Question: D5300 Easily control ISO in M

Hi everyone,

I have two questions about ISO in M mode (mostly for bird photography) on my D5300. I use auto ISO most of the time, but sometimes would like to control the ISO manually (imagine a bird sitting against a backlit sky). Ideally, I'd like the camera to turn auto ISO off when I go into M but use it for S. There's just too much menu to get through to turn it off every time.

Next, I've assigned the FN button for AF Area. Is the only way to change ISO by using the Info button and toggling to the selected value (ie. there's no way to use the dial or set another custom button, correct?)

Thanks so much for all your help!

jlhenry said:

There's just too much menu to get through to turn it off every time.

Click to expand...

Yes, menu-diving is a real pain. I like knobs, switches and dials. I don't have an answer for you but I'd say keep auto-ISO turned off unless light conditions really are changing rapidly and unpredictably - to me the only valid reason for using auto-ISO.

The only way I can think of is to pre-select "ISO sensitivity settings" in you "shooting Menu'. Just turn off the camera without exiting menu.

I have that set up at my Coolpix A and I use Auto ISO most of the time. When I want to change to manual ISO selection. I only need to press the "menu" button, the 'Shooting Menu" will come up with the "ISO sensitivity settings" already selected. It will just be pressing OK and I am in the "ISO sensitivity settings".

Not perfect, but will save a few initial Menu drilling down.

Of course, if you can sacrifice your "AF Area" selection and re-assign the Fn button to ISO selection. Once you are in Manual ISO selection, you can dial in the ISO that you prefer.

Later model, like D5500 and my D5600 have much easier control. I can do Auto/Manual ISO changeover in one flick of my thumb.

I have a D3300 and I have the Fn button set to control ISO.

I only shoot manual ISO, never auto. (I did try auto ISO once or twice, though, while reading the manual.)

I'm too much of a control freak.

I like to shoot full manual most of the time. I'll take test shots, check the luminosity histogram on playback, check the R, G and B histograms on playback, check the blinkies on playback, then adjust exposure if necessary and repeat as needed. That way I get my exposure dialed-in optimally. Then I'll start taking photos with those settings.

I have also owned the higher-end Nikons such as the D2h, D200, D3, D300, etc. And what I like about those cameras is there's dedicated physical buttons for AF, for ISO ... that means less mucking about in menus and submenus. Coz the button/dial is just *right there.*

(I bought the D3300 for video use ... pretty much only use it for video in an attempt to reduce dust on sensor. It's a good camera for what it is, and for the price I paid for it. And its HD video capabilities are quite nice -- 23.98 fps, full manual control of exposure and ISO in video mode, etc.)