We are already accustomed to the fact that with the help of smartphones we can take decent quality photographs that are not inferior to photographs from digital cameras.
Today, the user of modern phones has access to a huge number of various camera settings and modes. Many people take pictures mainly in automatic mode, which allows them to achieve good photos. Some people want to improve the quality of their photos and prefer to independently adjust the shutter speed, aperture, white balance and other parameters. Let's take a closer look at one of the determining exposure parameters - ISO in a smartphone camera.
What is ISO?
The abbreviation ISO comes from International Standards Organization. She develops standards in various fields. In a camera, this standard characterizes the photosensitivity of the matrix or, in other words, the sensitivity of the sensor to light.
The indicator has numeric expression and starts with a value of 50 and then doubles: 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 and so on. The limits of this scale differ among different manufacturers, and intermediate values are also possible. Moreover, the same ISO value on different smartphones will have a different effect on the photo.
How ISO works in a camera
The best way to understand in practice how ISO works is to take a series of photographs with your smartphone at the same shutter speed and aperture, gradually increasing the sensitivity value. You will see that the photos will become lighter each time.
The conclusion is simple: the higher the ISO, the more light the camera matrix receives. Thus, in low-light conditions, increasing this indicator will help you get fairly bright pictures even without using a smartphone flash.
But this parameter also has reverse side- the risk of noise and graininess in pictures. Speaking in simple language, this is the appearance of numerous small dark dots, distortions, interference and even in rare cases artifacts. The fact is that the sensitivity of the camera sensor at too high an ISO increases significantly, and even slightly illuminated points are perceived too strongly. To avoid this, you need to take a few test shots and evaluate the maximum ISO size that can be used in a particular situation.
It should be noted that active noise reduction is now very common in phones, so you can use high ISO values. IN everyday life Photos from a smartphone are rarely printed on large format paper, so the noise in the photos will not be noticeable.
Rules for using ISO
- Try to choose the lowest possible ISO - this way the pictures on your smartphone will be of better quality and without noise.
- Indoors, it is preferable to set the value to about 400 - this will improve color rendition.
- If you're photographing in places where there's plenty of light, a low ISO will help you get the best quality photos possible.
- In places with insufficient lighting, it is necessary to use a higher value of the parameter. The photo will be brighter than with a flash, but there will be a little more noise.
It must be clearly understood that ISO - is far from the only parameter responsible for the quality of mobile photos. Huge value also has a camera matrix, correct operation and much more.
What is ISO in a camera and how to set it?The ISO value is one of the most important parameters when shooting, along with shutter speed, aperture and white balance. ISO is often also called ISO sensitivity, ISO level, or simply the light sensitivity of the sensor or film.
Still, what is ISO in the camera settings?
ISO is a parameter indicating the level of sensitivity to light of its light-collecting element (matrix or film). They mainly indicate ISO limits for cameras (photo cameras). Although, this same parameter can be found not only on the camera, but, for example, on the flash. For flash, a guide number is usually indicated when using one of ISO 100 or 200. ISO sensitivity is indicated in special ISO units. The ISO numeric expression itself can take any integer expression from 1 to infinity. For example, my SB-900 flash can set ISO from 1 (units) to 12,500, and my Nikon D40 camera can set ISO from 200 to 1,600.
Less is better!
The higher the ISO value, the more light-sensitive the matrix. It is very important to understand that the higher the ISO value, the less time it takes for the sensor or film to scan the image from the lens. For clarity, I will give an example: we are shooting in the evening, there is little light, the camera is set to ISO 100, and the camera in aperture priority (or in any other mode) shows that the picture will be taken with a shutter speed of 1/20s. This is very long exposure, and at the same time we can get a blurry frame. Therefore, to reduce shutter speed you need to increase ISO. For example, we increased the ISO to 800, then the shutter speed will decrease by 8 times and become 1/160s (one hundred and sixtieth of a second). If it were not for noise, then you could always shoot at high ISO and never worry about the shutter speed; due to noise, you need to lower the ISO and increase the shutter speed and, in addition, worry about not getting a blurry shot.
Raise, close, reduce!
Shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings are interchangeable. The amount of light the camera needs to build an image can be the same for different three values of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. So, at 1/60s, F2.8, ISO 100, the camera will receive the same amount of light as at 1/30s, F2.8, ISO 50 or 1/60s, F5.6, ISO 400. In order to compensate raising the ISO, you need to close the aperture or reduce the shutter speed. The opposite is also true. You can increase the shutter speed, open the aperture and lower the ISO.
ISO affects noise
Super high and super low ISO
Many cameras have an extended range of ISO values - usually this is a software increase in ISO, and they are designated as Hi1, Hi2, etc. For example, for the Nikon D200 camera, HI1 is equivalent to ISO 3200, and on the Nikon D90 camera, HI1 is equivalent to ISO 6400. Always Remember that when shooting at such extended ISO values there will almost always be a very strong effect of picture noise. I strongly discourage shooting in the extended high ISO range on any camera. Also, the range can expand downward, so the Nikon D90, D300, D700 cameras have values of lo 1, lo 0.3, lo 0.7 as equivalents for ISO 100, 160, 130.
