iso and shutter speed

dak1b · Jul 27, 2009

hello all!

ok so i'm looking to use the manuel features on my canon rebel xs/1000d...right now i just have my iso set to auto and same with sutter speed. i really want to experiment with these features...just wanna get sum tips and tricks from u guys bout these features that make my camera different from point and shoot cameras. thanks a mill!:thumbup:

table1349 · Jul 27, 2009

Not a Canon manual but an excellent book on this subject. Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) (9780817463007): Bryan Peterson: Books

An excellent book that explains the relationship of ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture to create proper exposures.

KmH · Jul 27, 2009

^^^ good book.

You might start here.

Philly101 · Jul 27, 2009

I've got a blog for beginners who want to learn how to control their DSLRs.
It's only been going a month or so. I don't have anything on ISO yet, but a few posts on shutter speed already that you might find helpful. You can check them out here if you are interested.
(Start at the bottom and work up.)

Markw · Jul 27, 2009

Keep the ISO (I thought it was ASA with Canon?) as low as possible. This will reduce noise. Keep shutter speed as high as possible. This will reduce camera shake and blurriness. Keep them that way as much as possible so that you can get a good exposure, dont sacrifice a good exposure so you can have low ISO, though. Fast shutter speed is a little more important than having a low ISO because you can somewhat get rid of noise, but theres no way to get rid of bad camera shake.

Mark

table1349 · Jul 27, 2009

Markw said:
Keep the ISO (I thought it was ASA with Canon?) as low as possible. This will reduce noise. Keep shutter speed as high as possible. This will reduce camera shake and blurriness. Keep them that way as much as possible so that you can get a good exposure, dont sacrifice a good exposure so you can have low ISO, though. Fast shutter speed is a little more important than having a low ISO because you can somewhat get rid of noise, but theres no way to get rid of bad camera shake.

Mark

ASA is film, ISO is digital.

Markw · Jul 27, 2009

Makes sense. Ive never done Canon, especially not canon film, thats why I didnt know.

Mark

table1349 · Jul 27, 2009

Markw said:
Makes sense. Ive never done Canon, especially not canon film, thats why I didnt know.

Mark

Yeah, it's not a canon thing its a format thing. Film or digital.

Markw · Jul 27, 2009

Now see, thats why I didnt understand. At my local photography shop, I always bought Tmax 100 or 400 film. On the box is has '#'-speed film and the shop operator always referred to it as ISO. Thats why I was confused. Thanks for correcting me though.

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw/tMax100.jhtml?pq-path=13400

Mark

IgsEMT · Jul 27, 2009

Set the highest ISO that you feel comfortable w/o giving you too much (or just minimal) grain/noise. 400 on most cameras is reasonable enough. Newer cameras, I'm not very familiar with your camera, you can go to 3200 and spend time looking for noise on a well lit image and probably won't find any.
Set you flash, either built-in or external to TTL.
Shutter - for everyday stuff (portraits to moving cars) b/n 1/60sec to 1/200.
Aperture - adjust it accordingly to get the exposure you're looking for.

Now the fun part:
If you want shallow DoF, open the aperture as far as you can but boost up the shutter speed to obtain correct exposure.
If you want to get the smoke from a candle, then slow the shutter speed but close the aperture.
Flash - at first get a hang on when it is in TTL (either built-in or external). Ideally it'll adjust to your settings and will not let you mess up to much. Eventually, if you're shooting with an external flash - set it to 1/4power and continue adjust your aperture.

Few things to lookout for.
Sync Speed
Unless you know what you're doing, try not to shoot with flash above the cameras sync speed. You'll get an effect that you might not necessarily desire. Outdoor portraits or landscape you might get away with it but indoors you might not.
White Balance: you might get away outdoors on a nice sunny day with auto white balance, but indoors, or in shade, in the cloud, camera might get a funny reading. THEREFORE, ideally manual preset it for what you're shooting and enjoy the shoot. If you're shooting with the flash, try presets (sunny or flash or variation in b/n).
If you got more Qs, ask away.

ann · Jul 27, 2009

ASA is an old term

it changed to ISO many years ago.

Markw · Jul 27, 2009

IgsEMT said:
I'm not very familiar with your camera, you can go to 3200 and spend time looking for noise on a well lit image and probably won't find any.

I shoot with the D90. This is shot at ISO-3200 with extremely noticeable noise.

This was shot at ISO200 without noise.

Mark

choudhrysaab · Jul 27, 2009

thanx everyone for sharing your information =)

IgsEMT · Jul 27, 2009

Mark,
I agree with you on D90 and noise, on my D90, I go as far as 1600. My D50 and D70 pushing above 400 was a bit risky, at least under circumstances that I was in. On D200 I went as far as 800 on occasion. On D300 & Canon 5D Mark II, I played as far as ISO 3200.
When using Nikon or Canon flashes, I rarely boost ISO to more then 800. When using monolight or dynalights, I'm more willing to experiment.
I never got to play and see what canon rebel xs/1000d can do. Thus of the top of my head wouldn't jump past ISO 320.

Joe