NIKON Z SERIES - 2 MINUTE TIPS #13 = ISO sensitivity settings on the nikon z6 & z7

#13 & this one is a bit longer but more complex - one of the advantages of mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z-series (nikon z6 & nikon z7) is the level of customisation available - here we look at the ability to setup the camera to help us get the right exposure by automatically adjusting the ISO setting within certain parameters.
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[@AF8Images]

What's level do you feel comfortable limiting the ISO to on your camera?

[@felixbohnacker7188]

The maximum sensitivity of my Z 6 is currently set to 12800.

[@AF8Images]

@@felixbohnacker7188 I haven't gone that high yet, sounds like I need to run a few tests on my Z6! How much noise do you get at that ISO and what scenarios are you using it for at that level or is it just a max that the camera doesn't get to? Have a great weekend, Adrian

[@felixbohnacker7188]

@@AF8Images I have to admit that I didn't really use it in extremely low light situations yet. Depending on the results I get, I might adjust the value again. Thank you, I hope you had a great weekend as well!

[@jpdj2715]

On my Z7, I set the limit at 3200 and should add I don't do Auto-ISO. So this only comes into effect when I have a brief loss of my senses and go to auto.

[@pauldhoff]

Maybe 800-1000 for me.

[@susanatkins320]

I love these 2 minute tutorials. Tells me exactly what I need to know with no padding -- unlike many other videos!

[@Luigiz28]

I just purchased the Nikon Z50 and this video helped me out a lot with understanding the ISO sensitivity settings. Thanks so much!

[@AF8Images]

That's great to hear and hope you're liking the Z50. A great choice! You'll find many of the 2 min tips videos are relevant to the Z50 as well as the Z6/7. All the best, Adrian

[@DPCPhotos]

Hold ISO button + Turn Front Dial! Learned something new! Thank you!

[@jamesurzykowski4918]

I knew some of what you taught but not all. Thanks for the information, very helpful.

[@andrewphillips2520]

as a Fuji shooter not used to Nikon menus this helped me out so much thank you!

[@AF8Images]

Glad it helped Andrew, I was a split Nikon/Fuji shooter for a while but too many menu systems can be a real challenge!

[@ukrmod]

Wow, I didn't know I could change the Auto ISO on and off with the front dial. Thanks!

[@PatrickGrady1]

Thank You for such an informative and helpful video. And thank you for not making it 49 minutes long lol. I’ll be back for more. Thank you so much

[@photonsonpixels]

Great tip! I had missed it somehow so thank you very much.

[@AF8Images]

Thanks Jorge, glad you found it and it was useful. Have a great weekend. Adrian

[@gopin2577]

Great explanation.. thanks very much!

[@NatureHertsUK]

Thanks, always good to hear it instead of in a manual

[@Happy_Snapper]

Great explanation as always, thanks

[@AF8Images]

No problem 👍 Many thanks as always and hope you're well and safe. Adrian

[@VashyVashy]

Yea! Definitely useful! Thank you

[@bradena.1194]

Hi Adrian, I really like your banner photo - a large helping of abstract with a pinch of reality to pull it all together. It's a very strong image. And on your Japan video, the night shot of the people in the street and aerial railway is also intriguing. I like the depth and various modes of transportation all in one frame. I got my Z6 back yesterday, so I'm getting reacquainted with it and applying your tips, thank you. On Sat. night, I'm going to video a local barndance in 4K - lowkey approach - handheld with a Rode shotgun mike and 24-70 f4. Cheers Hamish

[@AF8Images]

Hi there Hamish, good to hear from you and great to hear that you have your Z6 back in time for this weekend's project. Japan's a great place and a real cultural mix of the modern and the tradition. If you ever get the chance to go, don't even blink! Hope the barndance goes well and you have a few memory cards at the ready! Adrian

[@victorsokol7419]

Thank you!

[@BabyBoomerChannel]

Brilliant stuff ....thanks

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

Thanks for the video. New to Nikon and this was a great help. I In A mode and iso sensitivity set to AUtO what ISO does it use start the shutter speed calculation? Using a Z9.

[@jojoprophotography7405]

Thanks for another great tip and actually my z7 and my d850 are both said to a maximum of 6400 ISO

[@AF8Images]

That's where I have it set for everyday (or should I say night) use. Although with my Z6 I may give ISO8000 a go.

[@venkinarable]

thanks for the Nice info - could you pls explain how auto ISO behaves with external flash on nikon z cameras

[@Torontokas_photographer]

Thank You - I just got the Nikon Z6ii and could not figure why the ISO was changing all over the place. Last thing I was worried about.

