jollyjocky Loc: lincolnshire uk.

which metering mode for monochrome photography; using a 17-70mm f2.8-4.0 lens for architecture and portraits. thanks for any advice offered.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

What are the choices on your camera? What is the lighting for the portraits? What is the lighting for the architecture? What is it about that lens that you think it would be different than any other?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You will find many recommendations to shoot in color and convert in post-processing because you'll be able to achieve better tonal range and control.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

See Bills reply below your opening post.

Your settings will depend on your gear. Once we know what you are shooting and the gear you are using, then people who own the same can tell you HOW to shoot it.

GOOD LUCK!

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

metering is no different between color or mono.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

If you shoot in raw it shouldn't make any difference, since all the data is retained regardless of whether the picture mode is set to mono or color. In fact if you open a raw monochrome image in Lightroom 5, I believe it will open in color simply because it ignores the in camera settings. The advantage to shooting in raw monochrome for me is that B&W is a different medium with a concentration on line, shape, texture, mood, intensity, and tonal qualities, which could effect how you frame your composition.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

^^^Yep. :thumbup:

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Does your camera show the scene in b&w on the viewfinder, then? The only way I can do that in my Canon T3i is "creative auto" which gives me no control over aperture or ISO :|

I spent a year learning b&w film many years ago, so I understand and agree with your mention of what's important. I've tried going out on photo shoots trying to "see" exclusively in b&w, and now find it much more of a challenge (am so out of practice!) than back then :)

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

^^^Linda is right; there is SKILL required to spot an image that will work well in B&W. :thumbup:

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I also responded to your PM with this identical post.

I have a Canon 60D and shoot 100% in raw. I'm in manual mode most of the time. Maybe 10-15% of the time I use Av mode. Occasionally when I don't want to have to play around with settings as much and am less concerned with the aperture, I use P mode.

Of course the view finder only shows the scene in color. But that would be a neat feature if a through the lens optical view finder could display what you see in monochrome. But beyond that, If I use the viewfinder for capturing images, I can view those images on the LCD screen in mono and take a second shot as needed. Or, I can just use Live View which does display the scene in monochrome before I take the shot. I find any of the auto or creative modes way too limiting. There is no way, for instance to select focus points or as you point out, adjust the aperture or ISO. In M, Av, Tv, and P modes you can change the picture style to monochrome and still have complete control over everything. To me, there is no sense shooting in monochrome unless you are shooting in raw. If you shot jpeg, among other things, you can't convert the image back to color.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Absolutely. Choosing the subject and getting it right in monochrome is really difficult.

jollyjocky Loc: lincolnshire uk.

hi linda, thank you very much for your reply, as you may of guessed I have only recently decided to take up b/w photography, my main reason for this move is because I have become not, uninterested but less motivated to do color, I decided after looking back at my past attempts, years ago when I was very young and having a fascination with photography, that maybe this was what I should explore in some depth. I think I had better stop here, before I bore you to death, anyhow thanks again.