The meter assumes every scene averages to middle grey, so it makes snow grey and black cats grey. The fix is one rule: whiter than average, add exposure; darker than average, subtract it. On the X-M5 you dial it with the rear command dial, up to ±5 EV.
±5.0 EV stills ±2.0 EV movie rear command dial sticky
Why the meter is wrong on purpose
The meter does not know what it is looking at. It measures brightness and assumes the average should come out middle grey. Photograph a snowy field and it decides the scene is over-lit and darkens it until the snow is grey. Photograph a black cat on a dark sofa and it brightens until the cat is grey. Put someone in front of a bright window and it averages in all that window light, darkens everything, and hands you a silhouette. Each time, the camera did exactly what it was designed to do and gave you the wrong picture.
| Scene | Compensation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Snow, white sand beach | +1 to +2 | Otherwise white renders as grey |
| White wall, pale food on a white plate | +2/3 to +1 | Same reason |
| Backlit portrait | +1 to +2 | The meter averages in the bright background |
| Overcast, even light | 0 | The meter is right |
| Normal daylight | 0 to -1/3 | Slight underexposure protects highlights |
| Bright sky over dark landscape | -1/3 to -1 | Save the sky; lift shadows later |
| Dark restaurant, concert | -1 to -2 | Keep it looking dim, because it was |
| Black cat, dark suit, night street | -1 to -1.5 | Otherwise black renders as grey |
| Sunset or silhouette | -1 to -2 | Expose for the sky and let the subject go dark |
| Spotlit performer | -1 to -2 | A spotlight fools the meter badly |
Four behaviours specific to this camera
- There is no dedicated compensation dial. By default it is the rear command dial; you can reassign the dials at SET UP > BUTTON/DIAL SETTING > COMMAND DIAL SETTING.
- In M mode it only works if ISO is AUTO. With everything manual there is nothing left for it to shift.
- The preview is less accurate beyond ±3 EV, and when dynamic range expansion is active. Judge with the histogram then.
- It is sticky. It survives switching the camera off. Checking that it is back at zero belongs in your pre-shoot routine.
Which metering mode?
| Mode | What it measures | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| MULTI | The whole frame, pattern-matched against known scene types | Almost everything. Leave it here. |
| CENTER-WEIGHTED | Mostly the middle of the frame | Consistent portrait sessions where the subject stays central |
| SPOT | A small area, optionally tied to the focus point | Stage lighting, strong backlight, one bright face in a dark room |
| AVERAGE | A flat average of the frame | Predictability across a series in even light |
The working method
Leave metering on MULTI and drive exposure with compensation, watching the histogram. It is faster than switching metering modes and it teaches you to read light. Once you use SPOT deliberately, turn on the option that ties spot metering to the focus area.
Assignment: break the meter on purpose
Find a white wall and a dark doorway. Fill the frame with each and shoot at compensation 0. Both will come out mid-grey. Now redo the white wall at +1 and +2, and the dark doorway at -1 and -2, until each looks like what your eyes see. You have just calibrated your own instinct for the rule, which is much stronger than memorising the table above.