davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Yes, I have and I use the 1-Dx as a primary body for my photography. While evaluative metering is my primary mode I do use spot metering for some interior, and certain flower shots but mostly I use it for landscapes and night shooting. While some photographers may get very technical with this feature I do not, rarely do I ever go with more than 4 or 5 different metering spots. Better eyes than mine can determine the effectiveness but I am satisfied with the mode Some discussion here has mentioned the 5DMkIV but this camera does not incorporate this feature. Fine arts and architectural photographers would benefit from it.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

In my book the spot meter not linked to the focus point is not a negative. I agree that the reviewer was meaning that the spot meter will only work with the center focus point.
For many years I used a Pentax spot meter for my b&w work. I never felt that it was obstructing my work, on the contrary it was a most important accessory to properly work with the Zone System. We did not have focus points like we do today but even a camera with a center point AF is very valuable when it comes to using spot metering.
I can vary the spot meter position with my cameras but I keep it at the center.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

If you have a spot meter and an idea how much you can safely push your exposure to the right you can use this simple but reliable technique if you are shooting in RAW. Simply identify the brightest area in the frame and spot meter on this place. It is often a cloud on a daylight shot. The meter will meter this bright area as middle gray. I know on my camera I can safely open up two and two thirds stops. I also use this method with a handheld 1 degree spot meter. The issue you can run into with a spot meter on a camera is that the spot is larger and its size varies depending upon the focal length the lens is set at for the shot.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Very much not a negative! Suppose you have an unusual lighting situation and you want to use an area such as soil to meter, since it approaches 18% gray in tonal value, but you want to spot focus on your subject's eyes. You need to have your exposure lock onto the soil and then your spot focus on the subject's eyes.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Or if you are shooting in manual just find the proper exposure of the soil with the spot meter and just shoot away or adjust after that if you want to change aperture or shutter speed for your subject. Several ways to skin the Cat...no pun intended.. Exposure lock is probably very underutilized by most people...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Presumably the AF point is right on your primary subject and when you're spot metering you want the reading taken from that subject itself (i.e., not from some other part of the image that's behind or in front of or off to one side of the subject).

While many cameras offer spot metering in the very center of the image area, some high end models offer "linking" the metering to an active AF point. Among Canon models, I think this was introduced on the EOS-1V film models. My EOS-3 could do AF linked spot metering too... although when that was enabled the number of active AF points was reduced from 45 to 13 (if memory serves). With today's Canon DSLRs, I think only the 1D-series offer AF-linked spot metering.

The advantage of AF-linked spot metering is that the subject can more easily and quickly be composed off center.

If you use "single point/center point" focusing method, you get the same effect with any camera that has centralized spot metering. But, of course, this tends to center the subject in every image. (Hint: frame the subject a little less tightly to be able to moderately crop in post-processing, so that the subject isn't always centered in the finished image.)

And with cameras that don't have AF-linked spot metering, you also can use AE Lock while spot metering the subject, then recompose to use any of the AF points. (Typically with AE Lock the meter reading will be retained as locked for some 10 or 15 seconds.)

Or, you can simply use fully Manual exposure control (no Auto ISO) to remain in any AE mode and lock in the settings after taking the readings using spot or any metering pattern you wish, whatever works best in a particular situation.

Or, Canon's Evaluative Metering or Nikon's Matrix metering can give a pretty similar effect. Those both put extra emphasis metering the area close around the active AF point(s). This is one of the key advantages of this modern metering method over "old school" metering patterns such as Center Weighted. Other brands of cameras may do similar. I'm just not familiar with them all or what they call their metering methods.

Lemon Drop Kid Loc: Greeley, CO

Once upon a time, cameras did not have built-in meters. Photographers used what was called a hand-held meter. You could point it to any position within the area of the picture you wanted to take, basing that decision on how you wanted to expose your picture. The same is true with in-camera spot metering. Point the camera's spot meter at any point within the area you want to take a picture of. Lock it in by half-pressing the shutter release button. (You don't need to use the separate time-consuming "exposure lock".) Re-frame the picture, if you want to, by moving the camera. In other words, simply use your camera meter as a hand-held meter. It's worked for me for many, many years.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Actually, it is separating the two. Few cameras are able to do that. The 1-Dx allows you to move both the metering point AND the focus point. Having both stuck in the center is a "negative" in my opinion, this allows much more freedom in composition.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

I never owned a Nikon with multiple focus points that could not do that, even my F100 and D70 with only 5 focus points.

The only case where it does not work was with non-CPU lenses.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

My 10 year old 1D Mk III allows the linking of the spot meter to the AF point and up to 8 spot meter readings to be taken as a group. So Canon has had this on the 1 series since at least 2007.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

The problem comes when the tonal value of the area you want to spot autofocus is such that it will over or under expose. When the two are linked, the black dog's nose I want to autofocus will give me an overexposed photo, and the white flower will give me a very underexposed photo. Setting up and using the exposure lock button will separate these two functions but still make it easy and fast to get the shot you want and well exposed.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Cat, you are missing the point, I think. When using the 1-Dx I can meter in one area and focus somewhere entirely different WITHOUT having to use exposure lock or re-positioning for composure. I set the camera on the tripod locked in position, focus on one area, and then meter where I choose in a separate operation. Compose, focus, and meter in one camera position. This offers easier shooting for me than what you describe. Just one opinion and it works for me.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Fine if you are using a tripod. But how many shots are taken with camera in hand versus on a tripod. I would venture to guess it is at least 100 to 1! I am speaking to the 99.

Lemon Drop Kid Loc: Greeley, CO

Right. Should have mentioned that. Another method of obtaining separation (if your camera does not have the button) is to meter as I described, then switch to manual (which sets the exposure and focus), change the exposure if necessary (Black nose, white flower), then choose another focus point