Auto ISO

[PuppY_K1ck3R]

Hey guys. I have a D80 w/ 18-200mm nikkor. The only modes i use on this camera is Aperature, Shutter, and Manual. I refuse to use the auto functions because i would like to better myself. But there is one thing i use which im not so sure about. Its the Auto ISO function. I shoot indoors and out all the time switching back and forth and I have no time to mess with ISO settings. I just wanted to get the forums feed back and see if alot of folks use AUTO ISO. BTW, my maximum sensitivity on auto is 800.

Is auto ISO a dumbass setting?

 

[JIP]

Truly if it were me and I am not an auto setting snob like some people I think I would be alot less apt to use auto ISO than I would be to use P. P is a useful mode when you want to quickly set your camera and are not concerned wit aperture or shutter speed specfiics whereas auto IS can have a ver serious effect on the quality of your images withut you even knowing it is happening or even knowing why later.

 

[Big Mike]

With the newest DSLR cameras, you might have a hard time differentiating ISO 100 from ISO 400 unless you looked very closely. ISO 800 is very good and ISO 1600 is useful.

So in that case, I don't really see much of a problem using an auto ISO setting...especially if it will keep your shutter speed from dropping into blurry territory.

I might be more inclined to use such a feature on a D300 than on a D80...because of the better noise performance.

Really though, it's probably better for you (the photographer) to be fully aware of all the settings and be able to change them very quickly.

 

[Mystwalker]

Sounds like a great feature. You do not have to use it, and sound like it give users something to "not worry about". I'm all for more features ... you want "dumbass", some Canons have a "Printer Button" - UH?

I can see scenarios where I would use this.

Maybe on Canon's next upgrade - 50D?

 

[dEARlEADER]

Truly if it were me and I am not an auto setting snob like some people I think I would be alot less apt to use auto ISO than I would be to use P. P is a useful mode when you want to quickly set your camera and are not concerned wit aperture or shutter speed specfiics whereas auto IS can have a ver serious effect on the quality of your images withut you even knowing it is happening or even knowing why later.

+1

If you don't have time to set ISO then it seems silly to meter manually. Don't get me wrong it's good idea to learn your camera but the whole idea is to get the shot. Sounds like time is an issue with you so don't be afraid to use P mode.

I shoot mostly manual.... but my camera rests in P mode for those "just in case" type shots. For instance, I walk my dog on a wooded trail... the lighting is all over the place.... my camera is parked in P... if a deer jumps out I can fire off a couple of immediate shots.... if she sticks around I'll see if I can improve the shot in manual....

I used to walk in Manual and missed all kinds shots mostly because of the variation of lighting.... by the time i got the settings adjusted the subject was long gone....

If your not in a rush go manual all the way... If your in a rush use program...

I've tried using the auto iso functions on my D60 and didn't like it.... When in manual I like having complete control.... I usually adjust ISO last if I can't get the desirable settings after metering....

 

[PuppY_K1ck3R]

Very insightful guys. Thank u for the response. Bigmike, thx for not making me feel like a retard about this. You guys have very valid points about P mode. There are shots i do miss because im usually messing around or not having the right settings. I will give P mode a try. Thx again guys.

 

[TamiyaGuy]

I find the auto ISO very handy in certain situations, usually where I want to get the lowest possible ISO value without having to go 1 stop higher/lower and sacrifice shutter speed/noise. Quite a few times the camera chooses an ISO like 640 while maintaining the right SS. It's a nice middleground, as ISO 400 would've given me too slow a speed, whereas ISO 800 would have produced more noise. However, while it's very useful for things like that, you should not rely on it.

 

[PuppY_K1ck3R]

Well last weekend, when i was shooting my buddies daughter's bday, I was getting some really dark shots then when i was looking at my photos on bridge, it was on ISO 400. So I could've just eliminated that problem by leaving it on auto. I did alot of post proccessing after the event.

 

[Mav]

I use Auto ISO all the time, espeically on my D80 which only lets you adjust ISO in third stops which is a major pain in the butt. I still use it on the D40, but use manual ISO control a bit more often since it lets you adjust in full stops which is much handier.

 

[rubbertree]

I have a D80 and shoot in manual 90% of the time, I also use ISO 90% of the time. The thing is to know which situations will need you to manually adjust your ISO like in poor lighting. For those I adjust the ISO manually and not leave it up to Auto.

 

[JerryPH]

I have a D200 that does the same thing, and in the beginning I used Auto ISO, then later on as I got a little better, I limited the Auto ISO to a maximum of 800... and that really made me open my eyes as to what my camera was doing... and not doing.

Today, I am totally manual in my ISO settings. I enjoy the control, knowing and understanding what my camera is doing any particular moment.

 

[Socrates]

Hey guys. I have a D80 w/ 18-200mm nikkor. The only modes i use on this camera is Aperature, Shutter, and Manual. I refuse to use the auto functions because i would like to better myself. But there is one thing i use which im not so sure about. Its the Auto ISO function. I shoot indoors and out all the time switching back and forth and I have no time to mess with ISO settings. I just wanted to get the forums feed back and see if alot of folks use AUTO ISO. BTW, my maximum sensitivity on auto is 800.

Is auto ISO a dumbass setting?

Well, if you think about it, Aperture and Shutter priority are both "automatic" settings so the decision has to do with how much automation you wish to use.

I have a D80 with a half-dozen lenses.
Generally, I use aperture and shutter priority but I rarely use manual. However, whenever my camera is not in use, the 18-200 is mounted and the camera is configured for Program with Auto-100/1600 ISO, minimum shutter speed 1/30 second. Essentially, the camera will attempt to use P-mode with ISO-100 until the shutter speed drops to 1/30 second. Then, the ISO will begin to increase until it reaches 1600. Finally, the shutter speed will drop to longer than 1/30 second as required to get a good exposure.

I rarely, if ever, shoot that way but it's an all-purpose configuration for the times when I fire up the camera and take some quick shots.

 

[JIP]

Wow the funny thing is I never even knew that auto ISO was a feature on cameras. I have shot weddings with film for many years before I finally went digital but due to an injury for the last 2 years I have not done any pro digital but of all things to hand over to your camera I could not imagine auto ISO.

 

[djacobox372]

Auto iso is great as long as you understand the lighting conditions and camera settings and are never "surprised" by the iso it chooses. I find it ammusing that the guys that argue against auto-iso are typically the guys that would have you believe that they understand exposure better then most... if that was true auto iso would never surprise them.

 

[davebmck]

and I have no time to mess with ISO settings.

You need to think of exposure as a three legged stool (read Understanding Exposure). The legs are Iso, Aperture and Shutter Speed. Saying you don't have time to mess with iso is like saying you don't have time for setting aperture or shutter speed. Might as well leave your camera in Auto mode.

The guys above have given some good examples for using Auto Iso, but if you want to really learn to shoot in manual mode, you will need to learn how Iso affects your exposures in combination with the other settings.