[@laurencegrant2882]

Thanks for the video! Generally I would shoot M anual and switch auto iso on. I gave the camera to a second shoot (who is not vastly experienced) and changed the setting to my User 2 (1/250 @ f4) The switch Auto ISO on. He keeps under exposing. In my setting on the three User's, do I need to set the Auto Iso as part of the set up. I had not and was switching Auto iso on and off manually. I would have thought once switched on it should stay ON

[@dorotakunstler338]

Thank you for the video. Can I set Auto ISO minimum as well on Nikon Z6?

[@daniellecarstens8287]

Thanks for the video. Just a question, even when I shoot Aperture priority with auto ISO, min shutter speed set to 'Auto', it still drops way below my focal length equivalent. I'm at 70mm on a 24-70mm and my shutter drops to 1/2s, 1sec, etc, if I darken the scene. Why?!

[@AF8Images]

Hi Danielle, one way to think about it is that if you have a well exposed image @70mm and where the camera if a cloud comes over then the camera will adjust the shutter speed down as the light drops until it hits the 1/70s. If the light keeps droping then it will next adjust the ISO raising it until it hits your maximum ISO setting in the ISO sensitivity settings. If it gets to a point where it hits the max ISO it will then revert to adjusting the shutter speed below the 1/70s. I hope this helps. What you may want to do is have a think about the max sensitivty that you have set as I have increasingly become happy with the higher ISO performance that the Z series have so I have set it at ISO6400 for day to day and even set it higher if it's really important to get the image irrespective of noise. Let me know if this works for you, all the best, Adrian

[@macronencer]

This is a great feature! Does the AUTO setting work OK with F lenses on the adapter? I don't have my Z6 yet, so don't know, and I'm just curious.

[@AF8Images]

Yes it seems to work with my Nikon 70-200 👍

[@fitzyslobstershack5335]

Hi, maybe you can help me out... I recently got a Z7 ii the problem I have is that when it is in Auto mode the autofocus changes back to Auto-area AF people everytime its turned off and on.... I have a Z6 also and that stays on whatever focus mode its left on... Is this correct or can i alter it... Thanks for your time

[@ketankadam5669]

how does minimum shutter speed work with aperture priority mode? will this setting stop camera from reducing the shirt below the minimum shutter speed in dark conditions, if iso cannot offset the exposure?

[@paulward4175]

This is great . This is my first experience with a camera with such versatility. I am going to be taking photos of sporting event at night under field lighting. I have a Z7 with 70-210 2.8. I am thinking an optimal setup is 1/750 shutter, max aperture F2.8, and then let the ISO float. Two questions - do you agree? How would you setup the camera? The video make it sound like you can do this from teh ISO page by setting Auto ISO with a max (maybe 12800), and min shutter 1/750. Thanks for the help!!!!

[@AF8Images]

Paul, you've picked a challenging scenario!Low light, moving subject, and a long lens! What kind of sport are you shooting and how bright is the field lighting? That will drive the shutter speed. Wrt aperture the approach you are looking at is the obvious approach, however, you'll need to consider the depth of field on the images as you may find that you risk some of the 'players' being out of focus. Letting the ISO drift up is what I would do as you suggest and it may be that you have to accept that there will be more post production work to reduce noise, etc.. I assume you're planning on using a monopod or something similar as that may also help give you a little bit more latitude. Hope this helps, Adrian

[@AlexGower]

How did the pictures come out?

[@guyyowell8547]

Hey Adrian, have you tried to update the 50mm f/1.8S firmware? I tried to do it yesterday from the Nikon website, but it wouldn’t find the file even though I followed the directions. I had no problem updating the camera firmware, but it just won’t find the file for the lens update on the XQD card.

[@AF8Images]

Hi there Guy, yes, just done it, although I notice on the Nikon site there is an acknowledgement that they have seen that it failed with certain memory cards and that this has now been remedied. I'd go back, re download and try again if you haven't done so already. Hope it works for you. Adrian

[@elliestolwijk8257]

Great

[@AF8Images]

👍 Many thanks

[@neilcurnow1609]

Hi, I came across this video because my ISO-A field is flashing all the time. I followed your clear settings on my Z7ii, but the ISO-A field is still flashing. FYI, the ISO value changes with the light level and I'm able to take photos, which look correctly exposed. Have I got something wrong or does this field always flash when in auto ISO? FYI, when I turn Auto ISO off, then the field stops flashing.

[@jigyashjyotiborahphotograp2647]

💝

[@joeydego2]

Wow I’m way off. I have my iso max at hi 0.3 and my minimum shutter at 1/320 (I think, or something close). Using your suggested settings, will the camera increase exposure to get a brighter pic? My iso typically goes above your suggested 6400, so I think I’d get dark images that way.

