Automatic ISO

I don't know the details about HTP, but the basic idea is that it gives you an exposure that is as bright (to the right) as possible, without blowing (or clipping) the highlights.

I don't know how sensitive or picky it is. A few blown pixels out of several million isn't going to be a big deal...but you don't want too much blow out either.

Either way, the way I often try to shoot, is to Expose to the Right...so this mode sounds like I'd like it.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yeah I agree its better to have total control however when shooting on the go especially for sports photography where a high shutter speed might be essential and a shot might be missed when going back to the camera to up your ISO because the light is not there I think it would be very useful.

Id be interested to hear more about Highlight tone priority. What is it for starters!

Thanks again
T

I shoot mostly sports and it would be no use to me i'm always changing ISO shutter speed and aperture because i shot in manual and don't miss the shots i want
 
Auto-ISO is a feature Nikon has perfected after having had it in their d-slrs for several years now. It's a feature Canon steadfastly refused to incorporate for numerous body generations. Now that Nikon sensors are finally out of the "noisy ages" (D3,D300,D700 and newer bodies) , it's possible to shoot at elevated ISO setting without a disastrous loss of quality. Ken Rockwell is one of the few web writers that intelligently discusses Nikons AUTO ISO mode. INstead of Auto ISO, Canon keeps giving its users, like me, that wonderful Direct Print button!

What Canon calls Highlight Tone Priority is an innovation Nikon first had years ago, in Nikon Capture software,called D-Lighting; now, newer Nikons have Active D-Lighting in-body.
 
Some talk about Auto ISO like it's a disease, much like video on a DSLR.

I have both on my camera and find them to be very useful and handy when needed - yet I can choose not to use them as well.
 
Some talk about Auto ISO like it's a disease, much like video on a DSLR.

I have both on my camera and find them to be very useful and handy when needed - yet I can choose not to use them as well.

Only Luddites would disagree.
 
Don't know if it was answered or not yet (didn't go through the whole thread) but as far as Rebel series, XSi (450d) and above have it, XTi (350d) and below do not. I would assume the XS does, but I've never used one. I only know this because I have an XTi and a friend has the XSi.
 
What Canon calls Highlight Tone Priority is an innovation Nikon first had years ago, in Nikon Capture software,called D-Lighting; now, newer Nikons have Active D-Lighting in-body.

Active D-lighting is not over exposure protection, it is a way to raise detail in the shadows. It is also an option that I pretty much avoid. :)

Nikon glass: Active D-Lighting

http://sportsphotoguy.com/active-d-lighting-on-the-nikon-d300/

http://www.nx101.com/dlighting.html

It also cannot be "used" unless you convert a file to JPG in camera like a D700/D3 or use Nikon's Capture NX to access this info within he RAW file. It is very Nikon proprietary... and apps like Lightroom or CS3 and CS4 cannot directly access that "switch".
 
Nikon D200 and up all have it, but I never use it... I prefer to have total control over my camera, rather than let the camera decide what ISO is good for me.

So, how does that work in the situation specified?

The photographer has determined the aperture.

The photographer has determined the acceptable shutter speed range.

The light changes.

What control would you have over the camera other than to change the ISO?

Does this mean that you never use aperture or shutter priority (as that would involve the camera deciding what shutter speed or aperture is 'good for you')?
 
Some talk about Auto ISO like it's a disease, much like video on a DSLR.

I have both on my camera and find them to be very useful and handy when needed - yet I can choose not to use them as well.

Quite.

Some people are just control freaks who haven't quite got the plot yet. :lol:
 
So, how does that work in the situation specified?
The photographer has determined the aperture.
The photographer has determined the acceptable shutter speed range.
The light changes.
What control would you have over the camera other than to change the ISO?

Most likely shutter speed, as I am very good right down to about 1/15th without motion blur. I practiced hard on my technique to get good at this.

Does this mean that you never use aperture or shutter priority (as that would involve the camera deciding what shutter speed or aperture is 'good for you')?

Pretty much yes. I am 80-90% of my time in full manual mode. Shutter priority is pretty much never used by me except the odd time in a sporting event... but I do flip over to aperture priority mode now and then when doing portrait shots near a window or something like this:

3811006525_d0f311b30f_m.jpg


This doesn't mean that I do not use high ISO... I use it when I need it, and it is very clean on my camera, I just never leave those decisions in the hands of the designing engineers when I start pushing boundaries.
3878903849_943988dfd9.jpg


A slightly nervous bride, minutes before walking the isle. The shot was taken in a small room at 100% ambient. ISO 3200, D700, 24-70 @ F/2.8 and 1/25th shutter speeds.

In these conditions, the camera would have set the ISO to 6400 (which was obviously not needed) or even possibly 25,600 if I let it, and ruined a nice moment and cost me a shot.
 
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Some people are just control freaks who haven't quite got the plot yet. :lol:

:lol:

When it comes to me and my photography, you're darn right that I would rather be 100% in control of my results rather than some engineer that designed the camera 5 years before it was placed on the market. ;)

If that makes me a "control freak", let's make that a "proud control freak"! :mrgreen:
 
A slightly nervous bride, minutes before walking the isle. The shot was taken in a small room at 100% ambient. ISO 3200, D700, 24-70 @ F/2.8 and 1/25th shutter speeds.

In these conditions, the camera would have set the ISO to 6400 (which was obviously not needed) or even possibly 25,600 if I let it, and ruined a nice moment and cost me a shot.

Just to clarify. When you set Auto-ISO in camera you don't exit the menu until you've set the Hi/Low range. So it would only have set the ISO to 6400 if you set the Hi to 6400 or higher. If you set Hi to 3200 then you would have ended up with the same shot you set manually.
 
Just to clarify. When you set Auto-ISO in camera you don't exit the menu until you've set the Hi/Low range. So it would only have set the ISO to 6400 if you set the Hi to 6400 or higher. If you set Hi to 3200 then you would have ended up with the same shot you set manually.

Yes. And if I needed ISO 6400 with an auto ISO level set to max out at ISO3200, I'd yet again have missed a shot thanks to an unacceptably long shutter speed.

Being in control means never having to blame your camera for missing the shot... it's your fault and I can live with that, since I have the control... and not the camera.
 
Just to clarify. When you set Auto-ISO in camera you don't exit the menu until you've set the Hi/Low range. So it would only have set the ISO to 6400 if you set the Hi to 6400 or higher. If you set Hi to 3200 then you would have ended up with the same shot you set manually.

Yes. And if I needed ISO 6400 with an auto ISO level set to max out at ISO3200, I'd yet again have missed a shot thanks to an unacceptably long shutter speed.

Being in control means never having to blame your camera for missing the shot... it's your fault and I can live with that, since I have the control... and not the camera.

I know my capabilities... the camera doesn't... however I know that camera's capabilties and can push them a lot further than the conservative and "safe" settings that the good people at Nikon thought other photographers "should" shoot at.
 

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