Iso 64

D

Deleted

Senior Member
I am using ISO 100 as my base & generally have ISO on auto.

Should I be using ISO 64 as my base, or continue with ISO 100?

My photography includes macro, close-up & landscape.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Always use the camera's "native ISO" whenever possible as it is what the sensor records at by default. Every other ISO is either an amplification or attenuation of the original and has the potential to introduce noise and artifacts. The reason lower ISOs are there is for situations where native ISO will not allow you to achieve an exposure parameter that you need. For example, you want a 3 second water exposure and at ISO 100 and F22 you can only get 1 second, even with the 2 stop ND you brought along, so you choose one of the Lo settings allowing you to shoot without over-exposing and losing details (at the cost of potential noise).
 
D

Deleted

Senior Member
Thanks Jake.

I was inclined to change the base setting to 64, the camera default settings were at ISO 100. I wonder if there is a reason for that?
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
It's the base sensitivity of the sensor in the camera. Most Nikons are 100, Canons have been 200 for a while but some are down to 100. Native ISO is the ISO at which the sensor operates naturally. Every other ISO is a manipulation of the signal coming from the sensor. Higher ISO levels are amplified, lower levels are attenuated.

Think of an audio signal coming from you CD player. If you attenuate it (quieter) you lose some fidelity. If you amplify it (louder) at some point it will begin to distort (noise) more and more the louder you try and make it.

At native ISO everything is just as the sensor recorded it with no manipulation.

There have to be explanations out on the web somewhere, but I don't have the time to hunt it down for you.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
Gorf said:
I was inclined to change the base setting to 64, the camera default settings were at ISO 100. I wonder if there is a reason for that?
Click to expand...

FWIW, in the days of old, early Kodachrome had a rather low ISO (ISO 10, later 25, later 64). The color was good (better than other choices), but everyone was awed by sharp and clear it was. Of course, much of that was the ISO making us shoot daylight at maybe no more than f/5.6. This improved our lenses significantly (a stop or two down from maximum aperture).

Dim light was of course a downside.
 
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