ISO question

Nicholas J · Mar 5, 2002

Can anyone give me more info or point me to a website that gives more info on ISO settings. I understand the concept, but don't know exactly when to use which ISO setting. I would like to learn more about it.

Thanks
Nicholas

Swamp Duck · Mar 5, 2002

Take a look at this site...it is Kodak's site and the tutorial is great for beginners... http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/pictureTaking/choosingFilms/chosFil5.shtml

after you read this you may want to look at the other tutorials they have, they were very helpful for me.

Nicholas J said:
Can anyone give me more info or point me to a website that gives
more info on ISO settings. I understand the concept, but don't know
exactly when to use which ISO setting. I would like to learn more
about it.

Thanks
Nicholas

Hammy #54417 · Mar 5, 2002

Nicholas,

Here is a good site that discusses ISO (and alot more):
http://www.photo.net/making-photographs/film

Hope this helps...

Velaskin · Mar 5, 2002

Hi Nicholas,

ISO settings (resp. the concept behind it) is rather simple. Basically it comes from analog film. It's used to classify the light sensitivity of the film. Of course digital cameras use an electronic counterpart to kinda mimic various ISO settings.

For the "how to" it's pretty straight:

Since you know (at least from now on g ), that higher ISO produces more grain in your pictures, you might want to go for the lowest ISO possible in a particular situation.

So the question would be, when to speed up to higher ISO settings? Simple: If you encounter a situation where the lighting might force you to let's say 1/125 at F8, with the next higher ISO setting you can go for 1/250 at F8 and so be able to handhold a tele and/or capture a movement of the subject.---John-

Richard Smith41318 · Mar 5, 2002

Most people use ISO 100 for outdoor photography, especially on bright
sunny days. ISO 200 for indoor, 400 and 800 for low light situations,
and 1600 for very low light where the shot would be impossible to
get any other way. If you find you don't have enough light to get a
shot, you basically have two options - higher ISO or a tripod.

People who are "prejudiced" in favor of the D30 (and I include myself
in that category) particularly like the ISO 100 performance, and the
fact that the full gamut of 100-1600 is available. This makes the
transition from film feel more natural. I can't tell you how many
times I've been at some event, gone from taking pictures outdoors to
indoors and back again, and was grateful that I could switch back and
forth between 100 and 200, or 100 and 400, or whatever. It's very
addictive!

Another interesting point is that ISO performance has become sort of a
yardstick that gets applied to each new D-SLR as it comes out. The
D30 was really the first one to offer a 100-1600 range that "just
worked" the way you would expect it to. The upcoming D60 does not
have 1600, for reasons that remain mysterious. The 1D has 100-3200,
but the 100 and 3200 "endpoints" are implemented via a special "mode"
that sacrifices a small (but noticeable) amount of image quality.

Anyways, thanks for asking such a good, basic question. I think this
forum needs more of that. Thanks.

Nicholas J · Mar 5, 2002

So , I asume in your example that F8 is the biggest you can go in that situation, otherwise if you want a faster shutter speed you could just use a bigger apperture. So thats why you need the higher ISO - for when you don't have a bigger Apperture available, but you want faster shutter......makes sense.

Thanks

Velaskin said:
Simple: If you encounter a situation where the lighting might force
you to let's say 1/125 at F8, with the next higher ISO setting you
can go for 1/250 at F8 and so be able to handhold a tele and/or
capture a movement of the subject.
--
-John-

Nicholas J · Mar 5, 2002

thanks for the explanation. I agree with you that we do need more questions on basic topics in the forum. Seems like these days the forum is filled with D60, ebay scams and offended bikini picture viewer posts.

Nicholas

Richard Smith said:
Most people use ISO 100 for outdoor photography, especially on bright
sunny days. ISO 200 for indoor, 400 and 800 for low light situations,
and 1600 for very low light where the shot would be impossible to
get any other way. If you find you don't have enough light to get a
shot, you basically have two options - higher ISO or a tripod.

People who are "prejudiced" in favor of the D30 (and I include myself
in that category) particularly like the ISO 100 performance, and the
fact that the full gamut of 100-1600 is available. This makes the
transition from film feel more natural. I can't tell you how many
times I've been at some event, gone from taking pictures outdoors to
indoors and back again, and was grateful that I could switch back and
forth between 100 and 200, or 100 and 400, or whatever. It's very
addictive!

Another interesting point is that ISO performance has become sort of a
yardstick that gets applied to each new D-SLR as it comes out. The
D30 was really the first one to offer a 100-1600 range that "just
worked" the way you would expect it to. The upcoming D60 does not
have 1600, for reasons that remain mysterious. The 1D has 100-3200,
but the 100 and 3200 "endpoints" are implemented via a special "mode"
that sacrifices a small (but noticeable) amount of image quality.

Anyways, thanks for asking such a good, basic question. I think this
forum needs more of that. Thanks.

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ISO question

Nicholas J

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Swamp Duck

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Hammy #54417

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