Nikon 55 Digital Camera User Manual


 
34
About
Metering
Systems
and
Exposure
............................
1
...................................
.
Metering
systems
and exposure are
important
factors
for
taking pictures.
Knowing
the
characteristics
of
each
factor
helps
you
widen
your
photographic
expression .
Metering Systems
As
the proper combination of shutter speed and aperture for correct exposure
is determined according
to
subject brightness and film sensitivity, measuring
subject brightness is very important.
In
general, brightness inside the viewfinder is not uniform. The N55 provides
two metering systems:
Matrix Metering (page
28)
and Center Partial
Metering
(page
60)
. With Matrix Metering, data on scene brightness is
detected by the five-segment Matrix sensor. Using G- or O-type Nikkor lenses,
the N55 camera performs
3D Matrix Metering by adding distance information
to
determine correct exposure. With Center Partial Metering, brightness is
detected at the central areas including three focus areas
in
the viewfinder. With
the N55,
Matrix Metering
is
automatically selected when the exposure mode
is
set to other than Manual and Center Partial Metering is selected with
Manual exposure mode .
Exposure
Light from the subject passes through the lens and exposes the film. Light
reaching the film is controlled by the shutter speed and aperture. The proper
combination of shutter speed and aperture for subject brightness and film
sensitivity results
in
the correct exposure.
The N55's AUTO mode (page
28)
, Auto-Multi Program (page
54)
and Vari-
Program (page
36)
automatically control shutter speed and aperture.
Vari
-
Program gives you the option to choose from Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up,
Sports Continuous or Night Portrait
mode-designed
for specific picture-
taking situations and photographic images.
In
Shutter-Priority Auto exposure
mode (page
56)
, you can manually set shutter speed and the camera
automatically sets the proper aperture.
In
Aperture-Priority Auto exposure
mode (page
58)
, you can manually set aperture and the camera automatically
sets the proper shutter speed.
In
Manual exposure mode (page
60)
, you
manually set both shutter speed and aperture.