ISO 80 vs ISO 160

[Unsung]

I know using ISO 160, 320, 640 are good settings for reducing noise, appearing to have less noise than usual (all are multiples of 160). But, my P&S goes down to ISO 80, which is a multiple of 160. So, would it be a good idea to bump it up to ISO 160 or is ISO 80 also good to use in terms of noise?

 

[usayit]

It depends on the base ISO the camera is designed for.

My camera's base iso is 160 and the manual states that iso 80 is a "pull" which does introduce some noise (not much). It is intended to allow for slower shutter speeds or allow for the aperture to be open.

 

[Unsung]

Mine doesn't have any extended ISO settings, 80 - 3200 are all normal selections. However, there is a low-light mode which goes up much higher and automatically selects the ISO (up to 12800 I believe) with an obvious loss of quality.

Thanks for the information.