Does anyone else wish they had "ISO Priority" or some sort of fully-custom programmable Auto?

[CreeDo]

Maybe some camera already does this.

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.
But my camera noticeably lacks a simple wheel to scroll ISO up and down.
I think nicer cameras have this.

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

Right now, changing ISO is too much menu navigation.

What I'd love is:

- Moving the wheel controls ISO.

- Aperture is fixed unless I press and hold a button, and then scroll the wheel (just like manual)

- Camera decides shutter speed based on desired exposure.

- Most important (and this is why I can't do this on manual or other modes): shutter speed never ever drops below, say, 200. So shutter shake is no problem. I'd love a programmable auto where I can say "never go below ___ or above ___ on ISO" or "never go below ___ in shutter speed". I also would like to exclude f-stops higher than 11 because you can see everything get soft due to diffraction and using f22 or whatever is sort of a specialty case, not for automatic everyday shooting.

Maybe a smart programmable auto mode that obeys those rules, but also detects for example that the scene is too dark, and at 200 shutter speed it will come out way underexposed, so it automatically bumps ISO even though I forgot to scroll the wheel.

Am I the only one who'd like this?

 

[Dennis]

Maybe some camera already does this.

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.

Why ?

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

Let me get this straight ... you don't care what the shutter speed is and you don't care what the f-stop is, but for some reason, you care what the ISO is ?

- Moving the wheel controls ISO.
- Aperture is fixed unless I press and hold a button, and then scroll the wheel (just like manual)

- Camera decides shutter speed based on desired exposure.

So how exactly do you decide on an ISO ? When do you want ISO 640 rather than 400 or 800 ?

I'd love a programmable auto where I can say "never go below ___ or above ___ on ISO" or "never go below ___ in shutter speed".

I've long thought that a programmable exposure mode via some kind of app would be great ... something where you could provide precise instructions based on meter reading and focal length for various situations. It would have to run on a phone/tablet/computer for the interface, and then a table or formula passed to the camera. You could create any number of exposure programs and select them as needed. You could have your indoor basketball program and your restaurant program and your dance recital program and your twilight wildlife program and so on. Each could have lens-dependent programming if you might use that program with multiple lenses.

- Dennis

 

[smartwater]

There are a few ways to do this depending on what camera you have and how much control you want.

The one that springs to mind right away is auto-iso while in manual mode. If you know the ss you want you just leave it there. The aperture can be changed as much as you want and then the iso floats around to correct the exposure.

The same could be done in shutter priority mode with auto-iso, you tell the camera what shutter speed you want and then the camera changes the iso and aperture to make it work.

I know on higher end cameras there is an auto-shutter speed aspect to auto-iso where it only starts raising the iso to keep you from going below a certain shutter speed.

Also higher end cameras do have buttons dedicated to iso, you hit the button or hold it and then use the wheel to change the iso.

There are some options out there, definitely look into the manual for your camera or make it a priority for your next one if it will ease your shooting.

 

[PenPix]

I can do auto ISO with my D700 and X-E1, and set the maximum ISO on both, with manual control over aperture and shutter speed.

I have used this configuration a couple times when I needed to maintain sharpness by keeping a higher shutter speed and a aperture to ensure a deep enough depth of field. This was a run-and-gun situation where I was moving from direct sunlight to deep shade. Also it was a shoot where getting a usable image was more important than image quality.

While it can be a useful technique, I don't like the fact that you can have a beautiful smooth image and the next one is full of noise. But it's ok if your images are destined for a newsletter or web.

 

[Greg A A]

With Nikon auto ISO or Pentax Tav mode you set shutter speed and aperture and then see what ISO you get. This allows you to quickly make shutter speed, aperture and ISO trade-offs

 

[MysteryLemon]

Auto iso with min shutter speed settings. What every manufacturer has been lacking seemingly since the dawn of the digital camera. Nikon have it right.

 

[CreeDo]

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.

Why ?

Because I don't own an ISO-less camera! Canon Rebel, not a d800.

I do need to change ISO when I am photographing something in shade vs. something in sunlight. Sometimes I can't get there with f1.4 @ 1/200th.

