The Canon Rebel T6i has four metering modes. These modes adjusts how the camera evaluates and compensates exposure, and all four are individually useful for enhanced compositional control.
Metering Modes can be selected either through the Quick Settings by opening the Metering Mode menu (two brackets surrounding a circle with a dot) or the Metering Mode menu in the second tab of the Settings Menu.
- Evaluative metering is the mode automatically selected in basic zone modes (Auto, Flash Off, Creative Auto, an Scene modes. Check out our article Shooting Modes on Canon T6i for more). Evaluative metering uses the majority of the frame to automatically set exposure.
- Partial Metering sets exposure using a weighed center. This mode is useful for exposing the photo almost exclusively to your subject.
- Spot metering is similar to Partial, but with an even tighter exposure point, and can be used for when wanting to expose only according to the lighting on your subject.
- Center-weighted Average metering takes the exposure from a larger center then averages across the entire frame. The mode is useful when very even exposure across the scene is necessary or desired.
For all but Evaluative metering, exposure will be set automatically when a photo is taken. Evaluative metering will set exposure only after the shutter button is pressed halfway.