Auto ISO---Who Uses It?

[JJphoto]

I'll sometimes use Auto ISO for a few test shots and then I'll look at the histogram as well as the image on the LCD, and then I'll see which ISO setting looks the best,

what I have been really dreaming about is that I can set one or two of the three (Av ,Tv and ISO), and also set the range of each parameter and let the camera do the rest, this is the first dream. second dream, it is better if I can set or program the priority of these three parameter, e.g. when I shoot bird in changing lighting condition, The priority of these parameters is like this


I set f5.6, Tv range1/800-1/6400), ISO(100-800), sun setting


1) f5.6 1/3200, ISO 100, and when it gets darker, I would go


2)f5.6 1/3200,ISO 200 and when the lighting gets even darker, instead of rise ISO to 400(if you use Auto ISO), I prefer


3) f5.6 1/1600,ISO 200 and then when it's darker, go


4)f5.6 1/1600,ISO 400.......


5)f5.6 1/800,ISO400....


6) f5.6 1/800, ISO800.


and finally the dream is that the camera will always automatically correct the exposure to perfect if you shoot in raw


I think camera can check the histogram after we press the shutter half way and correct it to perfect before we click it all the way down to take the pictures

[LeeBee]

hey guys,


I

[bob williams]

My only problem though is understanding ISO ratings and which setting to use. Is there a 'hard and fast' rule or sliding scale about ISO settings i.e. low ISO setting for a certain photo/subject etc

Lee,


Though there are exceptions, the general rule is to shoot as low of an ISO setting as possible for the shooting situation. Higher ISO settingsresult in noise and that noise (grainy look) can become more apparant during post processing, especially if sharpening or pushing the exposure. Ultimately, you have to be the judge on what's tolerable to you. For me personally, 1600 is the highest ISO i shoot at comfortably--and thats pushing it. I am not familiar with th 20Ds ISO performance, Maybe someone with experience with that body can give you a better idea on what you should expect.


Bryan's explanation of exposure basics might give you some more info--look here http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/Exposure-Basics.aspx. Look toward the bottom of the article and it will provide a good explanation of ISO.


Hope this helps,


Bob

[LeeBee]

Bob,


Many thanks for the info, much appreciated


Lee

[andnowimbroke]

you can also control how quickly it rises

Kinda like stick shift on a car. Depends on whether your trying to pass or just out for a cruise as to what gear you what. As a side note. in lightrrom or pretty much any adobe product, if you hold down the "alt" key ("option" on the Mac) and move your slider for the mask on sharpening, you'll see exactly what is getting worked on. The black areas get nothing and the white gets sharpened.

[jcrowe87]

I often use Auto ISO when shooting video, though never for stills.


With constantly changing views, and a constantly changing "correct" exposure, AISO is a nice feature when working with video that doesn

[Jayson]

Wow, it appears that I am the laziest person on here.[:O] I use auto ISO almost all the time when I am outside, never inside. As stated earlier it jumps to ISO3200 way to fast indoors. What I have found is that if you are in manual it manages the ISO level ok outside and doesn't get too out of control. I could probably just set the thing but I don't switch gears fast enough and change the shutter to adjust for different light conditions. I usually shoot everything wide open so the ISO isn't really a problem. If I did smaller apertures, maybe I would have to look into controlling it a little more. I control it for all paid stuff, but fun stuff, I don't really care.


Bob, for processing with the Adobe stuff, I have found that if you put any type of sharpening on the picture it usually looks bad, especially if you have any in-camera sharpening , mine is set to 4 on faithful (i don't know if I am wrong in saying that, maybe the sharpening settings don't transfer, someone else can answer that). As for my processing work for higher ISO stuff, I make sure during the conversion to JPEG that I don't allow any sharpening by the converter unless it is absolutely necessary. Then the photos I want to show everyone, I run them through photoshop with the sharpening that makes them look the best for what I am using them for and the use noise ninja to filter out the background noise. I usually use the technique kind of like Joel described in the bird thread.


Here is a frog for example and I believe the settings were 7D, 35mm F2, AV mode F2.5, ISO 3200, 1/50 sec. I had the kids so I had it set on AV that day. I used NN on the background and nothing on the frog and it didn't turn out half bad.

[Daniel Browning]

it seems that I let my aperture tighten down to f14, didn't notice it and the resulting ISO was 3200---way beyond my satisfaction level [...], but unlike the other auto settings that show significant errors in camera, the auto ISO does not.

Are you sure that is a good reason to avoid using AutoISO?In the same way you let your aperture tighten down to f14 without noticing in AutoISO mode, wouldn't it be possible to let your ISO setting go to 3200 in manual ISO mode without noticing? To me, it seems like they're both the same type of mistake (changing the settings by accident), so I'm not sure it's a good reason to avoid using AutoISO.


