ISO settings in digital photography
Grant (DPS site reader) asks: “ I'm confused about the sensitivity to light (ISO). Which value is better to choose? Is it better to choose the lowest? "
Thanks for asking Grant. Before I try to answer this question, let me give a small definition of ISO.
What is ISO?
In traditional (film) photography, ISO (or ASA) shows how sensitive the film is to light. It is measured in numbers (you probably saw them on boxes with films - 100, 200, 400, 800, etc.) The smaller the number, the less sensitive the film is to light and the smaller the graininess in the resulting photos.
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In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of a camera's matrix. The same principles apply here as in film photography - the smaller the number, the less film is susceptible to light and the smaller the graininess. High values of photosensitivity are used mainly in situations with insufficient lighting, when you need to use a short shutter speed (for example, if you are shooting sports events indoors and want to “freeze” the movement) - nevertheless you have to pay for it with noise. I will illustrate it below with two fragments of photos - the left one is taken with a sensitivity value of 100, the right one - 3200
(You can view larger versions of each of the photos: ISO 100 and ISO 3200 )
ISO 100 is considered a 'normal' value and makes your photos clearer (reduces noise / grain).
Most people continue to shoot in automatic mode, where the camera itself chooses the value of sensitivity, depending on the situation in which you shoot (the camera tries to make it as low as possible), however, most cameras provide you with the opportunity to choose the value of sensitivity.
If you do not agree with the settings offered by the automatics and set the sensitivity value yourself, you will see how this affects the aperture and shutter speeds. For example, if you increase the ISO from 100 to 400, you will notice that the shutter speed and / or aperture slit will decrease.
When choosing photosensitivity, I usually ask myself the following four questions:
1. Light - Is the object lit enough?
2. Grain - Do I need grain or do I need a picture without noise?
3. Tripod - Am I using a tripod?
4. Object Movement - Whether my object is moving or resting.
If there is enough light around, I want to get a little bit of grain, I use a tripod and the subject doesn’t move, then I usually use a fairly low photosensitivity value.
If around it is dark, I intentionally want to get grain, I shoot without a tripod and / or my object is moving, I will consider an increase in the sensitivity value, which will allow me to use lower shutter speeds and at the same time get good pictures.
Of course, in return, we get more noise in the picture.
Below are the situations in which you may need to increase the value of photosensitivity:
Indoor sporting activities - where your subject moves fast, and there is a lack of light.
Concerts - where there is also little light and often there can not be used flash.
Galleries, churches, etc. - in many galleries against the use of flashes and, of course, there is a lack of light in the room.
Birthdays - the moment of blowing out the candles can give you a snapshot with a pleasant mood, which will be spoiled by the flash. Increasing the ISO will help you catch the moment.
Photosensitivity is an important aspect of digital photography, a must-see if you want more control over your camera. So experiment with the settings and how they affect your photos!
Thanks for asking Grant. Before I try to answer this question, let me give a small definition of ISO.
What is ISO?
In traditional (film) photography, ISO (or ASA) shows how sensitive the film is to light. It is measured in numbers (you probably saw them on boxes with films - 100, 200, 400, 800, etc.) The smaller the number, the less sensitive the film is to light and the smaller the graininess in the resulting photos.
')
In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of a camera's matrix. The same principles apply here as in film photography - the smaller the number, the less film is susceptible to light and the smaller the graininess. High values of photosensitivity are used mainly in situations with insufficient lighting, when you need to use a short shutter speed (for example, if you are shooting sports events indoors and want to “freeze” the movement) - nevertheless you have to pay for it with noise. I will illustrate it below with two fragments of photos - the left one is taken with a sensitivity value of 100, the right one - 3200
(You can view larger versions of each of the photos: ISO 100 and ISO 3200 )
ISO 100 is considered a 'normal' value and makes your photos clearer (reduces noise / grain).
Most people continue to shoot in automatic mode, where the camera itself chooses the value of sensitivity, depending on the situation in which you shoot (the camera tries to make it as low as possible), however, most cameras provide you with the opportunity to choose the value of sensitivity.
If you do not agree with the settings offered by the automatics and set the sensitivity value yourself, you will see how this affects the aperture and shutter speeds. For example, if you increase the ISO from 100 to 400, you will notice that the shutter speed and / or aperture slit will decrease.
When choosing photosensitivity, I usually ask myself the following four questions:
1. Light - Is the object lit enough?
2. Grain - Do I need grain or do I need a picture without noise?
3. Tripod - Am I using a tripod?
4. Object Movement - Whether my object is moving or resting.
If there is enough light around, I want to get a little bit of grain, I use a tripod and the subject doesn’t move, then I usually use a fairly low photosensitivity value.
If around it is dark, I intentionally want to get grain, I shoot without a tripod and / or my object is moving, I will consider an increase in the sensitivity value, which will allow me to use lower shutter speeds and at the same time get good pictures.
Of course, in return, we get more noise in the picture.
Below are the situations in which you may need to increase the value of photosensitivity:
Indoor sporting activities - where your subject moves fast, and there is a lack of light.
Concerts - where there is also little light and often there can not be used flash.
Galleries, churches, etc. - in many galleries against the use of flashes and, of course, there is a lack of light in the room.
Birthdays - the moment of blowing out the candles can give you a snapshot with a pleasant mood, which will be spoiled by the flash. Increasing the ISO will help you catch the moment.
Photosensitivity is an important aspect of digital photography, a must-see if you want more control over your camera. So experiment with the settings and how they affect your photos!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/98223/
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