A light metering mode found on most cameras. Also spelled center-weighted. The meter measures the light across the whole frame, but it gives most of the weight to the central area. This works well when the main subject is in the middle of the picture.
It is a simple system and not always accurate. For example, a bright sky or a dark background can still affect the reading. But because it is simple, its mistakes are easier to predict than those of more complex modes such as evaluative metering.
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