AE (Auto Exposure) Lock lets you use the exposure setting from any portion of the scene that you think is appropriate and then lock that setting in regardless of how the scene looks when you recompose. An example of this would be when you’re shooting a photograph of someone and a large amount of blue sky appears in the picture. Normally, the meter might be fooled by all that bright sky and try to reduce the exposure. Using AE Lock, you can establish the correct metering by zooming in on the subject (or even pointing the camera toward the ground), taking the meter reading and locking it in with AE Lock, and then recomposing and taking your photo with the locked-in exposure.
Shooting with the AE Lock feature
- While composing your shot, place the center focus point on an area that produces the exposure you want.
- Press the AE Lock button. A star (*) appears in your viewfinder, letting you know that the exposure has been locked.
- Recompose your shot.
- The “lock” affords some leeway: Turn the Control dial to make minor adjustments to the exposure settings. When you’re ready, take the shot.