I'm not an expert, but of the 3 above I like your last shot best, the (so-called waxy) OOC one 2nd, and your Iridient thing least. I guess this proves your point that the jpegs could be better, but I really don't think it's as bad as you make out.
Yes I realise there are workarounds such as the AE-L or AE-F buttons or focus and recompose, but these are workarounds. There's little point to having a movable selectable focus box if you can't meter on that point when you choose spot metering. The suggestion that one should apply care when using spot metering is specious - I choose spot metering precisely because I need that spot metered - duh! The other options are averages. Occasionally I need to spot meter - e.g. a brightly lit day and I'm shooting a bird in a tree. The subject is in shadow and so an accurate metering of the subject is essential, but the framing could have bright highlights in it. Typical and not unreasonable.
As for the suggestion to buy an X30/X100T etc - what kind of solution is that for someone who already has 4 lenses?! And I dislike the X-T series because they have a central viewfinder and I am left-eyed. The XE series means I simply smudge the screen which I use rarely anyway. The X-T series means my nose gets in the way of buttons - or activates them.
Anyway, changing the camera body is a drastic option for something which is a) already fixed on the X-T, which uses the same basic hardware, and really dumb!
malteser got a reaction from Kevin B in Stop The Waxing!
malteser got a reaction from Curiojo in My problem with Spot metering...