ISO Limits

**ccf15** · 02-11-2019, 11:51 PM

What do you set as your upper and lower limits in the ISO settings? I need to reduce the noise so I can do post-production, but I don’t want to handcuff myself.

I shoot birds outdoors (primarily raptors) both perched and in-flight.

I was thinking 100/400 or maybe 100/800?

Thanks,
CC

2017 D3400
Nikkor AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
Nikkor AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED

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**nickt** · 02-12-2019, 01:53 AM

No limit for me. I shoot birds with minimal manual settings and auto iso. Lowest handheld shutter speed and almost wide open. Iso can go as high as it wants. If I know the light is poor, I'll open my lens wide open but I normally like it down one stop for better sharpness. For me, no point in limiting my iso, it is what it is since I'm already at my lowest shutter speed and wide open. If its too grainy, it wasn't meant to be but I might as well have the shot to play with.

**nickt** · 02-12-2019, 02:12 AM

Here is a shot I took last year. I had just stepped outside and saw a heron. I hadn't set the camera yet, but just put the camera up and took a quick shot without thinking. I ended up having a shutter speed way slower than I'm comfortable holding and I had some exposure comp dialed in and ended up over exposing. That probably helped keep the noise down. I played with it later and got something reasonable. Sigma 150-600, 1/320, ISO 25600! Shot raw, processed in LR.

original

**Roy1961** · 02-12-2019, 04:33 AM

and i thought 2000 was high, maybe i need to look a LR again......

**mikew** · 02-12-2019, 08:17 AM

Its not a straight answer,noise is better than camera shake, each camera model may handle noise different,how much noise can you stand.
The main let downs of high iso are cropping and incorrect exposure, i cap mine at 6400

Example at 6400 no NR