Which metering mode evaluates light across the scene for a balanced exposure?

• A. Center-weighted emphasizes the center, useful for portraits.
• B. Evaluative meters light across the scene for a balanced exposure.
• C. Partial metering uses a portion of the frame.
• D. Spot meters a small area to expose for a critical detail.

Answer: (B)

Metering across the whole frame to achieve a balanced exposure is the goal of evaluative (matrix) metering. This mode analyzes light in many zones of the scene and often uses scene understanding and focus data to estimate an exposure that looks natural across the entire image. It avoids biasing too much toward bright highlights or dark shadows and aims to render midtones and overall brightness evenly, which is especially helpful when the scene has a mix of tones or the subject isn’t the only area you want properly exposed.

Other metering options emphasize a specific part of the frame: center-weighted metering shifts most of its evaluation toward the center, which works well for portraits with a centered subject but can misread scenes where the important tones aren’t in the middle. Partial metering uses a larger region than spot but still targets a portion of the frame, which can miss overall balance. Spot metering measures a tiny area to expose for a precise detail, which is great for protecting a highlight or detail in that spot but often leads to poor balance across the rest of the frame.