Comments on: Use ISO to Take Low-Light Photos

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:04:21 +0000

How do you know when your camera is “recommending a really slow shutter speed”? Mine just turns on the flash when it’s dark. (Which I hate because then all the highlights are blown out and the darks go darker).

By: twofish

twofish — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:29:08 +0000

Great article. Any chance we can see the same images taken in different iso’s side by side? I’d love to be able to see the difference with someone who knows what they’re doing.

By: webmotion

webmotion — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:35:41 +0000

Nice article, now I know! I’m gonna go grab my S5600 right away..

By: David

David — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:44:45 +0000

Jim,

You are probably using a compact camera, or at least one that is usually fully automatic. This article is meant for cameras that have manual features that let you chang the iso speed, such as DSLRs or DSLR-like cameras (there are many other cameras that have ISO speed settings, but these are camera styles that you will definitely find them on).

To change the setting on a fully auto camera, try turning the flash off. That usually forces the camera to use a higher ISO speed with low light.

hope that helps.

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By: Pépé

Pépé — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:02:13 +0000

answer to Jim:
I use the following rule to know I’m not too low in the shutter speed
Don’t go under 1/focal length
So if you have a 50mm lens, the minimum speed is 1/50 of a second
for a 100mm, 1/100 of a second.

This is aproximative and valable only for fix subjects.

Pay attention, digital camera’s have a focal length multiplicator (1.5 or 1.6)
So a 100mm equals 150mm (1/150 sec).

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:12:24 +0000

Thanks. Yes, I’m using a point-and-shoot Canon A90.

I’m shopping for a new camera and this is good information to have while looking.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:51:16 +0000

Hi Jim,

I used to have a A80 before getting my 350D. Even with the A80 you can set the camera into P or Av (or Tv or M) mode. I favor Av mode, which lets you set your own F stop (aperture). If you set a desired F stop in Av mode, the camera will then “suggest” a shutter speed. A shutter speed that’s too low will increase the likelihood of blur (through camera shake or subject motion).

On the A80 I could turn the flash off and/or adjust the ISO setting in any mode other than auto. Again, this would enable you to shoot in lower light with a faster shutter speed for sharper (if noisier) pictures, as per this article. Check the manual on your A90 - I’m sure similar functionality exists if you want to play with this setting.

-Andrew

By: isela

isela — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:14:53 +0000

Thank you for this great information. I will go and play with my point and shoot and see the differences.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:44:06 +0000

One tip when shooting digital with very high ISO: switch to B&W. The resulting grain from using a high ISO will look “arty.”

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:57:51 +0000

Piggy-backing off of Pépé, I just wanted to point out that aperture/focal length is also very important in low-light situations. If you’re set your camera to a low f/stop, you can use a lower ISO, which means less noise in your photos.

By: IAMWW

IAMWW — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:41:23 +0000

Thanks for your tips. I am just not getting into photography and this will help tremendously.

By: Amruthraj Belaldavar

Amruthraj Belaldavar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:29:44 +0000

When shooting at higher ISO, some camera’s offer High ISO noise reduction feature. If this feature is set on, graininess of the pictures can be reduced!

By: Finista

Finista — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:26:52 +0000

Great article, thank you! I have Rebel-G XTi and suffer from blurness in low light conditions.

By: Amiya Sarkar

Amiya Sarkar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:43:57 +0000

Dear Dave,
Your suggestion was excellent and given in a very simple way. Though I am not a photo enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoyed your discourse. Why didn’t you give the full form of ASA/ISO? Please write more to enlighten us.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:18:42 +0000

A good thing to keep in mind is that these suggestions are for when you are hand holding your camera. If you are on a tripod, table, or the like AND you are not shooting something that moves… then keep your ISO as low as possible. It won’t matter that you have a longer exposure time and you won’t get the extra grain/noise.

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By: mullingitover

mullingitover — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:59:28 +0000

Aperture is also critical for low light situations. Whenever possible, I try to shoot in aperture priority mode and lock it at f/1.4 (and whenever I can find that f/1.0 lens, I’ll shoot even wider!). The narrow DoF is great because it gives you something closer to what your eyes actually see.

I don’t really care about grain from shooting at a high ISO unless I’m trying to get artistic shots. Generally, the low light situations I shoot in end up being candid portrait shots, and the grain is an acceptable tradeoff for the sharpness. Also, with a good SLR, the grain even at 1600 is minimal.

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:03:42 +0000

Personally I love the noise / grain of high ISOs, particularly in monochrome mode. Turn the ISO up to 1600, turn on monochrome mode, put on a lens with a nice big aperture, and my DSLR takes some great, grungy black and white night photos. I guess it’s all about what you’re into - I have to admit the noise you get in colour mode with high ISOs doesn’t look nearly as nice.

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By: Aayush

Aayush — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 04:50:00 +0000

“Just remember to drop it back down to the lower value when you’re done, so you don’t accidentally capture a month’s worth of pictures at ISO 800.”

You nailed it with this line. I’ve wasted tonnes of pictures this way.

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By: Terrie

Terrie — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:51:18 +0000

Thanks so much. I was at NW Trek in WA this past week where the light was very low due to cloudy and dark conditions. I was using a 70-300 lens with the aperture wide open. My pictures were a blurry mess. I’m new to manual settings and didn’t even think about the ISO. It’s currently set for 200. I’m planning to head back tomorrow bound and determined to get decent shots. I feel more confident that I will now. Thanks so much!

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By: Maximus

Maximus — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:12:16 +0000

I would like to see a continuation of the topic

By: Sarvar

Sarvar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:37:05 +0000

Thank you!!!… Finally I got a clear idea os ISO…

Really a good article :).

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romaha — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:00:19 +0000

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