Inconsistent exposures

[Marcel]

One exception - of a different kind... Flash indoors with most TTL BL flash units (like SB-700, SB-400, camera internal flash, Yongnuo TTL flashes, etc)... Any of those TTL flashes without an overt TTL BL / TTL menu themselves will be TTL BL (Nikon is a TTL BL system).

Spot metering changes their metering from TTL BL to be TTL, which is more appropriate for indoor flash. Flash never does spot metering, it has its own larger center area it always uses. But indoors (assuming the desired low ISO), the ambient light is normally low level, insignificant, we are using flash instead. Then when insignificant, there is basically no meaningful metering of the ambient light indoors, Spot or otherwise. So typically, with indoor flash, Spot metering only changes the flash out of TTL BL mode, to TTL mode, which usually usually gives a better flash level indoors.

Outdoors for fill flash in sunlight, the default TTL BL mode is about "perfect".

Yes, and one has to remember to revert the metering mode to Matrix when going shooting something else without the flash or serious exposure inconsistencies will be noticed. Don't even ask me how I know.

 

[Jules]

This is a good checklist, from Mike Hagen, I have printed it off and have it in several palces about me when I go out with the D610, I'm incredibly forgetful!
http://visadventures.com/downloads/D610_Setup_Guide.pdf
For other Models:
https://visadventures.com/shop/category/camera-setup-guides/
I know you were using spot metering but you'd get better consistancy in most normal situations from Matrix, with a caveat, you'll have to tweak it a little first.
This has helped me tremendously with Matrix metering on the D610:
Look up custom setting b5:
b5: Fine-tune Optimal Exposure (P. 226 in the manual)
I've set matrix metering to -2/6 stop all the time, and my exposures are almost always spot-on!

I have also turned off the blinkies on the review screen as they are totally inaccurate, they pretty much just blink all the time, they are a bad judge! YMMV:indecisiveness:
Just a suggestion but please remember that you did it, just in case, hence making my own version of Mike Hagens checklist ...