Which ISO should you choose your camera with?
When choosing a camera, always look at the minimum and maximum ISO values, and also remember that in 90% of cases you will not have to shoot at extremely high ISOs, since often they simply will not provide normal image quality. Therefore, professional photographers have the concept of working ISO. Working ISO refers to the maximum ISO value at which the camera can produce acceptable results. The trick is that, unlike aperture and shutter speed, which give exactly the same values on all cameras, the same ISO on different cameras can give different meaning noisiness. Therefore, in one camera the working ISO will be 800, and in the other the working ISO will be 3200. For example, on the Nikon D700 camera you can take pictures of acceptable quality at ISO 3200, while on the Nikon D200 in ISO 3200 (Hi1) mode you can already get not a photograph, but complete nonsense. The difference in ISO noise is very noticeable on digital point-and-shoot cameras, where already at ISO 400 digital noise is often very visible, and at the same time DSLR cameras ISO 400 is quite working.
What affects noise at high ISOs?
The noise level at high ISO is greatly influenced by the size of the camera matrix. The larger the matrix, the less noise. Considering that the matrix in compact cameras is very small, it produces a huge noise level. It can be explained very simply in terms of pixel size. A large sensor has large pixels that can absorb much more light and thus make a strong electrical signal. It is logical that 12MP from a point-and-shoot camera and 12MP from Nikon D3s will produce different noise levels at high ISOs. More information in my article Matrix size matters.
How is ISO measured?
ISO, like shutter speed and aperture, is usually counted in steps, for example, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, etc. The difference between ISO 800 and ISO 400 is exactly two times or one stop, and between ISO 100 and ISO 1600 is exactly 16 times , or 4 stops. It’s very bad that cameras generally only allow you to change ISO by a stop. So, for Nikon D40 it is possible to manually set ISO only 200, 400, 800, 1600, HI1 and it is impossible to set intermediate values such as ISO 250, 320, 500, etc. On more advanced cameras you can set intermediate values, but all Fine ISO control is practically non-existent in any camera. The most interesting thing is that in automatic ISO mode, ISO sensitivity can take any value, such as 110, 230, 1400, etc.
Auto ISO
Auto ISO is available on almost all cameras. This means that the camera itself will select the optimal ISO value. Automatic ISO is very convenient when shooting in poor lighting; when using it, the camera can squeeze out maximum quality. Basically, when using automatic ISO, you need to specify the maximum shutter speed and maximum ISO value. Some cameras adjust ISO to suit focal length lens to prevent blur when shooting handheld.
Example of auto ISO operation
We decided to photograph the cat at home under dim lamp lighting. We have a 60mm lens, to avoid hand shake, we need to shoot at a shutter speed no longer than 1/60, so we will set the maximum shutter speed in the automatic ISO parameters to 1/60, as well as the maximum allowable ISO 800 in order to get the maximum quality of the image. When taking photographs, the camera will try to lower the ISO and adjust the shutter speed. If the shutter speed is shorter than 1/60 and the ISO is less than the minimum, then the camera will automatically lengthen the shutter speed and lower the ISO and will do this until it hits the specified limit of 1/60 of a second, in which case we will get the maximum allowable shutter speed and the minimum possible ISO for photographing a cat. If there is enough light, then the camera will set ISO 100 (or any minimum acceptable) and any desired shutter speed no longer than 1/60. If there is catastrophically little light, then the camera will set the highest possible ISO and forcefully increase the shutter speed for the correct exposure. In general, I highly recommend experimenting with auto ISO in aperture priority mode, since auto ISO works quite specific.
Little trick
When using auto ISO and flash, it is better to turn off auto ISO, as very often the camera goes crazy and where you can actually lower the ISO, the camera sets it to the maximum specified and takes a picture with flash. And in general, if you have a flash, then you can safely use the lowest available ISO.
Another little trick
On a number of digital SLR cameras in automatic ISO mode, you can set the maximum ISO in the menu, as well as the minimum. Sometimes, to set the minimum ISO, you just need to use the selector to set the desired ISO value, for example 800. And then, with a maximum set ISO of 1600, you get a working range of ISO 800-1600 at which the camera will work - a very, very useful thing.
The Golden Rule of ISO Settings
Always remember golden rule— you need to shoot at the lowest possible ISO. As soon as the opportunity arises to lower the ISO, do it. Lift only when needed. To lower the ISO as low as possible, open the aperture to the maximum. If there is a flash, do not use a high ISO.
The ISO value is directly responsible for light sensitivity and noise level. The higher the ISO, the more noise and worse the photo. The lower the ISO, the better photo, but also the longer the shutter speed.
