Why 90% of Photographers should use Auto ISO...

[@JamesPopsysPhoto]

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[@tipodue]

A decade or so ago, I used to teach some beginner digital photography classes and immediately after covering the exposure triangle, I would strongly suggest everyone shoot in Aperture Priority with Auto ISO. Focus on making the images you want without faffing around with stuff the camera can do faster and better than you.

[@jimmason8502]

Yeeeaahhh...no. Cameras aren't as smart as photographers and they are horrible at exposing high contrast scenes. You can't always use an average exposure, sometimes you have to expose for highlights or shadows or whatever. Personally, I only use some sort of auto-exposure mode when I'm doing street photography and I need to get the shot quickly. Otherwise it's manual all the time.

[@tipodue]

@@jimmason8502 Still auto-ISO, just change the metering or the exposure compensation. Because at a say a concert, you do want to meter for a performer in a spotlight, but the strength of each spotlight (or combinations of spotlights) keeps changing with durations of fractions of a second. A human can't adjust as fast as lighting conditions can change. I get enthusiasts who just love manual mode for the mechanical interaction with the camera much the same way some people love to drive stick shift, but just as you can't outshift modern cars, you can't beat the adjustment speed of a modern camera. The best you can do is understand how the camera works so you can choose the best settings it offers to get what you want.

[@jml7916]

@@jimmason8502 The only time I use full manual is for Astro/Night, pano/stacking or in the studio with flashes. The auto ISO and metering modes have so many usable options in my camera that I use Auto ISO the rest of the time. It works in all modes including manual, I can override both how it calculates minimum shutter or set a hard minimum, I can meter in auto, centre, follow the focus point or protect the highlights. I can coax it into doing what I want and still allow it to respond much faster than I can to any changes. I also have a oh crap shortcut on my mode dial where it drops into mostly auto mode aperture priority and this has saved my butt a few times when a shot presents itself and I'm all setup for something else. 98% of the time it gets a perfect shot and reconfigures everything in a split second.

[@derbagger22]

Whether you want to go all manual or auto in some functions, do what works best for you. But also be open to experimenting with other methods. If you're not learning, what are you really doing?

[@usernamemykel]

@@derbagger22 Sleeping?

[@slarti42uk]

Well the main take away for me from this video is learning that ISO is a name, (never thought to look that up before), and to continue to avoid sand at all costs. ;)

[@kstrohmeier]

ISO is an acronym. It stands for International Standards Organization.

[@tankerbruja]

sand killed my last lx100 D: definitely not enough ingress protection to be a beach camera

[@spiffokeen]

@@kstrohmeier that’s a common misconception because it seems to make sense. It is actually the International Organization for Standardization. They pronounce it like James as you can see in their own video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4qlh4ebprCUns0

[@ekevanderzee9538]

@@kstrohmeier no it doesn't just look on their own website and it says it doesn't

[@gibmebalut]

@@kstrohmeier The International Organization for Standardization chose “ISO” a modification of the Greek word “isos” meaning “equal” as their name. They standardized their own name to prevent awkward translations of an acronym.

[@ekevanderzee9538]

Auto-iso with exposure vompensation os brilliant. You get to control the "look" of the photo, the camera takes care of the technicalities. Especially with changing vonditions.

[@mikejankowski6321]

My first thought and I was surprised that James didn’t address that. I must ask if you have a couple of typos (one of them hilarious and stopped me for a good laugh) or did you drift into a language other than English in mid-sentence?

[@ekevanderzee9538]

@@mikejankowski6321 yeah, it's a combination of my eyes and phone keyboard.

[@TheNiceee1]

I use auto ISO mainly when I'm doing wildlife photography, which is usefull since I want a minimum shutterspeed of 1/1000 or even quicker. I never really thought about doing it with landscape photography though, so will give that a try. It will certainly help I think with handhelding shots!