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

Let me get this straight ... you don't care what the shutter speed is and you don't care what the f-stop is, but for some reason, you care what the ISO is ?

haha why are you talking to me like I'm weird? You're telling me you DON'T care what your ISO is? Are you shooting with a tripod 100% of the time and your ISO button has cobwebs and has been frozen at 100 for the past 5 years?

No but seriously, I usually don't care what shutter speed I'm using. If I'm lucky enough to be at ISO 100, and shutter speed 1/200th (enough to freeze slow action and stop shutter shake) and I still have light to spare, I will usually increase my f-stop to get more foreground and background in focus. I avoid extremes like f16 or f22 where I'm gonna get diffraction.

Which isn't to say I never want to blur the background and isolate the subject. But my walking around lens is a 55-250. So I keep my f-number in the sweet spot most of the time, and if I want a shallow depth of field, I can just step back and zoom in to, say, 200. This gives me tiny DOF and blurs the background.

So how exactly do you decide on an ISO ? When do you want ISO 640 rather than 400 or 800 ?

I want the bare minimum needed to expose well (expose to the right if possible, use iso sparingly if it's not possible). Unfortunately my camera only changes ISO in full 1-stop increments. So occasionally the jump from 400 to 800 will blow highlights. I'd love to just scroll a wheel to 600 and barely kiss the right side of the histogram.

I've long thought that a programmable exposure mode via some kind of app would be great ... something where you could provide precise instructions based on meter reading and focal length for various situations. It would have to run on a phone/tablet/computer for the interface, and then a table or formula passed to the camera. You could create any number of exposure programs and select them as needed. You could have your indoor basketball program and your restaurant program and your dance recital program and your twilight wildlife program and so on. Each could have lens-dependent programming if you might use that program with multiple lenses.

I like this idea a lot. You might even be able to do it in-camera without the computer interface. With modern touchscreen LCD you could put on a small keyboard so you can easily click options and type names for your presets.

 

[CreeDo]

Auto iso with min shutter speed settings. What every manufacturer has been lacking seemingly since the dawn of the digital camera. Nikon have it right.

I have actually been thinking about it. I bought canon for my starter camera and now have several canon lenses. But from what I've read, canon's sensors are weak and Nikon allows you to add ISO without fear.

I suspect though that a GOOD canon sensor would be fine for what I need. I just happen to have a pretty lousy one.

 

[Dennis]

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.

Why ?

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

Let me get this straight ... you don't care what the shutter speed is and you don't care what the f-stop is, but for some reason, you care what the ISO is ?

haha why are you talking to me like I'm weird? You're telling me you DON'T care what your ISO is? Are you shooting with a tripod 100% of the time and your ISO button has cobwebs and has been frozen at 100 for the past 5 years?

My ISO changes all the time. It's just never my priority. Basically, my goal is to set the ISO as low as it can possibly be with every shot (i.e. put as much light on the sensor as possible with every shot) and the best way to do that is to shoot in M mode and let the ISO end up wherever it needs to end up.

So how exactly do you decide on an ISO ? When do you want ISO 640 rather than 400 or 800 ?

I want the bare minimum needed to expose well (expose to the right if possible, use iso sparingly if it's not possible).

OK, that's what I expected. I was just trying to see if you really want ISO "priority" or not. It sounds like ISO is secondary for you as well (i.e. you set it based on the other exposure settings, not because you really want ISO 1250 for the artistic effect of the noise !)

Have you tried Auto ISO in M ? The only problem is it kind of flies in the face of your comments about not caring about shutter speed/aperture. If I can shoot at base ISO, I do that, but if I'm shooting higher ISOs, I put the camera in M and set the ISO to Auto. Then I set my shutter speed and aperture with the goal of letting in as much light as possible, tempered by what the shot actually needs. And a half press shows me the ISO that the metering system calculates, so I can compromise further. That's on my D7000. On my RX100, I don't have that option.

I've long thought that a programmable exposure mode via some kind of app would be great ... something where you could provide precise instructions based on meter reading and focal length for various situations. It would have to run on a phone/tablet/computer for the interface, and then a table or formula passed to the camera. You could create any number of exposure programs and select them as needed. You could have your indoor basketball program and your restaurant program and your dance recital program and your twilight wildlife program and so on. Each could have lens-dependent programming if you might use that program with multiple lenses.

