I wonder if this thread is still live. I have had a D7200 now for 6 months and have generally been very pleased - BUT...this question of metering issues with the 7200 is one that I have recently started to worry about. I upgraded from a D90 - a camera that I do not recall causing me this issue. In Landscapes with a reasonable amount of sky any foreground is underexposed despite the meter in Matrix setting suggesting all is well. Of course I have used spot and centre weighted allied to locking exposure and re-composing but that does not seem right. I am about to head off this weekend to try various test shots before taking it in to be checked out. Before doing so just wanted to check if anything has moved on in terms of wider issue being acknolwledged by Nikon? cheers. Calum
Well depending on the specifics of the shot, it could very well be that the shot IS correctly exposed... For the sky. However, this means the foreground may be darker than you want. It's a "pick your poison" sort of issue. If you want the foreground to be more exposed than what Matrix metering is doing, you may have to do so at the expense of the sky being blown out; again, pick your poison. This is a common problem for ALL photographers: Dynamic Range.
The solution, in my opinion, is understanding fully how metering works in your camera; that the meter, really, only exposes for middle-grey. Matrix is supposed to be better at being able to determine the
type of shot you're taking (Portrait, Landscape, etc.) but I think that's more marketing than anything practical. If it works, great, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I would advise you to
assume your meter is metering for middle-grey every time, all the time. And that's a hugely important concept to understand. The meter is not trying to give you
correct exposure, meaning exposure as you see it with the naked eye; it's trying to give you CONSISTENT exposure based on middle-grey. If the camera's meter is doing that, then there is nothing wrong with your camera. The solution is to learn to use some of the information your camera can provide you so you can go from just exposing consistently for middle-grey to getting the exposure you WANT because these may be two very different things.
Fortunately there are two things your camera can show you that will help you achieve the exposure you want. The first, most critical tool, is the Histogram, the other is "Blinkies" and I don't think I can over-emphasize how important I think understanding how to read a histogram is. Understanding Blinkies is helpful, understanding histograms is essential.
These two articles will teach you everything you need to know:
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