[@jenniferroth7824]

This video is comforting! I’m self taught (or whatever KZbin taught is called) and I kept wondering why I would try to “set” ISO when it’s so often not a creative choice (except when it is). So thank you for the permission to use the auto ISO without it meaning I’m a second rate photographer! :)

[@MattTakesPhotos]

I get what you're saying and to a point I agree with you. In fact I even use auto ISO when the situation calls for it. However I'd argue that since ISO is one of the legs of the exposure triangle and exposure is a creative choice that it is a *part* of the creative choice, just like the other 2 settings. IMO auto ISO is when your creative decision for a "properly" exposed photo. I say properly however that is subjective, which means if you need your shutter speed and aperture set to a specific setting for an effect but need to brighten or darken your exposure for your creative choice, unless you can add/remove light from the scene you're left with adjusting ISO to create your vision. Also KZbin taught, and a decade of personal amateur/enthusiast experience has formed my opinion on this.

[@Dustyphoto915]

Same story here. Manual with auto ISO is the way to go. Let the camera set the setting I don’t usually care about.

[@washingtonradio]

I switch between Auto-ISO and manually setting the ISO depending on what I am shooting and where I am shooting. But I agree with James, understanding and intelligently using the various modes on the camera is more important as it frees us to take better photos.

[@peterfritzphoto]

Love your videos, James. I've used auto ISO for probably 90% of my shots ever since I went digital. And now, with today's high-res sensors, it's a no brainer. My two main priorities are always related either to DOF of subject movement/freezing, so ISO almost always comes third. BTW, I still remember calling is ASA - not ISO. God, I'm old.

[@patrickg2410]

ISO IS an acronym. It stands for International Standards Organization. It replaced ASA (American Standards Association) as a standard for film speed.

[@FormanddesignAu]

Absolutely correct

[@JamesPopsysPhoto]

Correct, it’s an acronym, but that’s not what’s referenced by your camera.

[@fustigate314159]

I think he's trying to say it should be pronounced as an acronym (RADAR, SCUBA) vs an initialism (FBI, DNA).

[@AlynWallace]

"Horrible substance" 😂 ISO is largely misundertood with Sony sensors as they're dual-gain ISO invariant, so lowering the ISO doesn't produce an image with less noise. On the A7RIV, all images captured between ISO 100-250 with the same shutter speed and aperture will have the same amount of noise. Once you reach ISO 320 you hit the second base ISO which produces much cleaner images in low light than the lower values, but any images captured between ISO 320 and upwards will have the same amount of noise. Only the shutter speed and aperture, which physically change the amount of light you collect, will increase or decrease the amount of noise in an image.

[@JamesPopsysPhoto]

You've got me thinking actually - I wonder what percentage of new cameras now are iso invariant, I assumed it was relatively uncommon but maybe I'm wrong...

[@aaronw8606]

I think I remember hearing something about this before, but still very interesting all the same.

[@sigsegv111]

@@JamesPopsysPhoto James, this your theory is cute - and that's all what it is .. it would be even more cute if you were a "beginner" (sorry, I don't like this term) .. ISO is not just a noise, noise is some lesser relevant side-effect .. ISO is mostly the dynamic range, tonal range, colours sensitivity ... more light == better shot (in 99% cases) and increasing ISO enables you to capture shots with less light ... sorry for saying so but it's utter nonsense, painful, terrible, unbecoming of adult photographer with years of experience .. I also don't use always ISO 64 (on my Nikon) and I know that ISO up to 800 at least gives me great results but I would NEVER say what you've outlined in your video .. again: ISO is dynamic and tonal range and colours sensitivity mostly !!!

[@AlynWallace]

@@JamesPopsysPhoto Given that most brands use Sony sensors now, quite a lot. Up until recently Canon were the only ones who stuck with the ISO variant approach but their latest cameras are also dual gain and/or ISO invariant. You can actually find out by using photons to photons 'Input referred read noise vs ISO' graph. A flat progression indicates ISO invariance. I'll add the link as a separate comment in case it gets spam blocked...

[@AlynWallace]

@Ramsay Depends on how high the camera's actual ISO range is but yes usually. Sometimes cameras have simulated ISOs once you hit a certain point and they're usually only added for marketing purposes, being able to say a cameras has 51,200 is a dumb marketing flex but hey. Check out the video about ISO invariance on my channel. It's a super useful behaviour if your camera has it.