I like this idea a lot. You might even be able to do it in-camera without the computer interface. With modern touchscreen LCD you could put on a small keyboard so you can easily click options and type names for your presets.

Maybe - I haven't yet used a touch screen camera, but anything that works would be ok by me.

- Dennis

 

[CreeDo]

OK, that's what I expected. I was just trying to see if you really want ISO "priority" or not. It sounds like ISO is secondary for you as well (i.e. you set it based on the other exposure settings, not because you really want ISO 1250 for the artistic effect of the noise !)

Have you tried Auto ISO in M ? The only problem is it kind of flies in the face of your comments about not caring about shutter speed/aperture.

Oh I gotcha... you're right, ISO priority is the wrong term I guess. I definitely am not thinking "ISO 800 at all costs, please." ... I guess what I really want is for it to be very easily changeable with no menu navigation. I have auto ISO but I don't trust it.

Currently what I do is manual, lock in shutter speed at 200, lock in f8, and then if I see something where I need more exposure, but don't want to sacrifice depth of field, I must push iso button, scroll a click or three, press OK. That's not the end of the world, I'd just love to skip everything except the wheel.

I can ALMOST love Av mode, I like the resulting exposure, but with auto ISO active it seems like it often uses more than necessary. Like it thinks I want a shadow under a tree to look like it's being blasted with sunlight.

 

[Greg A A]

OK, that's what I expected. I was just trying to see if you really want ISO "priority" or not. It sounds like ISO is secondary for you as well (i.e. you set it based on the other exposure settings, not because you really want ISO 1250 for the artistic effect of the noise !)

Have you tried Auto ISO in M ? The only problem is it kind of flies in the face of your comments about not caring about shutter speed/aperture.

Oh I gotcha... you're right, ISO priority is the wrong term I guess. I definitely am not thinking "ISO 800 at all costs, please." ... I guess what I really want is for it to be very easily changeable with no menu navigation. I have auto ISO but I don't trust it.

Currently what I do is manual, lock in shutter speed at 200, lock in f8, and then if I see something where I need more exposure, but don't want to sacrifice depth of field, I must push iso button, scroll a click or three, press OK. That's not the end of the world, I'd just love to skip everything except the wheel.

I can ALMOST love Av mode, I like the resulting exposure, but with auto ISO active it seems like it often uses more than necessary. Like it thinks I want a shadow under a tree to look like it's being blasted with sunlight.

 

[Pontoneer]

Maybe some camera already does this.

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.
But my camera noticeably lacks a simple wheel to scroll ISO up and down.
I think nicer cameras have this.

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

Right now, changing ISO is too much menu navigation.

What I'd love is:

- Moving the wheel controls ISO.

- Aperture is fixed unless I press and hold a button, and then scroll the wheel (just like manual)

- Camera decides shutter speed based on desired exposure.

- Most important (and this is why I can't do this on manual or other modes): shutter speed never ever drops below, say, 200. So shutter shake is no problem. I'd love a programmable auto where I can say "never go below ___ or above ___ on ISO" or "never go below ___ in shutter speed". I also would like to exclude f-stops higher than 11 because you can see everything get soft due to diffraction and using f22 or whatever is sort of a specialty case, not for automatic everyday shooting.

Maybe a smart programmable auto mode that obeys those rules, but also detects for example that the scene is too dark, and at 200 shutter speed it will come out way underexposed, so it automatically bumps ISO even though I forgot to scroll the wheel.

Am I the only one who'd like this?

So you haven't used a Pentax , with its S.AV priority mode , which lets you choose shutter speed and aperture , and will choose ISO automatically for correct exposure ; or full manual mode where you can do the above , then choose ISO manually by holding down the ISO button and using the rear scroll wheel ?
--
With kind regards

Derek.

 

[Mike_PEAT]

Maybe some camera already does this.

ALL cameras already do this...you adjust ISO and in P, A, or S modes cameras will adjust aperture and/or shutter speed to compensate depending on which of the modes you're in.

If there's one setting I'm changing all day constantly, it's ISO.