If you are in a fast-paced shooting circumstance, such as shooting coyotes, you need some sort of exposure automation. If you use manual ISO with Tv, you'll need to watch the f-number to make sure the DOF is not too thin, the f-number too soft (if the lens is soft wide open), or the f-number can't open wide enough for the exposure you want. If you use manual ISO with Av, you'll need to watch the time value to make sure it's fast enough to avoid motion blur. If you shoot M+AutoISO, you need to watch the ISO setting to make sure that it isn't going above levels where you'd rather change something else (f-number or time value).In every case, you have to watch something.

I am curious what others think about Auto-ISO?

I love it and I wish I had it on the 5D2. There's no other way to shoot fast and in changing light conditions when you want control over motion blur and f-number.


What's ironic about AutoISO is that other manufacturers didn't need the feature, yet they had it for years. Canon has needed the feature for years, yet still doesn't have it (completely implemented).Sensors from other manufacturers had the same noise whether you increased ISO or just pushed in post (e.g. Nikon D2X) -- yet they had that feature for *years*. On the other hand, Canon's noise goes down dramatically with increasing ISO (even back in the Canon 10D), so AutoISO is a highly valuable feature. Yet Canon *still* has not implemented it completely. Even on the 7D, AutoISO is disabled if you turn on a flash.

But, it is only a crutch and should be used as a last resort.

It's only a crutch in the same way that autofocus, metering, high FPS, etc. are all crutches.A crutch is something that makes up for your impaired ability. The autofocus crutch makes up for your inability to manually focus on sports action at thin DOF within milliseconds. The metering crutch makes up for your inability tojudge light levels accurately by eye in an instant. The high-FPS crutch makes up for your inability to time a large group shot perfectly enough that no one is blinking. The AutoISO crutch makes up for your inability to change the ISO setting in milliseconds.



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I generally think of them as features and tools rather than crutches.



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<div>

I really don't like ISO 3200, and the 7D will frequently end up there, especially indoors with ambient light.

<div>How does this relate to AutoISO? If you don't like ISO 3200, wouldn't you change f-number or time value when indoors with ambient light? For example, if I said"I really don't like the motion blur of 1/4 second time value, and the 7D will frequently end up there, especially indoors with ambient light", how would you respond? It's not really the camera's fault for ending up at 1/4 second in Av mode, is it? That's the same reason why I don't think it's really the camera's fault for ending up at ISO 3200 in AutoISO mode.</div>
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<div>I'd love to see far more advanced programmable automation, such as being able to tell the camera to first change ISO, then f-number, then time value, all within prescribed boundaries. Plus the ability to setup "mode bracketing", so that I could setup C1, C2, and C3 all with different mode settings (one Av+flash, one Tv+low ISO, one M+AutoISO), and then take three rapid-fire shots that uses all three different modes in under a second. Then later on in post I can choose between the flash and the natural light shot, for example. Or I can choose between the one that was soft from the wide open f-number or the one that was soft due to slow time value.</div>



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[Jayson]

<div>

I really don't like ISO 3200, and the 7D will frequently end up there, especially indoors with ambient light.

<div>How does this relate to AutoISO? If you don't like ISO 3200, wouldn't you change f-number or time value when indoors with ambient light? For example, if I said"I really don't like the motion blur of 1/4 second time value, and the 7D will frequently end up there, especially indoors with ambient light", how would you respond? It's not really the camera's fault for ending up at 1/4 second in Av mode, is it? That's the same reason why I don't think it's really the camera's fault for ending up at ISO 3200 in AutoISO mode.</div>
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<div>I'd love to see far more advanced programmable automation, such as being able to tell the camera to first change ISO, then f-number, then time value, all within prescribed boundaries. Plus the ability to setup "mode bracketing", so that I could setup C1, C2, and C3 all with different mode settings (one Av+flash, one Tv+low ISO, one M+AutoISO), and then take three rapid-fire shots that uses all three different modes in under a second. Then later on in post I can choose between the flash and the natural light shot, for example. Or I can choose between the one that was soft from the wide open f-number or the one that was soft due to slow time value.</div>

I know I am going to get burned for this because I usually have no clue what I am talking about, but I have to agree with John (neuroanatomist) on this one. For some reason, the 7D likes ISO 3200 more than any other ISO on the Auto ISO scale. When light is lower than planned or indoors I have found that it tends to side with ISO3200. Now, if your in Manual it really doesn't have the same issue, but if your in TV or AV, even P mode, it tends to adjust the AV or the TV rather than the ISO. I have found to be shooting f4.0, ISO 3200 is choosen when it really doesn't need to be. I suspect most people here shoot with manual so it is a moot point, but for those who don't, it can sometimes be an issue. I also wish there was some sort of limit to the 7D auto ISO.

[Daniel Browning]

Oh yeah, I was thinking of M mode, but if you use AutoISO with Tv, Av, or P, I can see why the camera would probably have a different idea of what to change before you do. For example, in Av+AutoISO, it tends to choose 1/focal length and a low ISO when I would rather have 1/(f*2). That