[@iankellam6440]

Aah, a cheese sandwich and James drivelling on. What better way to spend part of your Saturday morning. Interesting topic though and ISO can go way up on modern cameras as James mentioned. Beaches scare me when I have several thousand pounds worth camera and lens in hand. Especially when the wind is blowing. Great vlog as always James. Stay safe.

[@cliffterpher]

Thanks James - that looked suspiciously like a tripod to me! You are truly a martyr for your art

[@danielhenzphotography]

He has even 2 of them at least

[@NDK0]

Thank you! Yes, most people should learn to control "max ISO" and then use auto. What's best? A slightly grainy photo or a photo that's either too dark or too shaky? I choose number one

[@RealGengarTV]

Digital grain ain't nice tho but i guess your right really. Unless motion blur is what you're after in the shot

[@scrptwic]

James I shoot in TAV Mode for wildlife photography set the aperture at f5.6 shutter speed 1/ 2000 and auto ISO I limit my auto ISO between 100- 6400 my other camera I set ut between ISO 100 - 12800 I can get useable night hand held pictures at the higher ISO as it is a newer camera

[@royhakala7999]

That really depends on what you shoot and how you shoot it. I use both auto-ISO and full manual frequently, or aperture priority and auto-ISO, it shutter priority and auto-ISO, depending on what I am doing and what kind of result I want.

[@jimmason8502]

For sports I agree, set aperture to get your D0F, shutter speed to be fast enough to freeze action and let ISO fluctuate. This works for wedding photography and while I don't do it for street photography, I might give it a try.

[@MrQuirke9]

I've always shot in manual but one day while shooting some birds it dawned on me to just put ISO into auto because I had to keep adjusting for the light. Best thing to ever happen me. All I had to focus on was my shutter speed because obviously I needed one fast enough to stop the birds wing motion in place. Aside from that however, unless I'm hand holding the camera, I like to be in control of everything

[@waltstevesphotography7128]

I’ve been using auto ISO since I got my mirrorless camera. Is with to full manual every now and then but end up back in auto ISO as it just makes it much quicker to get the shot.

[@danielhenzphotography]

I use auto ISO when I am in aperture prio with minimal shutter speed and pretty happy with it. Big adventage: faster to react to the scene and conditons and concentrate on the composition.

[@SHENRAR]

I watch all of James videos, partly to check if he states his hate for tripods. I love them, I never go out without my tripod and every time I have done that, I have fucked up at least one good oportunity, so I love to see him working without one and complaining about them XD

[@simonmiles1972]

I guess I'm in the 10%. I do agree that most photographers would probably benefit from thinking more about ISO. But it seems to me leaving ISO on auto is no better than always leaving it at base. That's not to say auto ISO won't be the most appropriate setting in certain circumstances. But not by default. This just leads to a point and shoot mentality. I do agree that modern sensors and software deal much better with noise. But it's worth pointing out that raising ISO also reduces the dynamic range and 'headroom' in the raw conversion (tonality will degrade more quickly when lifting shadows etc). The files that come out of my Nikon are almost indestructible at ISO64 base, not nearly so much at ISO6400. This matters in landscape photography, where dynamic range is often pushing the limits of the sensor.

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

point and shoot is a great mentality that can lead to focusing more on the creativity and enjoyment of the hobby...If you are worried about high iso then set the max to 1600 and enjoy life. And btw, since when are shadows a big deal in landscape photography? Why do you have to "lift" shadows if you are shooting in broad daylight? And the dynamic range argument is just... To each their own I guess, but most of the time not using auto ISO is a pure waste of time

[@elainejerauld4044]

DeNoise is my hero. I don't worry about my ISO at all, even though I set it with the speed and aperture. -Elaine

[@atlantamx3]

Ive been shooting auto ISO for a few years now, and pretty much use it for everything.

[@paulcollingridge8387]

On my quick menu (A7iii) I make sure the Min ASS is present, then I don't even need to select it, just ensure that it is highlighted then spin a dial and it cycles the slow/fast settings.... Loads of choices based on aperture.... So I can easily double the shutter speed or even 4x whilst in Aperure priority, particularly useful with wide angle lenses on windy days when 1/15 is way too slow.... Mark Galer taught me that one!

