A beginners question specific to the D7200

[Blind Bruce]

I am learning my new D7200 and want to clarify some exposure settings. Lets assume I have the camera set to manual and auto ISO. The camera goes to the max ISO which I do not want. Then, why use auto ISO at all?

 

[robbins.photo]

I am learning my new D7200 and want to clarify some exposure settings. Lets assume I have the camera set to manual and auto ISO. The camera goes to the max ISO which I do not want. Then, why use auto ISO at all?

Because like my D7100 your 7200 has two command wheels - meaning you can only quickly and easily adjust two parameters of the exposure triangle. I shoot a lot from the hip, it's actually rare that I have time to setup a shot and do a lot of adjustments to the camera settings. As a result I find it very advantageous to set auto ISO with a maximum limit of 6400, and shoot in manual mode.

By doing this I can control my shutter speed with one command wheel, my Aperture with the second command wheel, and if I need to "adjust" my ISO I can do so by manipulating either the aperture, shutter speed or both - the camera will determine proper exposure as needed.

If I didn't use auto ISO I would either have to adjust the ISO manually for proper exposure , which most often I simply don't have time for which would lead to a lot of badly exposed shots.

 

[lacogada]

You can set a maximum for the auto iso. (page 322 explains)

 

[Derrel]

Bruce, you can set the upper limit of ISO that the Auto-ISO system will top out at. In decent lighting conditions, like say outdoors under good light levels, high ISO values look "okay", much more so than they look when used under dim-light, low-light, crummy indoor lighting or outdoor lighting, like at say a small-town high school football field at night under bad lighting.

Noise always looks the worst, and is the most obvious and easy to see in large expanses of flat-toned areas, and dark areas of good size. If there are no dark areas, and only minimal large, flat-toned areas, such as outdoors on a bright day, or on a cloudy day that is still bright, ISO 6,400 will look a lot better than it would at a night football game.

Last idea: there are many,many times, when you have something like the new Sigma 150-500mm f/5~6.3 lens, a lens which drops to f/6.3 fairly soon into the zoom, OR say the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5~5.6 VR lens; BOTH are very slow-aperture lenses!!! Many times, people using this kind of a lens want to GET THE SHOT, any SHOT....of that rodeo rider getting bucked off...of that kid in high school catching a pass--and technical perfection goes out the window, in favor of something like say f/5.6 at 1/500 second and ISO 12,800..of ISO 25,600...sometime just "getting the shot" with the fast shutter speed needed, and a lens with a max f/stop of f/5.6 or f/6.3, means that the ISO will need to go sky-high.

But you can custom-tailor the maximum level the D7200's AUTO-ISO will go, based on your own idea of what maximum ISO value is acceptable. And again-during daylight hours, in most open daylight lighting situations, the ISO values that are acceptable tend to be much higher than would be the case at say, night-time rodeo or night-time high school football,etc.

 

[astroNikon]

I am learning my new D7200 and want to clarify some exposure settings. Lets assume I have the camera set to manual and auto ISO. The camera goes to the max ISO which I do not want. Then, why use auto ISO at all?

Your confusing the camera's "max ISO"
with the setting of "Max ISO"
at about 2:05 but it's all good


I used to set my d7000 "max ISO" to 1500 but I'm sure the d7100 offers better ISO control so your may be slightly higher. It's what you feel comfortable with as the maximum.

If you are hitting the Max ISO all the time then your other Aperture and Shutter parameters are pushing it there. You may think of reducing one of your other parameters to compensate for something, or not.

The AUTO ISO with MAX just allows you to set your shutter and aperture and have the camera set the ISO. Great for sports and variable lighting conditions when you need to have a certain aperture and a certain shutter speed.