtue of the fact that it is in
Manual mode.  This also makes it OK for the Spot meter to always
be "ON" in Manual mode.

The OM-4[T(i)] spot metering works different.  Firstly, Spot metering
is available in Manual and Auto Exposure modes.  And it doesn't
turn ON till the first time you press the SPOT button.  But each time
you hit the SPOT button locks the exposure to that SPOT value averaged
with whatever previous SPOT values you have entered since the last
time that SPOT mode was entered.  After hitting Spot once, twice or
several times, the diamonds in the speed display are set for each
of the respective values.  During this time there is a "floating" diamond
that reflects the instantaneous spot reading of whatever is being pointed
at, but that is not part of the exposure calculation until you hit the
SPOT button again.  So have have to COMMAND the camera when
to "use" a spot reading -- and you can do this as many time as
you want and it will average the readings.  If you do it more than
8 times before snapping a picture it will keep a running average of the
last 8 spot readings.  After taking the picture the Spot metering value
is forgotten by the camera and Spot mode deactivated - forcing you
to hit spot again.  This is true UNLESS  you set the exposrure MEMORY,
in which case the exposure value is remembered for subsequent
pictures.  You can clear the exposure memory using the CLEAR
lever.

Hope this explains the difference in philosophy.  If I'm not doing multi-spot
metering I much prefer the OM-2S because its simpler, IMHO to use in
SPOT-Manual mode than the OM-4[T(i)] is.


Mark Hammons


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