[@derbagger22]

I mistakenly took some near sunset portraits with my supertelefoto on auto ISO. I had ISOs on pics over 12,000 (on my RP). With some editing the pics were still useable. But, yeah, setting limits to auto ISO may be best, lol...

[@tonygreenwoodN10]

That's done it!! You'll have started a major row online taking sides on iso pronunciation (btw, you are correct!!)

[@BKProPhoto]

While I might not always agree with what you say on here, I always enjoy watching.

[@billrankin]

I use auto iso when shooting handheld, when doing long exposure or sea scapes always use base 64 iso unless it’s dark then I may go 80/100/200 at most on D850. Works for me. Good video enjoyed it. ISO means image sensor opacity how’re its defined as international organisation standardisation ( I may be wrong )

[@cactusstudiossouth]

HELLO JAMES! I really enjoyed your video and what you do! Recently took your advice and did an experiment, we shoot with an Olympus E-500 with External Flash 1/250 f.8 at 400 ISO. EV Compensation is +2 points. Picture was nice, the Histogram showed image exposed properly! Did the same experiment with Auto ISO and the picture came out dark! So in my situation where we Photograph Rock Bands that are pretty much stationary with a little bit of movement by the drummer and colored LCD Stage Lights everywhere! Manual 400 ISO is the preferred setting!

[@alex_cossey]

Great video (as always). 100% agree with this thought process and follow it myself. I've often struggled to articulate it to others but you seem to have nailed it here, James; from now on I will just share this video with my peers instead of trying to educate them myself, haha!

[@cpnock]

Thanks for coming out of the closet on your Auto ISO usage, I nearly always use Auto ISO and always thought it wasn't "proper" photography, but used it anyway because it makes taking the photo so much easier. Video on noise reduction would be interesting if you have a free week.

[@mikefoster6018]

I use the full Auto ISO groupings in my X-T4 and LOVE it, in basically all situations except when the light's getting low. On the X-T cameras it's not just the ISO that's Auto with Auto ISO, as it can also adjust your shutter speed but aims for the guiding parameters you give it. The end result is I have aperture priority and have one front button that toggles between my three 'preferred' shutter speeds of 1/60, 1/125 or 1/320 (which it then aims to stick to, but will change away from if it has to in order to keep exposure ... to prevent bright/dark shots). It does brilliantly at giving me the lowest ISO for the job. I have my top exposure compensation dial redirected to a really convenient front dial for instant fine tuning (I also have a back button set to toggle Exposure Lock, although it's hardly needed). The end result is something that's so easy to keep at a good exposure (and often at lowest ISOs) without lots of juggling of ISO and shutter speed and without compromising creative control.

[@andrewinglis45]

Good video sir! Enjoyed that.

[@craigmantle5362]

I generally shoot in aperture priority and then use my ISO to control my shutter speed. My camera tends to under expose so I usually have to use some exposure compensation.

[@jtidsskids]

One issue with Auto ISO is how the camera deals with exposure compensation. Some allow you to bias the exposures others in effect ignore the compensation settings. This issue is significant when shooting high dynamic scenes as the auto iso may fight any attempts to, for example, retain detail in the sky. Its down to the software. My Panasonic G80 ignored exposure compensation settings whereas the G9 uses the setting. As to ISO being a word, it may well be, but it is derived from an acronym for the International Standards Orgainisation (ISO). In terms of light sensitivity other values may be used and include ASA (American Standards Association) and DIN (Deutsches Institut fur Normung). The I.S.O adopted the A.S.A method of reporting sensitivity thus ASA 100 is ISO 100 and 21degrees DIN. All three are normally printed on a box of film.

[@chumleyspedalboards2037]

Absolutely agree. I use Auto ISO and set a minimum shutter speed. If I have preferences (and I do) then why not build those into the camera and let it do its thing?

[@robertdavis1255]

Thanks for sharing...yes as a hobbyist I leave my settings on auto ISO as I feel it is less to worry about when taking hand held photos...like street photography etc....I live at the beach so I understand the conditions you were in for this video... cheers from Australia 😀

[@Coreal07]

Holy focus breathing... I'm not normally very sensitive to it, but the video camera was really struggling in this video. Also, fantastic tip, I've been doing everything I can to keep my ISO at 100, but I know I've got home and wished I had just bumped it up for a better overall shot. I'm going to swap to auto the next few times out. Good call!

