Camera Fun
Senior Member
I'm looking for information on what you have set for your maximum ISO (with Auto ISO sensitivity control set to On) and why you chose it? Thanks.
D7000 and maximum ISO?
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RockyNH_RIP
Senior Member
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
No Auto-ISO here either...
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
I use it with some degree of frequency but it's pretty tightly controlled. Max ISO is 200, typically. Why? Because I don't like "noise" that comes with higher ISO's and I while I don't mind the ISO bouncing around between 100 and 200 (this allows for a little latitude with the shutter speed/dept of field) but at the same time keeps things on a pretty short leash. Flexible within controlled limits. If my ISO needs to exceed 200 then I want to evaluate why and make some decisions. I give my camera room to adjust on the fly, but I also want to stay clearly in the drivers seat.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Auto ISO does have its place. You can not just take a arbitrary reading that someone else uses and expect it to work for you in all situations. Each and every time you go out and shoot it will be different. Yesterday afternoon I was doing some shooting for my wife at a softball game. I knew that it would be changing lighting throughout the game and I would only be shooting the first part of the game and then handing the camera over to my wife for the rest. Shooting with a 55-200 zoom and lots of fast movement I knew I did not want to shoot under 1/250 of a second and I would like to keep the F Stop somewhere near the middle so I set the min shutter speed at 1/250 and it on Program and ISO at 400 with the max at 1000 most of the shots were at ISO 640 and I got great shots. I had never set the camera like this before and probably never will again BUT it worked for me this time.
You have to learn what all the setting do and how they interact and what you need by walking into a shoot and looking at it. Shoot a couple of shots to get some readings and go from there.
You have to learn what all the setting do and how they interact and what you need by walking into a shoot and looking at it. Shoot a couple of shots to get some readings and go from there.
I'm with Rocky, Kevin and Fred, I have never used auto ISO and I never will. Call me a control freak, I don't mind, but I simply refuse to relinquish control over any part of over the photographic process to a machine. I will admit that having an adjustable ISO with a digital camera is certainly a great convenience with much more flexibility over shooting film, but I still reserve the right to change it when I think it needs to be changed, rather then when the camera thinks it should be. Using auto ISO could very easily screw up the exposure particulars I had intended for that particular image. I set an exposure, either with digital or film with a particular visualization in mind.
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I shoot at ISO 200 for my D7000 as I just want to get as much out of the chip in terms of sharpness as I can. If I have no choice I might bump it up to ISO 800 but would not consider going over that (and instead just throw on the 50 mm f1.4). I'm really not fond of seeing ANY noise in an image as I don't like that sometimes obvious digital camera over-processed noise look one sees in lesser cameras, and that's one of the main reasons I go with DSLRs.
My ISO settings are based on if I'm shooting outside or indoors with little light. With good, available light I like to shoot at 200 iso. But if I was shooting inside (a gym or concert, etc) I don't mind going up to 1600 or a little higher.
Digital cameras have spoiled us with their sharpness and noise reduction, compared to shooting film when a little noise was widely acceptable.
Digital cameras have spoiled us with their sharpness and noise reduction, compared to shooting film when a little noise was widely acceptable.
I don't normally use it, but sometimes I set one of my user settings for an 'emergency' photo. Max iso of 3200, minimum shutter speed of 1/250, spot focus, spot meter. When bigfoot runs through my yard or a ufo flies over, I'll be ready. A noisy picture is better than a blurry picture. But seriously, I do use it with a user setting for a quick picture for when something unexpected happens and I might need to take a quick low-light shot without thinking.
I have used it for some low light indoor occasions too. Usually at a school function when I really don't feel like thinking and my wife says "you better take pictures".
It really comes down to what you are shooting and what is acceptable to you. You might want to lock in a range of good quality, or you might want to go with 'anything goes' as long as it's not blurry.
I have used it for some low light indoor occasions too. Usually at a school function when I really don't feel like thinking and my wife says "you better take pictures".
It really comes down to what you are shooting and what is acceptable to you. You might want to lock in a range of good quality, or you might want to go with 'anything goes' as long as it's not blurry.
You find film grain "unacceptable"? Why is that out of curiosity? Often times grain gives an image character and can add considerably to the visual impact of the image. Grain is a part of the true photographic process. One of photography's true masters, Alfred Stieglitz, used film grain to great effect in his images. People will still be talking about his images long after any of us are feeding the bugs. I honestly feel quite the opposite. I often find the "plastic" look of digital objectionable. If I want or need an image completely free of grain, I shoot with my Hasselblad. If I want to use grain, even accentuated grain, to add impact to an image, I shoot 35mm with TX and develop it "hot", ie, 75 degrees F.
