Auto ISO

badboy1984

badboy1984

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Just want to ask the auto iso user here. I don't normally use auto ISO, i always adjust iso manually but for what ever reason i decided i got the idea of using auto iso for certain situation.

i.e to shoot stuff where i won't have too much time to adjust setting? So i set aperture, shutter speed and let the camera set the iso right?
 
badboy1984 said:
Just want to ask the auto iso user here. I don't normally use auto ISO, i always adjust iso manually but for what ever reason i decided i got the idea of using auto iso for certain situation.

i.e to shoot stuff where i won't have too much time to adjust setting? So i set aperture, shutter speed and let the camera set the iso right?
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Yes, in manual mode you select shutter speed and aperture, camera adjusts ISO, you can still tweak the exposure using the plus/minus EV setting
 
Guessing you probably know this, but you can also limit the range of auto ISO to keep some control of it, i.e. auto selection between 100 and 400.
I use auto up to 800 as I am lazy! and usually in aperture priority but I do find that even with that 3 stop range the camera is continually changing the ISO to optimise shutter speed so I never know what ISO I am going to get so make sure the upper limit is one I am happy with.
 
I use Auto iso and manual or aperture priority mode as my default setting. I've also set parameters to stop it shooting above 1600 and below 1/80. This is perfect for everyday use.
 
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I usually just do the iso manually when i do walkaround and holiday since i can adjust iso without worry too much.

I start assisting my friend on wedding and sport shoots so i want to concentrate on framing rather then adjusting setting. I usually just use manual mode to set shutter speed, aperture and iso till i expose the shot correctly but as you all know lighting can change during the day so having auto iso to compensate that automatically would be nice.
 
badboy1984 said:
I usually just do the iso manually when i do walkaround and holiday since i can adjust iso without worry too much.

I start assisting my friend on wedding and sport shoots so i want to concentrate on framing rather then adjusting setting. I usually just use manual mode to set shutter speed, aperture and iso till i expose the shot correctly but as you all know lighting can change during the day so having auto iso to compensate that automatically would be nice.
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In manual mode and auto ISO, you can always keep an eye on what the camera is selecting in the viewfinder, if it starts getting too high you can adjust the shutter speed or aperture to reign it in.

Personally I think that Nikons auto ISO is superb, I have been using it for years, the only time I revert to manual ISO is for long exposure night time shots.
 
thanks Martyn i shall give that a tried over the weekend to get familiar with auto iso lol.
 
That is sort of the point of Auto though isn't it. :)

Seems to contradict using manual to me so odd to hear people using auto ISO and manual as presumably if interferes a bit?
 
Auto ISO has a role for some situations where you are not sure about the lighting and if you do not want to use flash.
 
ernesto said:
That is sort of the point of Auto though isn't it. :)

Seems to contradict using manual to me so odd to hear people using auto ISO and manual as presumably if interferes a bit?
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It works differently on Nikon to Canon, or at least it used to on the older Canon models.

The reason I use it this way is that I usually want a particular shutter speed, and a particular aperture (most of the time with my birding shots) the exposure is adjusted with the ISO, seems logical to me. If I need to increase or decrease the exposure to compensate I dial in some +/- EV, all of which I can do without taking my eye from the viewfinder.

I aim to be at 1/1000 sec and f7.1, however I am always monitoring the ISO setting in the viewfinder, and will adjust the shutter speed or aperture to reign it in if it starts getting higher than I want.

I am just using the tools to the maximum of their ability, and I am not saying that it is for everyone, but for what I shoot where the subject may only be there for a second it is a great help.

I am not going to tell anybody how they should take photo's that is up to them, but I manage to get pretty decent results the way I do it, so will always pass on my experience when asked.:thumbs:
 
ernesto said:
That is sort of the point of Auto though isn't it. :)

Seems to contradict using manual to me so odd to hear people using auto ISO and manual as presumably if interferes a bit?
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You use manual because you know what shutter speed and aperture you need for the situation you are in, you then let AutoISO determine the ISO for the correct exposure. Seems a pretty sensible option to me. No different from using the camera's meter and centering the needle (using whatever metering system you need for that situation) using the iso button and dial.

Nothing at all like using an auto mode.
 
gramps said:
I think that's a very valid point, in some circumstances you need every 'speed' help you can get
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I found a method that works perfectly for me, I can make adjustments without too much thinking, this leaves me to concentrate on the important things like subject and framing, and what did I put in my sandwich box :D
 
thats why i said i want to use it for certain situation lol. Getting the job done is more important then not getting the shot and feel sorry afterwards lol.

shooting a wedding in the church with very bad lighting is pain so auto iso would help me get the job done without adjusting the iso manually and miss the shot.
 
redddraggon said:
You use manual because you know what shutter speed and aperture you need for the situation you are in, you then let AutoISO determine the ISO for the correct exposure. Seems a pretty sensible option to me. No different from using the camera's meter and centering the needle (using whatever metering system you need for that situation) using the iso button and dial.

Nothing at all like using an auto mode.
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WHS
 
redddraggon said:
You use manual because you know what shutter speed and aperture you need for the situation you are in, you then let AutoISO determine the ISO for the correct exposure. Seems a pretty sensible option to me. No different from using the camera's meter and centering the needle (using whatever metering system you need for that situation) using the iso button and dial.