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

I haven't had good results with auto ISO at all when shooting at night. My camera tends to pull very high ISO and I end up with grainy pictures. It happened some days ago as I was photographing a jazz festival (I'm not a professional photographer) with my Nikon D7200 and a 55-300mm Nikon AFS zoom lens. I decided to change into Manual and choose a fixe ISO where I could also use a fixed aperture of f/5.6 and a speed fast enough not to get blurry pictures. I don't mind about underexposing.

[@therealbonj]

I can tell I completely agree with this video just from the title before even watching it…..A lot of people including pros are imho unnecessarily wedded to the idea of setting ISO manually… the problem I I have with which is they may hen come out with a shot that is higher than base ISO but at an unnecessarily fast shutter speed, say ISO 400 and 1/2000 - they could have took the same shot at ISO 100 and 1/500,and it would be just as good but with less noise. The crucial thing which I guess is a relatively modern invention is the _minimum_ shutter speed setting

[@gordonkelly5111]

Thank you James….. as a beginner. I will have to watch again as got a little lost. But overall I think what you are saying by using Auto ISO it will adjust when adjusting aperture and shutter speed… but I am still very new in this adventure… thank you for the video.

[@sigsegv111]

thanks for what ? for feeding you with clickbait-like nonsense ? I am long time James's follower and I like in general his videos but sometimes he makes me very angry - like now .. In short the general principle that is valid in 99% of cases == more light is equal to better shot, increasing ISO enables you to take shots with less light .. for me the noise as a side-effect from increasing ISO is less important .. what is the most important for me is a Dynamic Range, Tonal Range and Color Sensitivity and these are negatively impacted if you decrease the amount of light while taking shots

[@borgdylan]

I like to keep ISO 100 during day time, and use an ISO between 400 and 800 at night time. I set the aperture manually and let the camera select the shutter speed. Once I tried auto ISO at night without a fast prime lense and I got a lot of noisy images. For night time I use the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 lense, maybe the EF-M 22mm f/2 if I need wider angles. Zoom lenses I have are rubbish for night time.

[@joncothranphotography9375]

I use auto ISO when I shoot in changeable light, but when I am doing a set lighting I like to control my ISO. Great thoughts! Thanks!

[@Jordanyoung91]

For your A74, just know that the Focus Breathing Comp feature only (as of yet) works for select lens (mostly the higher end Sony GM lens)

[@Phil_f8andbethere]

Love your humour in your videos 😀. Also I never realised ISO was a word, I always thought it was International Standards Organisation, and a bit like the old ASA (American Standards Association) and therefore I have always said I.S.O. But having looked at it I now see it is actually derived from a Greek word Isos which means "equal". So, there we go - we learn everyday. And now photographers will have to start saying "I set my equal to 400" 😀. Great channel James, always enjoy your content. Kind Regards, Phil

[@TimGreig]

Except Iso the prefix is not the same as International Standards Organisation which we contract to "ISO"!

[@SteveP_2426]

Each to their own but the only time I use Auto ISO is if I'm shooting wildlife as then shutter speed is my key criteria. I agree with modern cameras noise isn't as big a deal as it used to be and programmes like DxO PureRaw and ON1 Denoise AI do fantastic jobs on higher ISO images but they are trying to correct for the noise and personally I think it better not to have the noise in the first place if you can help it. I want to be thinking about my choices of aperture, shutter speed and ISO when I'm taking shots. I also shoot a lot of panos, focus stacked and bracketed images so I want all the settings to be identical not changing as I shoot them. I'd say I could get by with Auto ISO most of the time but I don't think it is a good idea to try - just my personal opinion.

[@jeffolson4731]

I shoot mostly wildlife and using auto ISO is part of my work flow. I don't really care about noise, I want sharp. I can remove excessive noise, fixing blur can be impossible even with the latest AI software. Wildlife, especially birds happen quickly. My shutter rarely goes below 1/1000 and my aperture is 6.3 pretty much all the time.

