correct metering,bad focus, or correct focus bad metering.an

[schmintan]

ive had a point and shoot digicam for years but just got my first camera with manual settings, the panasonic FZ7. my question is this. as with most camras, when you hold down the shutter button half way the camera autofucuses and sets the metering for light. what if the subject you want to focus in on is too bright or too dark? then your photo wont have the proper exposure, or if you meter on an object of the correct brightness, your subject will prob be out of focus when you move back. is using manual focus the only answer to this?

[E.T]

Then I myself move thumb little and scroll control dial to change exposure compensation which alters exposure from that set by camera's metering.
But don't ask what kind morse coding it requires in menu surfing P&S.

Also there's different metering modes, for example spot metering which meters exposure from small area instead of whole frame. (which coupled with movable focus point can be used to set focus and metering according to object even somewhere else than in center) Also for that... don't ask me but consult camera's manual.

schmintan wrote:

ive had a point and shoot digicam for years but just got my first camera with manual settings, the panasonic FZ7. my question is this. as with most camras, when you hold down the shutter button half way the camera autofucuses and sets the metering for light. what if the subject you want to focus in on is too bright or too dark? then your photo wont have the proper exposure, or if you meter on an object of the correct brightness, your subject will prob be out of focus when you move back. is using manual focus the only answer to this?

You are asking the same question 2 ways. You can spot meter the subject to give them the proper exposure (although the rest of the image may be lighter or darker than you want).

Where you focus should be done from wherever you are going to be shooting from. The simplest thing would to use center point metering & focus point, aim your camera's center spot at the subject, press the shutter button half way, recompose & shoot.

[Norm in Fujino]

Different manufacturers handle this in different ways, and I'm totally unfamiliar with the Panasonic, so I'd check the instructions, but. . .
Many Olympus cameras have an AEL (auto-exposure lock) button (or alternately auto focus lock button), that allows you to lock the exposure on one part of the image, then recompose and focus on another part of the scene. I would check the instructions for your camera and see if something similar is not available. If it isn't, the best thing to do is to check the exposure values returned on the part of the scene you want the exposure to be set for, then set the camera for manual mode and set the shutter/aperture for those values, then recompose/focus on the scene you want to take. You should be able to do all that in manual mode by looking at the +/- indicators in the viewfinder (assuming the Pany has them) as you adjust the shutter/aperture.