Exposure and Metering Flashcards

What is the purpose of a 'false color' exposure tool found in many cinema cameras and video monitors?

Answer: To display different exposure levels as distinct colors, helping videographers identify overexposed and underexposed areas at a glance

False color overlays different colors onto exposure zones (e.g., red for clipping, pink for near-clipping, green for 18% gray) making it quick to identify exposure issues in video.

When using flash photography in a bright environment, what is the 'flash sync speed' limitation?

Answer: The fastest shutter speed at which the entire sensor is exposed at once, above which a dark band appears

Above the sync speed (typically 1/200–1/250s), the shutter curtain begins to cover part of the sensor before the flash fires, producing a dark band across the image.

How does a polarizing filter affect exposure, and how should the photographer compensate?

Answer: It typically reduces light by 1.5–2 stops, requiring a wider aperture, slower shutter, or higher ISO

A polarizing filter blocks certain light waves and typically reduces exposure by 1.5–2 stops, which must be compensated by adjusting aperture, shutter, or ISO.

What is 'zebra striping' in video camera exposure tools?

Answer: Diagonal animated stripes overlaid on areas of the image approaching or exceeding a set brightness threshold

Zebra stripes are animated diagonal lines the camera overlays on image regions reaching a defined IRE brightness level, warning the videographer of overexposure risk.

A photographer shoots a snowy winter scene and the result looks gray and muddy. What is the MOST likely cause and fix?

Answer: The camera metered the bright snow and underexposed the scene; apply +1 to +2 stops of positive exposure compensation

The camera's meter tries to render the bright snow as 18% gray, underexposing the scene; dialing in +1 to +2 EV correction restores the snow's white appearance.

What is 'base ISO' on a digital camera, and why is it generally preferred when image quality is the priority?

Answer: The native ISO at which the sensor operates with its best signal-to-noise ratio and full dynamic range

Base ISO is the sensor's native operating sensitivity — typically ISO 100 or 200 — where it delivers the highest dynamic range and lowest noise before analog gain amplification degrades the signal.

Which of the following scenarios would MOST likely cause a camera's evaluative/matrix meter to produce an inaccurate exposure?

Answer: Photographing a subject in high-contrast lighting with a very bright background and a very dark subject

High-contrast backlighting — a bright background with a dark subject — frequently fools multi-segment meters into underexposing the subject because the bright areas dominate the calculation.