Nothing at all like using an auto mode.
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Okay, understood.
I didn't suggest it was like using an auto mode, my 'the point of Auto' comment was referring to the comment above it giving the camera too much license when using Auto ISO.
 
ernesto said:
Okay, understood.
I didn't suggest it was like using an auto mode, my 'the point of Auto' comment was referring to the comment above it giving the camera too much license when using Auto ISO.
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Well only as much as shooting in Aperture or shutter priority. Your just setting 2 of the 3 points of the exposure triangle and letting the camera decide the 3rd.

No one is suggesting to shoot 100% this way its great for around the house shooting the kids etc.. If i was setting up a portrait or shooting landscapes or gigs where you have a little more time then i turn it off.
 
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I use auto iso on my D7000 all the time. Really useful function and, as has been mentioned, you can set the parameters it works in. So you can set the lowest (100) and highest you want to go to. Depending on your camera don't be afraid to use the higher numbers. I've got auto iso set to a max of 6400 which still gives acceptable quality shots and allows a lot of latitude when it comes to shutter speed.
 
The high ISO performance of sensors is the area that has improved over the last few years and even on an entry level camera ISO 800 is great so sticking to 100 could be putting in a false constraint
 
snipsnap said:
I learned in the days of black and white and 100 iso film.

When the 200 iso came out it wasn't very good to begin with but did improve.

Then 400 came out, etc.

I guess it's because it's how I started but I tend to use 100 nearly all the time now I've started to use the manual mode.
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Your probably right not to go over 200 on a bridge or compact camera, 400 is pushing it. There small sensors can't really cope with much more.
 
I think the whole topic was to discuss about using auto iso in critical situation. critical situation as in you can't afford to start flaffing with settings. Thats the time when some of us use auto iso.
 
Martyn... said:
The reason I use it this way is that I usually want a particular shutter speed, and a particular aperture (most of the time with my birding shots) the exposure is adjusted with the ISO, seems logical to me. If I need to increase or decrease the exposure to compensate I dial in some +/- EV, all of which I can do without taking my eye from the viewfinder.:
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+1 to this.

As a beginner I've just about got my head around how aperture, shutter and ISO affect the exposure of a photo. Majority of my photography is wildlife so I usually want to use a certain shutter speed to freeze the action, a certain aperture to control the depth of field so auto ISO gives me the correct exposure. I review the ISO regularly to try to keep it as low as possible, changing either the shutter or aperture or using EV compensation.

For a beginner auto ISO is a brilliant function and is very useful. I would love to be able to select the right ISO, shutter and aperture, but for me at the moment capturing a well composed image sharply is the most important thing, using any tools available helps me do this.
 
I only use Auto ISO when the light is changing and I don't have the time to change the ISO to compensate for it. I mostly use it on holiday when, when I may be in an open bright square one moment, and down a narrow dark street the next. I only started using it when Nikon started giving more control over when it changes. I normally have my 16-85mm lens on, so set my minimum shutter speed to 1/80th sec, and a max ISO of 800. That could sometimes mean that I could be losing two stops if my lens was at 16mm, where I could probably get away with 1/20th sec.

The Auto ISO on my Canon S95 can be all over the place, and raising the ISO to give faster shutter speeds than there needs to be. :( So it's not a feature I try to use at all on that camera. :shake:

On some of the latest cameras, the minimum shutter speed can be set to the reciprocal of the focal length, or offset from that if you have shaky or steady hands, before it raises the ISO. I can't believe they have taken so long to implement such a feature. :bonk:
 
Ideally you would be able to program the aperture, shutter and ISO dependant on what mode you are in, as an example in Aperture priority;
If shutter speed < 1/100 increase ISO to get it > 1/100

Not exactly a difficult thing to implement on a modern camera, or do the higher end cameras already have this and is that what you are saying by setting minium shutter speed?
 
ernesto said:
Ideally you would be able to program the aperture, shutter and ISO dependant on what mode you are in, as an example in Aperture priority;
If shutter speed < 1/100 increase ISO to get it > 1/100

Not exactly a difficult thing to implement on a modern camera, or do the higher end cameras already have this and is that what you are saying by setting minium shutter speed?
Click to expand...

I can do it on my 5D3, set a minimum shutter speed, and also a maximum and minimum ISO for Auto ISO to work in.
 
I was thinking as soon as I wrote that it was bound to me already on some models!

This is the sort of thing that should be included on all DSLRs as it is purely a software thing and pretty much zero cost to include as the code is already developed and in use.
Probably as much about keeping the models separate than any technicalities.
 
ernesto said:
Ideally you would be able to program the aperture, shutter and ISO dependant on what mode you are in, as an example in Aperture priority;
If shutter speed < 1/100 increase ISO to get it > 1/100
Click to expand...

It's what I mentioned Nikon already do, and have been since, I think, the D300. ;)

That, and the even more advanced tracking the minimum shutter/ISO combination depending on focal length should be on every camera, because it seems such an easy option to implement, as long as the lens focal length can be read, as it is done in software. And would be done a lot quicker than anyone could change manually to track changes in focal length/shutter speed, and changes in light levels.
 
Yes you did say that but I misread it as a focal length relationship only. Taking it further would allow further programming with more of an If, then, and type of thing on all the settings. The camera is already doing this in auto so just needs the options built into the UI.
 
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