Canon 80D Auto ISO Limits?

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Hey guys. I just got a Tamron SP 150-600mm G2 lens to go along with my small lens collection. I've always been more into taking photos of wild animals than anything else so I decided to make the purchase and try and take my photography a bit more serious. I love Auto ISO. I have always shot in manual but I learned on a Digital Rebel XTi so "Auto" ISO was me automatically switching it each time I wanted to shoot. I enjoy the camera moving the ISO around to compensate for my settings but since I bought the camera I haven't been 100% comfortable with it. As you all know higher ISO = More noise. More noise = Not so happy Suzuki. Before buying this lens I had my limit set to ISO 6400. The camera takes fresh photo's up to 3200 but I figured if I was ever shooting and needed that extra stop I would just add it in. All the lenses I own with the exception of my 150-600 f5/6.3 are fast, so I am able to gather plenty of light inside or out and keep my shutter speed comfortable. With this f5/6.3 at the telephoto end I'm not getting enough light to hand hold at f6.3 ISO 6400 for the most part. Here's the question (tripod out of the equation. Do I set my limit to 16000 (Native for this camera) and deal with the noise in post so I "have the shot" or do I limit myself if need be to just not shoot? Do I set it back down to 6400 and pray? What is the solution (besides a tripod) to this. I say no tripod because while I have one, I'd like to have a backup plan to shooting handheld if need be.

 

[Derrel]

Noise is always at its worst in BAD lighting conditions, where shadows have very,very little light in them at all, like at say, an old high school gymnasium--not at an NBA team's arena. So, outdoors on dull-light, overcast days, the shadows are not "lightless", so factor in the maximum ISO also with an eye to just how atrociously poor the light is, or not so horribly bad.

On a foggy, flat-lighted day, leither late or early in the day, the light level might be "low", yet the shadow areas where noise would show up the most would likely be pretty close to the highlights, so you could go higher on ISO there, as opposed to say, a night-time, high-school sports field.

 

[zombiesniper]

You've given two parts of the triangle to work with which makes it near impossible to give a solid answer so I'll just tell you how I shoot in order to get the lowest ISO that I can in crappy lighting. Now keep in mind this is how I shoot wildlife, all other forms of photography I may approach differently.

I shoot manual with auto ISO. I set my aperture and shutter speed for the given light. I do this by selecting a subject (usually a tree) that is the same colour/brightness that I expect my actual subject to be. For instance it was overcast when I went to shoot snowy's. I came up on aim on a birch tree and set my camera to F4 then adjusted my shutter speed until my ISO read 125. It just happened to be 1250. Done ready to shoot. Now as I'm shooting I keep an eye on ISO to ensure it's not going higher than I deem acceptable.
Now I have had shoots where I'm stuck with higher ISO or shooting at less than 1/400 sec. That's just how it goes.

 

[OGsPhotography]

I think after youbshoot a lot of photos, you will realize your own personal limits.

For me personally I really dislike pushing ISO past 200. I like tacky sharp eyes. This means I had to sell my 75-300mm 5.6 as it was absolutely no good for my preferences.

This lens is probably very limited in low light.

Don't limit to just not shoot when the light goes too far down; bring another lens! Have multiple strategies and targets to the shoot.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

You've given two parts of the triangle to work with which makes it near impossible to give a solid answer so I'll just tell you how I shoot in order to get the lowest ISO that I can in crappy lighting. Now keep in mind this is how I shoot wildlife, all other forms of photography I may approach differently.

I shoot manual with auto ISO. I set my aperture and shutter speed for the given light. I do this by selecting a subject (usually a tree) that is the same colour/brightness that I expect my actual subject to be. For instance it was overcast when I went to shoot snowy's. I came up on aim on a birch tree and set my camera to F4 then adjusted my shutter speed until my ISO read 125. It just happened to be 1250. Done ready to shoot. Now as I'm shooting I keep an eye on ISO to ensure it's not going higher than I deem acceptable.
Now I have had shoots where I'm stuck with higher ISO or shooting at less than 1/400 sec. That's just how it goes.

This was exactly what i was trying to describe after @Derrel had written his reply, but i didn't know how to put it into words that would be easily understood. This was my other idea to the issue. I give myself the cushion of having the highest native ISO IF needed so i don't have to lose time adjusting if it's fast action, but i can kill down my ISO with aperture or shutter speed in manual (which i shoot the most). I HATE high ISO and try to avoid it as much as possible, i guess i just have to get over it and come to the realization that if the shot will only happen with a high ISO, it's better than none at all. Although all my award winning shots have been shot in low light, nearly pitch black where they didn't expose properly, so I guess you're all lucky!

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I think after youbshoot a lot of photos, you will realize your own personal limits.

For me personally I really dislike pushing ISO past 200. I like tacky sharp eyes. This means I had to sell my 75-300mm 5.6 as it was absolutely no good for my preferences.

This lens is probably very limited in low light.

Don't limit to just not shoot when the light goes too far down; bring another lens! Have multiple strategies and targets to the shoot.

Also good advise. As with my other hobbies (and being in the automotive field, tools) i buy the BEST of what i can afford (although I have a habit of going one model above my budget so I know i'll be satisfied) so this 150-600 was definitely pushing it for me. f5 is tolerable, 6.3 depending on the situation is EH, and i actually like shooting f8/11 or so so i limit myself even farther.

 

[zombiesniper]

Sometimes higher ISO is the only option when you can't control the light. I would try and test how low a shutter speed you can hand hold that Tamron with the VR on. With some practice and sometimes a tree or post to lean on, you'll be surprised how low you can get. I have hand held at 1/100th and got a good image.

For me personally I really dislike pushing ISO past 200

Wow. That's really leaving you only good weather or flash. I have many shots where I was 1/400 F4 and ISO 1000 or more and came up with great shots.

 

[OGsPhotography]

Im trying to work on my ISO settings as well. I do feel that I am limited to good weather and flash. Therefor a lot of my incestment has been in fast glass, flash, and a tripod this year. The limit is always light.

If Im out in a hike ( which I am planning some winter hikes!!!) and see a black bobcat as the sun is going down I will certainly pop a flash and crank the ISO, thats a historical documentary kind of dont miss it type deal. I'll deal with the putty tack qualities of the eyes and overexposed snow while looking at the only photo of a wild bobcat in my area.

On the other hand I will try to stack my hand while learning wildlife photography by hiking in the middle of the afternoon looking for some winter wildlife or scenery near home. ISO will be kept low and on manual. Flash will probably be in my bag for most of the trip but not all.

I definitely don't want to always keep it on manual and do see the good in auto ISO, Im just personally working towards that level of understanding my limits and techniques. Plus I don't mind at all poping flash in the wild

My auto ISO is set to 6400 because there are times where you just need ability over art or vision and I can get to the auto setting ini clicks and a heartbeat. The ability to push it real high to shoot in near darkness if needed is neat but that would take a bobcat!!

 

[weepete]

Well I have the mki verson of that lens and though I love it it really is a good lighting only kind of lens. I mostly shoot with mine in manual and auto ISO too. I don't usually worry about ISO limits largley because my old 7D doesn't have that feature (to limit ISO) but there is another reason: generally speaking you are better off shooting at a higher ISO than underexposing and bringing it up in post. So I'll set the shutter speed to the lowest I recon I can get away with for blur, but quite often I'm 1/1000th sec or higher anyway.

So with this lens I find that if I take the shot, the lighting is either good enough or not, and if its not I either need to reshoot in different conditions or wait for better light. But that's not always easy in nature. ISO tends to be the first thing I sacrifice and for me personally it's always going to be the least worst option.