[@JessDemant]

Thanks James, great video :)

[@tankerbruja]

Even if it were an acronym, you can still pronounce it that way. Because if it was not pronounceable it would be an initialism. c: So saying 'eye-so' is correct really, no matter which way you look at it. 💙

[@Donbros]

I found autoiso recently when I filmed my last video and I can confirm/suggest thst it is awesome. Especially if your camera has ranged auto iso so you set what max noise that could be usable and voila

[@PatronusOpacus]

10:34 Was told early on in my Photo Journey ISO can be quickly thought of as "Is Sun On?"

[@RealRaynedance]

I honestly hadn't noticed the focus breathing until you brought it up. Still, hopefully the a7IV's compensation works with that particular lens.

[@brendallsterling4117]

I use an Canon 5d mark iv and my newest Canon R6. Debated on R5 or 6. Decided on low light. Hopefully I made tge right choice. I learned some from your video that is good for me. I'm still learning.

[@killswitch_01]

I just shot a race and I had both of my cameras on auto ISO. With the cars being so quick I had to make sure I got the shots I wanted without having to worry about settings. I would do that and sometimes I'd alternate between a single ISO setting and just changing my shutter speed

[@dfinlay587]

I shoot in Manual with Auto ISO. I set my preferred shutter speed and aperture. If resultant ISO is higher than I'd like, I adjust accordingly. Either SS or Aperture. It works for me.

[@ekevanderzee9538]

Exactly what i do. You can set the limit on where auto is allowed to take the iso. I did a test with Topaz Denoise and decided on the maximum I like in certain situations and set it at that.

[@CVEXPLORES]

The 40F25G is my personal favourite. Perfect for video but also bridges the gap between wide and standard.

[@glssjg]

Depends on what I’m doing but if I’m in a place where the lighting is more fluctuating then I go with auto-iso or shutter priority since I also shoot video. I’m always going to be looking for a dedicated exposure compensation dial on any future camera purchase because it’s like having the best of manual and auto.

[@ChrisMustermann]

As I am shooting handheld 95% of the time (want to be flexible with my composition), I use the combination of Auto-ISO and minimum shutter-speed very often (my Z6 offers the option of selecting this in the ISO-Menu). So I am save, that there are no blurred images 🙂

[@lisasimpson9343]

I find I'm using Auto ISO more and more, with Manual. Except if I'm shooting a horse event then shutter priority and auto ISO. But I do find when I'm doing morning shots around the farm I like to be in control.

[@mrwaerialphotography9325]

I always use it for panning in conjunction with shutter priority. I set the camera up at 1/250th auto ISO, and adjust my variable ND accordingly to the light to get f2.8, While tracking should it momentarily run out of aperture the iso will take over.

[@traceybartlam5940]

I hear you regarding seasickness! I recently went to Norway and spent a fair amount of time on the North Sea - I got through a lot of Stugeron 🤢😂 was totally worth it to see Norway and the Northern Lights though. Enjoyable video 👍

[@serpentsavvvy]

As a landscape photographer that does a bit of seascape, sand is very course, rough, and irritating. It also gets everywhere

[@trevorsneath4665]

ISO - International Standards Organisation.( International Organization for Standardization) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_for_Standardization Film used to be labelled ASA (American) and ISO (Europe) then ASA/ISO, and then just ISO ASA was American Standards Association and now known as ANSI (American National Standards Institute) These were set up to set and test standards in all manner of products. If ISO is now a word in it's own right it is because of general usage by photographers. But as a word in it's own right i would expect it only relates to film, because ISO, as in the organisation, is still a thing in it's own right. Enjoyed the vid content, and will think about this idea of auto ISO because it is a nuisance when hand-holding and something is happening quickly

[@kevlarnegative]

I honestly shoot 99% of the time on A mode with everything else on auto. Exposure comp is my friend and fast shutter speed setting on auto iso.

[@KeithCuddeback]

Thanks for spotlighting one of my pet peeves about ISO. So many photographers here on KZbin spell it out and every time I hear that, I cringe a little bit. These guys are professionals and should know better. The struggle is real.

