Seita Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I'm reasonably new to the world of DSLRs having just bought a Nikon D60 with VR kit lenses (18-55 and 70-200). I've played around a bit with apeture and shutter speed and I think I understand that but I've heard (and read on here) people controlling ISO. Can someone please explain what ISO is, what changing it does to a picture and how to control it? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I'm reasonably new to the world of DSLRs having just bought a Nikon D60 with VR kit lenses (18-55 and 70-200). I've played around a bit with apeture and shutter speed and I think I understand that but I've heard (and read on here) people controlling ISO. Can someone please explain what ISO is, what changing it does to a picture and how to control it? Thanks! ISO is the third factor in controlling exposure. On a digital camera, increasing ISO amplifies the light hitting the sensor. Think of ISO as a sensivity control for the sensor. A higher ISO allows you to use a faster shutter speed or a smaller aperture for a given scene brightness level. For example... If it's twilight and perfect exposure is 1/60, F/4 at ISO 100, if you were to increase ISO to 200, the correct shutter speed would be 1/125 (keeping f/4) . Correct exposure would also be 1/60, f/5..6 and ISO 200. Note: As you increase ISO, you increase noise. Here's a great little demo thingy: http://dryreading.com/camera/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polomum Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hey Luke W that's an awesome "demo thingy" - helps heaps!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hey Luke W that's an awesome "demo thingy" - helps heaps!!!!!! Your welcome - it is very good isn't it... I like how not only does it change the birghtness of the image, it also adds noise and changes DOF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubiton Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) ISO is the same as the old ASA film speed(sometimes when you find film it may be in a red and yellow packet - 100 ASA, pink and yellow 200 Asa and blue and yellow 400 ASA). Point and shoot cameras are generally set on 100 ISO (same as ASA) and take photos at 1/125th of a second however with DSLRs you can set the ISO on 400 ISO and know that you can take fast action shots on settings such as 1/1000th of a second without the picture being under exposed. Dont be scared to go even up to 800 ISO if the light starts to get dull as long as the photo is CORRECTLY exposed it will not have noticable noise (if the photo is under exposed then you will see noise). However this was the same in film just that no ones remembers it these days!! On many 'photography' sites they will insist to keep to 100 ISO or 200 ISO at the most but that actaully restricts teh performance of the DSLR and those cameras can do so much when given the chance (basically if you want to take snap shots on 1/125th and ISO 100 why get anything but a point and shoot). Be adventurous and change all the settings onmanual and see howyou go - the light meter in the view finder will indicate if you have the exposure right (ensure the light is in the middle by changing around the aperture, speed and ISO - even zooming out in low light can help get the exposure correct). ETA - I tried the demo thingy and its good to show how the settings work but gets a little silly with the grain at 400 ISO on the 'high illumination' level so try it on your own camera dont take the results for granted to not use higher ISOs. Edited February 5, 2009 by rubiton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seita Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Thanks for the responses! I tried it quickly in my yard today. Set the aperture at around 4, shutter speed at 1/60 and ISO at 100 and got a basic photo of a bush, I changed the iso to 200 and the photo had more light in it (looked over exposed) and when I went up to 400 ISO is was ultra exposed. But I didn't really have much time to play so I'll play some more tomorrow cos I think that I used the wrong shutter speed and apperture for the brightness of the day in my backyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubiton Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Oh yeah - 400 ISO with a with aperture and 1/60th would have been nuclear blast overexposed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seita Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Oh yeah - 400 ISO with a with aperture and 1/60th would have been nuclear blast overexposed!! Lol sure was... but it still helped to demonstrate a bit of what happens when I change the ISO but leave other settings the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugerfly Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Leave it on 400 for most common sunny or slightly cloudy days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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