Case in point. The image below was taken with a Nikon F2, 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS Nikkor, 25A filter and TX. I developed the film in D-76 1:1 at 75 degrees to accentuate the grain. My visualization for this image was to provide a spooky and eerie image. The increased grain, high contrast (due to the 25A) filter and compressed perspective of the longer focal length lens, achieved this quite well. Imagine this image taken with digital camera with its "no noise". And "grain" added in PS is a relatively poor replication of true film grain. It would have been nothing but an image of headstones in a cemetery. Blech......booooring!
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Ruidoso Bill
Senior Member
I don't use auto iso but if the situation warrants (low light no shots) I will crank mine up. I have shot at iso 3200 and sure there is some noise but still I would rather have the capture than the alternative. For those that fear the noise, I see lots of lost shots. Low light performance shots with movement require adequate shutter speed. If one is ever hired to shoot low light performance shots with no flash you sometimes have no choice.
PS: I can remember running the speed up on tri-x just to get grain...
PS: I can remember running the speed up on tri-x just to get grain...
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The auto ISO is a great feature when used properly and for the right reasons. And you must know how well your camera performs at the higher ISOs. If you have a situation where you have a shutter speed you must have and an aperture you must have, you can set the camera on manual and use auto ISO. Be sure to set a maximum you can live with which could be different on different bodies. Most newer cameras show very little difference between 100-400 with some performing very well at even higher ISOs. On my D7000 I'd set a max of 400 but on the D800 it could be 1000. And, depending on the situation and your needs, any image could be better than no image so even higher maximums could be used.
I shoot mainly sports with my D7000 and I use it all the time. Like jwstl said its a great feature.
But I would only use it in Manual mode. By using it in M mode you can control shutter speed and depth of field to what you need and let the camera set the light by the auto ISO.
I'm not trying to pick on you nor cause and uproar here.
But your pics of the Ostrich, Giraffe, and animal pictures are shot in Aperture priority mode.
I might be wrong here but what is the difference between that and using auto ISO? There is none.
When shooting in Aperture priority mode you set the ISO and aperture to your liking. Then the camera chooses the shutter speed for you. The reason the camera chooses the shutter speed for you is to set the proper amount of exposure.
The same thing as shooting in Manual mode and using auto ISO.
Like I said I'm not trying to cause any problems.
But if I have the wrong understanding here please teach me.
But I would only use it in Manual mode. By using it in M mode you can control shutter speed and depth of field to what you need and let the camera set the light by the auto ISO.
I'm not trying to pick on you nor cause and uproar here.
But your pics of the Ostrich, Giraffe, and animal pictures are shot in Aperture priority mode.
I might be wrong here but what is the difference between that and using auto ISO? There is none.
When shooting in Aperture priority mode you set the ISO and aperture to your liking. Then the camera chooses the shutter speed for you. The reason the camera chooses the shutter speed for you is to set the proper amount of exposure.
The same thing as shooting in Manual mode and using auto ISO.
Like I said I'm not trying to cause any problems.
But if I have the wrong understanding here please teach me.
MelodyTregear
Senior Member
I also prefer to change it myself....
I agree with you on this. I will preface my post by saying I am one of those who generally likes as little noise in my images as possible. It's just a personal preference. However, I shot an indoor show last year where no flash was allowed and had to crank up my ISO to 2500 and even used 2500 on some. They were a LOT more noisy than I would have liked but I managed to do a bit of clean up in LR and when I look at them, I'm so pleased to have the shots, rather than to have not had them, that I have to admit I don't notice the noise in the images unless I think about it.
Nothing wrong with having a preference or 'hating noise' .... but there are times you have to make a choice if you want those memories/images captured or stick to what you think is 'acceptable'
I have set mine to ISO 3200. It can be a bit noisy however cleans up nicely in LR. I get a charge out of these folks that say " Oh would never use auto iso" what a waste of resources. I experiment with ALL my features that my gear comes with. And why not? Even Scott Kelby & Thom Hogan use it and my gawd Scott even uses that "P" setting that is on his D4. However at the end of the day it's your camera, your photo - so it only matter to one's self.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Agreed. I tend to shoot with a lot of "automatic" features because with the mundane being taken care of by the camera, I'm free to focus (ha!) on things the camera can't handle on its own, like composition. I use only as much "Manual" as I find I need to get the shot I want. Sometimes that means a lot of camera control by default, sometimes that means going full manual. A killer shot is no more "killer" for having been shot in full manual, IMO.