[@steveboys5369]

Hi James, another interesting video and thanks for sharing. You do crack me up with your pseudo "Eeyore" approach to conditions, but just as the camera would say if only it could speak! For me I can see definite opportunities for using Auto ISO, but I do try to stay as manual as I can. I will give it another try but in the cheap seats with a D3500, as soon as you get above ISO1600, noise begins to become noticeable. Hopefully trying again with more care it'll be more successful than your Welly-ettes. Keep up the good work!

[@spidersj12]

James, please buy some "rubber boots" as we Canadians say, ones that go up to just below your knees. I'd recommend the ones with the felt or some other insulated liners, so that on cold days your feet stay dry and warm. Staying warm and dry is more important than being stylish, yes even on KZbin, or at least it should be.

[@GarryFenton]

ISO is the International Standards Organization as opposed to the ASA we used to have many years ago

[@Kai-P]

If Sony ever asks for your input, can you mention that it would be an awesome idea to make auto ISO minimum shutter speed an option for dials? It seems like many photographers use auto ISO and min SS, but that seems completely unknown to camera makers. The A7 IV has so many dials and I barely use them because they just don't let me change the settings I change most of the time.

[@MrJed_s]

I support this idea 100%. As far as I can tell, Sony is already miles ahead of the competition with their min. shutter speed implementation (fixed or relative to focal length depending on which dial you spin), but that shouldn't stop them from allowing direct manipulation with a dial (without needing to press a custom button) and further embarrassing other camera manufacturers!

[@Dan-kb2oz]

“I always like going South. Somehow feels like going downhill” 😂 Manual with Auto & Max ISO James. Said a few times here, it’s the way. 🙂👍🏻

[@StuffedCabbageAdventures]

Thanks for the video James, when I started out photography and read tips and guides for beginners I got stuck with the reflex to always set and keep my ISO as low as possible (started with Nikons). Few months ago I switched to Sony as I wanted to focus on video, learn more about that side of things and started out a YT channel of my own, but I kept ISO at Auto as I had difficulty with switching from Nikon menus and settings to Sony and wanted to keep things simle... and I felt miserable at times, I felt like I am betraying some kind of code... but thanks to your video, I feel much better about utilizing Auto ISO when it makes sense :)

[@MarinCTC]

Love camera strapped onto strap of bag!

[@josephschimmer302]

At least Wikipedias German version explanes the labeling of film speed with ISO as acronym for International Organization for Standardization. This very organization started - due to Wikipedia - to combine settings bei ASA (American Standards Association) and German DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normierung) in 1974.

[@joshh6395]

I shoot iso auto when doing anything action because I can’t change exposure manually to compensate for the variable aperture. Exposure comp to keep iso low … mainly for use this for sport

[@1966wasp]

I use a Sony A1 and comfortably use ISO up to 12k. But a lot also depends on how tight your crop is. The tighter the crop the more noise is apparent. Yes, Sony sensors are great and almost noise-free to ISO 640, I have been using auto ISO for years for wildlife photography and swear by it. With the combination of great software such as topaz for noise reduction, photographers have never had it so good. Ohh, BTW James, I thought you were a Lumix man?

[@just_eirik]

Don’t know if it would help for you or not, but when I grew up I learned to keep my eyes on the coastline/land or the horizon while out in a boat, to help with seasickness. Just an idea for next time :)

[@carlosvanvegas]

James on a Saturday 👍

[@peterc2248]

I don't give a hairy bike rack about ISO - it's just a term for Gods sake. Nice vid James

[@pepermint2539]

I love watching your videos. I am currently trying to build up as a photographer but I'm still in university. But the good thing is that my university actually focuses on photo and video and also audio, but I am not interested in audio. I always learn something valuable from your videos. I know all of the basic stuff but your tips and tricks always push me further. I am really hoping I can make photography and video making my full time job in the future. Anyhow, great video, keep it up

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

So people suggest that you shoot in manual mode with auto ISO, I tried doing it on my Olympus EM10 MK4. I set my upper ISO and lower settings in the menu, set ISO to auto, I then set shutter speed and aperture .the rear dial that normally controls aperture now controls shutter speed and the front dial that is set up for exposure compensation now controls aperture , the problem now is that I have no exposure comp control unless I assign a function button to handle that function, is that what I have to do. Thanks.

