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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joseph Bautsch" data-source="post: 15608" data-attributes="member: 654"><p>To take PavementPilot's explanation, which is correct, a little further, ISO stands for International Standards Organization. Which is incorrect, the organization that regulates digital (film) sensor sensitivity is named International Organization for Standards. Before ISO came along in the US it was regulated by the American Standards Association, or ASA. The base standard for ISO was initially established at 100. This number was used as the optimal return for grain size. Below 100 the smaller grain size that is gained becomes substantially less. Above 100 the grain increases starts to become substantially greater. (This base standard was developed for the now very old film technology.) In more recent years the fast developing digital technology has stood this standard on it's head. The development of digital sensor quality without the subsequent increases in grain size has about doubled the old standard to 200 with 400 fast on it's way to giving a grain size equal to the old standard of 100. Very substantial progress has also been made in the reduction in grain at even higher levels so that shots taken at ISO 1000 or even 2000 does not produce the very objectionable grain that it use to. There has however been something of a backlash with the development of less grain and many B&W photographers consider grain as a part of the artistic value of a B&W shot. So that there are any number of programs on the market that will emulate grain. They even go so far as too emulate the grain of specific films and film manufactures.</p></blockquote><p></p>

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