REALLY? Maybe you should use some film mentality...unless you're going from outdoor/low light to indoor/bright light there's no need to change your ISO. Most days I don't even touch the ISO once set...I know I can change it but don't need to.

But my camera noticeably lacks a simple wheel to scroll ISO up and down.
I think nicer cameras have this.

Either that, or a dedicated button to enable ISO adjustment and then turning a wheel. As they say it's a poor handyman who blames his tools as they were the one who chose the tool to use.

Right now, changing ISO is too much menu navigation.

Again, that's the poor tool you chose. You didn't mention which camera you own, maybe there's a shortcut to ISO that you don't know about, and we can't help you since you didn't mention which camera you are using.

• Aperture is fixed unless I press and hold a button, and then scroll the wheel (just like manual)

"A" mode does keep the aperture locked, until you turn a wheel.

• Camera decides shutter speed based on desired exposure.

"A" mode.

• Most important (and this is why I can't do this on manual or other modes): shutter speed never ever drops below, say, 200. So shutter shake is no problem. I'd love a programmable auto where I can say "never go below ___ or above _ on ISO" or "never go below _ in shutter speed".

Again, some cameras do have limits you can set for auto ISO. Of course learning how to hold the camera properly does help...I used to shoot ISO64 and ISO25 films on a camera with a fastest shutter speed of 1/200th...never had an issue with hand shake.

Otherwise you should pay attention what your camera is doing...for instance just because your car has cruise control and anti-collision detection doesn't mean you stop paying attention to what your car is doing.

 

[MysteryLemon]

To be honest with you, they'll both be about as good as each other. Websites like this do no good for actually working out what's best.. Everyone has an opinion and no one can agree what's right.

What is right though is that nikon auto iso isn't just an algorithm designed by the manufacturer, it's customisable by minimum shutter speed which makes it very very useful. They're the only manufacturer that allow this.

 

[hdr]

There are many times I'm walking around where shutter speed is who-cares (just the bare minimum to avoid shutter shake, let's say 200). And aperture is mostly-don't-care (would love to be at f8 all day unless forced to open up).

... Let me get this straight ... you don't care what the shutter speed is and you don't care what the f-stop is, but for some reason, you care what the ISO is ?

I got what the OP is getting at because I share his concern. Because of this concern, I set very high ISO by default and occasionally upgrade my camera when a higher max ISO model comes around. High ISO is the best thing invented since cheese.

More often than not, especially with moving subjects in borderline brightness , getting a presentable handheld shot is of paramount consideration. Even the best exposed image is useless if it's spoilt by hand shake.

 

[Aberaeron]

P mode with auto ISO. It is that simple.

If you really do want to adjust either shutter speed or aperture, then just use the program shift feature found on most good cameras.

 

[NetMage]

What model Rebel do you have exactly?

 

[CreeDo]

What model Rebel do you have exactly?

 

[CreeDo]

So you haven't used a Pentax , with its S.AV priority mode , which lets you choose shutter speed and aperture , and will choose ISO automatically for correct exposure ; or full manual mode where you can do the above , then choose ISO manually by holding down the ISO button and using the rear scroll wheel ?

Sadly no rear scroll wheel on my Rebel T5. If I had that, I might find ISO changing a little less tedious.

Part of the problem is, on my camera, the sensor is weak and adds lots of noise with higher ISOs. For someone who owns a 5DmkIII or D800, Staying at like 3200 ISO is no big deal. And in the case of the D800, forgetting to add ISO is also no big deal... the dynamic range is so nice it will pick up almost everything even at low ISO and you can just brighten in post.

On mine, the decision to go from 800 to 1600, or 1600 to 3200, is kind of agonizing. The noise increase is very visible. So I can't just go around in AV mode at ISO 800 and feel safe knowing every shot will be nicely exposed and the shutter speed will never get dangerously low. Having ISO800 on every shot makes all my pics kind of ugly.

 

[NetMage]

Your camera supports Auto ISO, and should select the lowest ISO consistent with metering. Unfortunately, Canon doesn't support EC with M mode, and your camera doesn;t support direct access to EC.

I really think you need a two dial camera like a 60D or 70D, which would give you direct access to EC or to aperture and shutter in M mode, and you could leave ISO to the camera at that point.