[@pandasinspace3560]

Aperture priority and auto ISO is the only way I shoot now, the technology exists so might as well use it, it also allows one to focus on the scene and environment instead of fussing with buttons and dials

[@ronboe6325]

When I shoot a dog agility trial I shoot in manual mode; fix my aperture and speed and let ISO float. 99% of the time the good shots go on facebook. Once in a blue moon I sell a shot. Of the shots people have selected; too many have slightly fuzzy eyes - no one. Not one; ever, notice noise. As long as their dog looks good blasting out of the tunnel or jump etc. They are happy. Photographers will fret over the smallest details when composition and subject is king; it's amazing how much the other things (focus, exposure, noise) can be in the dumps. At least in my use case. Commercial work will have more exacting customers. In any event, even for me; noise has to get pretty bad before it's a concern for me.

[@XavierCaudill]

I just recently got the A7 IV! It was definitely worth the wait!

[@chrispietryga8710]

Useful video...going to try auto ISO...er, thought ISO was short for International Standardisation Organisation... No?

[@andrewgonzalez6208]

I just used auto iso today… Unfortunately I turned it off pretty quickly. Depends on the situation. I was doing a party with strange conditions. Mixed window light and artificial light.

[@kurosenpai]

i mostly shoot manual but if the lighting sucks i would use higher or auto iso. For example shooting a moving bicycle at night. I believe people needs to understand the histogram while shooting

[@alien4898]

Love ur video. Well going to the point I use fixed…f8 aperture altering the iso and shutter speed during daytime and the results r nice.my camera and lenses have stabilization…I would like ur opinion thanks anyway

[@NickBarang]

I nearly always shoot with auto ISO (though capped at ISO 6400 or 3200 depending on conditions). Shutter priority with the ability to set my aperture when I want is the way to work.

[@naslisntxaij]

Beautiful images and great informative video! Where can I get a hold of your free preset? Thanks! 😊

[@OwenC1]

Holy cow, I just started using auto-ISO for the first BEFORE watching this video. Definitely gonna stick to it!

[@Hawaii100]

Tip for walking in sand: Wear gaiters. It covers the opening around your shoes. It keeps sand from getting in your shoes.They come in different lengths. However, if you have low cut shoes, it's not as effective. I would wear "high top" boots with the gaiters. Some gaiters are meant to protect your ankles from snake bites.

[@marcusdiddle]

Completely off-topic, but what were you using to attach your camera body to the strap of your camera bag while walking?

[@brianmckeever5280]

Ever try the neoprene socks? Might go well with the midget Wellies. One thing about the zipper pull tabs, did the jacket come with different colors? Otherwise, I'm wondering how you found replacements in Antartica? As for the photography part, I use intelligent Iso on the G9, love it. DxO PhotoLab is how I clean up any noise, good stuff. Thanks for the content!

[@mariobaert8346]

Gonna give it a try. Seems like a good tip.

[@rugglez]

There are only 3 things to think about with exposure and learning how to use all 3 without relying on your camera is surely not too hard. I'd rather do manual myself as I then know how to set exposure and I get used to what settings to use. I can normally set exposure for ambient light very close to what I wanted before taking a test shot which I couldn't do if I used auto settings. But I'm never in high speed shooting situations which I reckon a lot of auto settings would be useful for.

[@wanderdutts4584]

Great video. What minimum shutter speed would you pick if you're shooting on a Sigma 18-50mm on a a6700? Would you say 1/60 is too slow and maybe go to 1/125 or 1/250?

[@robigerovasilisphotography]

I learnt this myself that sticking to full stops of ISO looked much cleaner...that is 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 etc and I never use Auto ISO. I find 1600 ISO is much cleaner than 1000 or 500. I watched a KZbin video (can't remember who by) and this photographer said that the stops in between the full stops of ISO are just digitally enhanced and the real ISO is at the full stops like the old days of film. Not sure if this is true but I did my own experiment and I find it to be true for me. So I use this method all the time.

[@robertwlester]

top vid. I find some of these helpful, they helps me to think on the how of my photos.

[@rob9386]

Was wondering about that! Was going crazy in the grass.

[@usernamemykel]

The sacrifices one makes for our consumption - a credit to you!

[@GrahamAtDesk]

All good points, solid hat choice