EOS R5 Mark II Light Metering Only Recognizes Center of Image

[tomasese]

I do residential photography for real estate.  I shoot brackets of 5.  Whenever I have a bright window that has to be in the center of the shot the light metering only seems to recognize the center.  It doesn't matter how it is set, I get the same result.  I can see out the window but nothing in the room I'm shooting.  Anyone that can shed some light on this would be greatly appreciated. 

[deebatman316]

The light from the window is fooling the camera's light meter. If the light is bright it will cause the camera to underexpose the shot. Your camera's light meter sees stuff in gray and will always try to expose for this. So if the light is very bright the resulting picture will be dark. To prevent this from happening you will have to shoot in manual mode and overexpose the shot. Or you could you use one of the Semi Automatic Modes such as Av Mode and add exposure compensation. What mode are you shooting in if the ISO is set to Auto then the light meter will always be in the center. It will only move if you set exposure compensation.

[kvbarkley]

What metering mode are you set to?

[tomasese]

C3 AV mode all shots taken at F8 and ISO 400. 5 shots the center at -2/3 then -2 2/3 and so on for both + and -. Evaluative metering but that doesn't matter I can change that and it's the same result in all metering modes.

[tomasese]

It doesn't matter, I get the same result with all of them.

[tomasese]

I might also mention that this didn't happen with my 5D Mk 4

[Waddizzle]

“  Evaluative metering but that doesn't matter I can change that and it's the same result in all metering modes. “

I, too, wanted to know what metering mode and shooting mode that you were using.  It makes a difference, depending upon what AF mode you are using and where in the frame the locked AF point is located when the shutter is fired,

Your R5ii behaves in the same way as the 5D4. The primary difference is the number of AF points.  And, I don’t want to discuss the 5D4 any further.  It’s off topic. 

If you are capturing brackets from a tripod, is the lens still in AF mode?  If so, have you checked to see where your active and locked AF point is located?

If the AF system is not active when the shutter fires, then the camera, and DPP4, will not display the AF point, and it will meter the scene from the center.

If you set the entire exposure manually with the lens prefocused and set to MF, then you would not be experiencing exposure issues. I believe the camera will vary shutter speed for the exposure brackets. 

[tomasese]

It's set to Expand AF area: Around.  If I move it to outside the bright area it doesn't change anything. Yes it's on a tripod.  Setting entire exposures manually isn't feasible.  It does vary the shutter speeds, just not enough. 

[Waddizzle]

“ It's set to Expand AF area: Around.  If I move it to outside the bright area it doesn't change anything. Yes it's on a tripod.  Setting entire exposures manually isn't feasible.  It does vary the shutter speeds, just not enough.  “

How are you making the determination that the camera is metering at the center?

I already explained why it meters from the center.  Have you checked to see where your locked AF point is located, if any?  This should be the first thing to check.  What did the camera actually do?

Depending on Metering Mode, AF Mode, AF System State (active or inactive), and the location of an active and locked AF point, it one was captured, the camera will meter a scene in different ways.

[Waddizzle]

“ It's set to Expand AF area: Around.  If I move it to outside the bright area it doesn't change anything. Yes it's on a tripod.  Setting entire exposures manually isn't feasible.  It does vary the shutter speeds, just not enough.  “

” C3 AV mode all shots taken at F8 and ISO 400. 5 shots the center at -2/3 then -2 2/3 and so on for both + and -. Evaluative metering but that doesn't matter I can change that and it's the same result in all metering modes. “

I do not understand your comment about not having enough range. Are you trying to adjust for 2Ev between shots and have the camera create the final image?