Greetings, dear reader of my blog. I’m in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. There are many disputes among photographers about how to properly configure the camera to get perfect photos and what parameters affect it in the first place. You are probably thinking that you bought an expensive camera, but you need to set the ISO correctly on it, and what is it anyway?
Setting is required for every shooting, and you will find out what it is and why it is needed in the article. Don’t worry so much, you will learn everything, understand everything by reading the article to the end. I really hope that you have already read my articles about and, if not, then it’s better to get acquainted, since here one depends on the other, and in total this trinity is called exposure.
Our article today will be interesting and useful not only to those who have just purchased reflex camera or is going to buy it, and even those who have had it for a long time do not understand what ISO is in a camera and how much it affects the quality of photographs in different lighting conditions.
So, in front and with songs!
Let's start from the beginning with decoding. ISO in a camera is a parameter that determines the level of sensitivity of the matrix pixels to lighting. In other words, ISO is light sensitivity.
The higher the ISO, the higher the sensitivity of the matrix or film to artificial or natural light, the photo becomes lighter. But this leads to the appearance of noise or, in professional terms, the appearance of so-called grain in the photograph. You've probably already encountered this? When you enlarge a photo taken in poor lighting, dots appear on the photo different colors, this is noise. Therefore, proper understanding and setting of ISO is very important.
Now about the main thing, how to adjust light sensitivity?
Setting ISO on the camera
I would like to immediately note that ISO or photosensitivity is one of the most important parameters, along with shutter speed and aperture. But that’s not about that now!
The camera may need the right amount of light to take good photos when different meaning the listed functions. An increase in ISO can be compensated by opening the aperture and/or decreasing the shutter speed.
To ensure that the quality of the image remains as high as possible, it is recommended to set the ISO as low as possible. Well, of course, if necessary, the value can be increased, but the main thing is to remember about noise.
Sometimes, it's better to get a photo with a little noise than a blurry one.
I would like to note that the result is an increase ISO setting It is possible to increase light sensitivity, that is, the matrix requires less time to scan the image captured by the camera lens.
I will give some examples that will help you make the settings correctly, taking into account the time of day.
In the evening, with inconsistent lighting, you should set a high value, from 400 to 3200 ISO, this will reduce the shutter speed of the image and improve the quality, provided that you are shooting handheld. Increased light sensitivity, often useful for shooting sports events indoors or outdoors evening time days.
During the day, especially in sunny weather, the parameter should be reduced to 100-200. Because there is no need for additional photosensitivity!
If photography is done using flash, increasing ISO is not recommended. When shooting in low light with low light sensitivity, it is better to do it in a fixed way, for example, using a tripod or using some object, such as a window sill or a fence, to fix the camera.
Setting ISO on the camera
Now, let's look at how to set ISO on a camera, and what you should not forget about. I’ll tell you right away that it cannot be set manually if you take photographs in automatic mode (Auto mode). In this mode, the camera uses automatic mode ISO. Manual setting of photosensitivity can only be set in the following modes:
- Aperture priority (A or Av);
- Shutter priority (S or TV);
- In program mode (P);
- In manual mode (M).
It installs very easily. There are 2 ways.
- Settings on the camera body itself. For example, Nikon cameras have an Fn button. While pressing and holding this button, rotate the control dial. Thus, the ISO value will change.
- Settings in the camera menu. There you can set the appropriate parameter.
Automatic ISO.
It is convenient to use if you need the camera to automatically set a parameter at the intervals you specify. This is very useful when you are shooting in dimly lit environments without using flash, such as sporting events. This parameter is easily set in the camera settings menu, where you can specify the minimum and maximum limits, for example, 100-1600, and before making other settings, the camera will only work within the specified limits.
Important. If you use a flash when taking pictures, auto ISO is better disable.
Auto ISO is convenient for shooting sports events. Shutter speeds should start at 1/1000 of a second or shorter to avoid blurry photos. And without increasing the ISO values, it is impossible to achieve such a shutter speed. Therefore, you can set automatic sensitivity values, for example, up to 1600. Within the interval 100-1600, the camera itself will set the desired ISO value.
In conclusion, I want to add just one thing. As soon as the opportunity arises to reduce the ISO, do it! It is worth increasing only when the shutter speed at a low sensitivity value becomes longer and the aperture is open to the maximum limit. Also, do not use an inflated indicator when shooting using flash.
This is where I will end the article. I told everything I wanted to say on this topic. If you have any questions or suggestions, write in the comments. If you liked the article, tell your friends and acquaintances about it. Subscribe to my blog and you can learn a lot more useful information, which will allow you to fully use the camera and take high-quality pictures.
If you want to understand this parameter better and learn more about the basics of photography, then the video course " Digital SLR for a beginner 2.0", just for you. This course has gained great popularity among beginning photographers. After reviewing the course, I was amazed at the quality of the information. I recommend this video course.
And finally, I have a question for you. What ISO do you use to photograph and under what conditions?
All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.