[@AF8Images]

Hi Bruce, there are many variables in play and this is where the skill comes in. Firstly it depends on what you're shooting, how much it's moving, what lens you're using which will drive the shutter speed. Depth of field & lens will then obviously drive aperture constraints. Then this leaves ISO and where you set the max setting will be the variable as you may be shooting fast moving dancers in a very low light situation where you have to work with what you've got and the trade-off will be a noisy image which you clean up in post production. For me 6400 is usually enough although I will go higher if it means I get the image. What are you shooting and what lenses are you typically using? Cheers Adrian

[@joeydego2]

AF8Images I have a Z6 with the 24-70 f4 lens right now.

[@AF8Images]

How are you finding the images at Hi0.3 ? or is the ISO generally lower than this due to the light situations you're shooting in?

[@jpdj2715]

In my other comment I indicate we have to test our own steadiness and derive our own rule of thumb. Then it is important to also learn how to hold the camera best and how to press the shutter button. When I shoot from a tripod, I generally use a wireless (radio, PocketWizard) remote control. Handheld, we have to avoid the soaring bird arms, but press our elbows against the rib cage (our own rib cage). Pressing the shutter release button, the faulty way is to curve the finger and with the tip of the finger on the middle of the button, press. The right way to do it, and this is why the button is flush with the ring around it: keep (index) finger as flat as possible with the ultimate finger bone parallel to the top of the camera, touching the ring around the button so the tip of the finger is above the button or slightly beyond. Now press on the edge of the ring causing the flesh of the tip of the finger to depress the shutter release button. You'll notice there is no shake to the camera. Once we have figured out camera hold and button press, with the effect of in camera stabilization, we can adapt the minimum shutter speed to the new values. I would just like to be able to store these values per lens (or a couple focal length ranges with zoom lenses)

[@AF8Images]

Great explanation of technique! The D800/850 caused me to retrain myself and shake off some of the bad habits built in over time. It's always good to refresh and regenerate the basics from a technique perspective. When it comes to stability, video is a whole new challenge as I'm finding😉

[@jpdj2715]

@@AF8Images- feel free to afford a 2 minute video, illustrating this to the illumination of the wider YT vidience.

[@AF8Images]

I'll have a think about that as there are a few basic techniques that perhaps get overlooked with all the tech around to worry about, but the basics really matter.👍

[@jpdj2715]

@BPM Reality- Thank you for bringing this up. If you have that time to wait, sure. But then I would say you may have time to bring a lightweight carbon tripod even, to the shoot. So it depends - on the use case. Take a macro photograph, of a flower maybe, from a tripod (or stand) and the shutter delay is fine. With my Z7 in the studio, making portraits, I prefer the wireless remote, even when I look through the view finder or at the display of my laptop to which I am tethering - the surprise factor of my subject not exactly knowing when I press the release (and with a flash coming out of a couple soft boxes, it is totally apparent after the fact.) Just pure handheld, moving subject, learn the "hold" and the "button push" and you'll see together with IBIS, you can go very low.

[@patricklindahl868]

If these settings are going to be used in U1, U2 and/or U3, don't forget so set and save these settings for each individual Ux.

[@AF8Images]

Correct Patrick, good point, the Ux settings will be on the video list as there’s a few nuances to them. How do you have your Ux settings programmed? all the best, Adrian

[@jpdj2715]

24mm not slower than 1/24 sec exposure time, or 50mm not slower than 1/50th sec - it depends. Personally, ages ago, with a Nikon F2 and pro glass, I could go to twice as long. With the in-body image stabilization, the promise is you can go 2 to 3 exposure stops slower. This means we have to test ourselves with shots and the camera. The old heuristic has become an extremely safe approach where most people can go slower.

[@AF8Images]

Totally agree about testing the heuristic, so far the IBIS is working well but not sure it's at the level of the marketing materials in the real world but still that's down to the lab vs real world.

[@jpdj2715]

@@AF8Images- and while we get older, the new tech may help us maintain our younger ability :)

[@charliegrossman3801]

If I want to shoot great photo and video would you say the Z7 is my best bet? I’ve been trying to decide between that and the Z6 package

[@AF8Images]

Charlie, great question. If you look at the specs then the Z6 is technically better for video (as there is no pixel binning) and for low light (larger pixel/sensor size) but the Z7 has the advantage in relation to image size. I have to say whilst I tend to use my Z6 for video and Z7 for stills other than the image size. In relation to video by the time it's rendered and You Tube plays around with it I would say that you can't see a difference. So it really comes down to what you plan to use it for and whether you need/want the extra pixels of the Z7 to be able to crop in etc.. with stills. I went with the Z7 as a direct switch from my D850 as I value the flexibility the extra pixels give me especially when I print up to A2. What kind of photography/video are you planning? as this will drive your options. Hope this helps a bit. