Easy way to set ISO to manual on D7000 ?

expat42451 · May 6, 2011

I find depending on what I am shooting that I switch modes quite a bit. For street shooting much of the time I am in Program. For most other things I will shoot manual mode. One of the things that has been bothering me is ISO--in manual mode the ISO will still be changed automatically even when you take control of F stop and speed(No I dont WANT to shoot this at 6400!!). One way to change this is to take ones hand off the lens, fumble around on the back of the camera and find the ISO button, go through the dance with the control wheel while holding the button &c to set ISO. Breaks concentration on composition and the camera after all wants to be as transparent as possible right? Other alternative is to, whenever you know you are going to shoot manual mode,go into the shooting menu and turn the ISO sensitivity off. What a PITA! My solution for this is to program U2 like I want to shoot in manual (Af-S say with matrix metering) and turn the ISO sensitivity OFF in "shooting". Then I saved these settings in U2 since its one click from M. Instead of shooting manual I now shoot U2 to avoid the ISO moving around. ISO may be set of course with a combination of the ISO button and the control wheel but after its set I can do most of what I want to do in changing exposure settings with F and shutter. I am either missing something in the manual or camera operation about how to accomplish this an easier way...or to my mind Nikon should have made one of the options in the Auto ISO settings, to be able to disable Auto ISO in manual mode and possibly other modes like A and S with the exception of P (and Auto and Scene for those who shoot those settings). After all its just firmware and I dont know how much capacity they have for how many more lines of code......but to my mind, Manual means Manual.

Is there some drastically simple means of accomplishing this another way that I have missed?

Wait! didnt we used to have to change rolls of film in our cameras to change ISO?

Expat

KmH · May 6, 2011

That's covered in the D7000 users manual. Do you need someone to find you the page number? (103, to turn off Auto ISO.)

expat42451 · May 6, 2011

KMH

Possibly I misworded what I said. If so my apologies to you. In answer to your question I do not need any help reading the instruction manual thanks very much. If you noticed in my post I even went through the routine that is outlined on pp103. What I was asking was whether there was another quicker way other than the way I outlined (using U2) to accomplish this in manual mode without having to fumble around with the menus when shooting. In addition to that I am a newcomer here, realize my inexperience and acknowledge it and treat others with courtesy. I appreciate the same in return. My diligence with the manual and the Nikon outlined procedures were outlined in what I wrote.
Thanks very much for your interest.
Expat

AUG19 · May 6, 2011

Use the ISO button located on the back of the D7000 to set a specific ISO. In Manual mode this will remain unaltered by the camera.

OrionsByte · May 6, 2011

I'm really not understanding what you're trying to do here.

If you turn off Auto ISO in the Shooting Menu, it is disabled for all modes. If you turn it on, it is enabled for all modes.

When Auto ISO is off, you have to manually select the ISO using the ISO button and the thumb wheel.

If all you're looking for an easier way to turn Auto ISO on or off, you might try adding it to your "My Menu" so you don't have to go through quite as much menu diving.

Bitter Jeweler · May 6, 2011

Does the D7000 have an ISO button you hit, then flick the wheel while still looking thought the viewfinder? Is that what you are talking about Aug19?

My camera does, it took a bit of time but I can change ISO on the fly as fast as I can change the shutter speed or aperture, so I disabled auto ISO and never looked back. Expat, maybe you just need some time for all this to become second nature?

AUG19 · May 6, 2011

pfffft I dunno.. I'd press ISO, dial in a value and roll. What's the problem?

Bitter Jeweler · May 6, 2011

You lost interest?

Wanna ride bikes?

Oh, look! Shiny!

I'm hungry.

expat42451 · May 6, 2011

Bitter Jewel you probably are dead on

Orions Byte and August 19th thanks very much for the input. When I am shooting in Manual mode, ISO will vary with lighting conditions when ISO is in AUTO. OK This may be where part of the problem is..... when I press the ISO button and use the thumbwheel to set the ISO, then I may go back (releasing the ISO button) and redo F and Shutter. If I do that does ISO stay where I set it until the shutter is tripped or does it return to AUTO when the ISO button is released? If it stays where I set it then problem solved.
Thanks all for helping a fumbling newbie

Expat

AUG19 · May 6, 2011

Your day of kharmic reconcilliation has been fun. There is something of the Tibetan monk (or should that be goldsmith) about you actually

Allow me to refresh your (subconcious) memories..

[video]http://youtu.be/xvd6s6q_LxU[/video]

Bitter Jeweler said:
You lost interest?

Wanna ride bikes?

Oh, look! Shiny!

I'm hungry.

OrionsByte · May 6, 2011

expat42451 said:
Bitter Jewel you probably are dead on

Orions Byte and August 19th thanks very much for the input. When I am shooting in Manual mode, ISO will vary with lighting conditions when ISO is in AUTO. OK This may be where part of the problem is..... when I press the ISO button and use the thumbwheel to set the ISO, then I may go back (releasing the ISO button) and redo F and Shutter. If I do that does ISO stay where I set it until the shutter is tripped or does it return to AUTO when the ISO button is released? If it stays where I set it then problem solved.
Thanks all for helping a fumbling newbie

Expat

It depends. If it can't get a good exposure based on the ISO you select, it will override it.

When you have Auto ISO turned on, the display on top of your camera will show "ISO AUTO" over the ISO number. If it is blinking, Auto ISO is overriding your selection.

I think you're making this way harder on yourself than you need to. Why would you let the camera choose the ISO for one shot and then want to choose it yourself for the next one? Just take it off Auto and force yourself to learn.

expat42451 · May 6, 2011

Actually I ve been shooting mostly in manual...but dont like it when the camera changes the ISO. You're right. Shut off Auto ISO. Nice to have program mode though in street photography. Thanks OrionsByte. Hopefully you all get Bitter Jewler's karma polished where he doesnt have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend --

Expat

KmH · May 7, 2011

expat42451 said:
Orions Byte and August 19th thanks very much for the input. When I am shooting in Manual mode, ISO will vary with lighting conditions when ISO is in AUTO. OK This may be where part of the problem is..... when I press the ISO button and use the thumbwheel to set the ISO, then I may go back (releasing the ISO button) and redo F and Shutter. If I do that does ISO stay where I set it until the shutter is tripped or does it return to AUTO when the ISO button is released? If it stays where I set it then problem solved.
Thanks all for helping a fumbling newbie

Expat

It stays in auto mode until you go into the menu and turn ISO Auto off. At any rate doing a quick test should answer your question.

Do you have the viewfinder configured to display the ISO? The default setting shows the number of exposures remaining instead, Custom Settings Menu - d3 (page 216).

expat42451 · May 8, 2011

KMH

Yep I display ISO in the viewfinder rather than exposures remaining (I get that off the top display). What was confusing to me was shooting manual with ISO in auto. Several times I didnt like the ISO so reach up and hit the ISO button on the back of the camera and use the thumbwheel to change it. Then release the ISO button to reset F and/or shutter. I see the ISO value in the viewfinder move from where I set it. At least I am pretty sure thats what happened. Which leads me to want to shoot manual with the auto ISO (as you suggested) turned off. I tried setting the Fn button to toggle the ISO between Auto and manual but never could make that seem to work which is what led me to using U2. I ve been shooting primarily in U2 where I have manual control of everything. I get better results it seems. Also suggest a test for this please.... it seems that (to me) when you are shooting in Manual, hit the ISO button and change the ISO (even when in Auto ISO) that setting should stay where you put it until after the shutter is tripped. Looks like Nikon would have made it work that way from a functionality standpoint. When I first started shooting the camera --in manual-- I couldnt figure out what was going on (used to film) and realized that the ISO was going all over the place because it was in auto LOL.
Thanks
Expat

OrionsByte · May 8, 2011

expat42451 said:
KMH

Yep I display ISO in the viewfinder rather than exposures remaining (I get that off the top display). What was confusing to me was shooting manual with ISO in auto. Several times I didnt like the ISO so reach up and hit the ISO button on the back of the camera and use the thumbwheel to change it. Then release the ISO button to reset F and/or shutter. I see the ISO value in the viewfinder move from where I set it. At least I am pretty sure thats what happened. Which leads me to want to shoot manual with the auto ISO (as you suggested) turned off. I tried setting the Fn button to toggle the ISO between Auto and manual but never could make that seem to work which is what led me to using U2. I ve been shooting primarily in U2 where I have manual control of everything. I get better results it seems. Also suggest a test for this please.... it seems that (to me) when you are shooting in Manual, hit the ISO button and change the ISO (even when in Auto ISO) that setting should stay where you put it until after the shutter is tripped. Looks like Nikon would have made it work that way from a functionality standpoint. When I first started shooting the camera --in manual-- I couldnt figure out what was going on (used to film) and realized that the ISO was going all over the place because it was in auto LOL.
Thanks
Expat

Read the first paragraph on page 103 of your manual. It answers your question. If you have Auto ISO turned on in P, A, S, or M modes, the camera will use the ISO you select unless it cannot achieve a proper exposure, in which case it will override it.

There is no "Auto with manual override" setting like you're asking for. Using U2 seems to be a good solution for you, and you can also refer back to my suggestion about adding it to your "My Menu" (p285 in your manual) to make it easier to turn Auto ISO on or off.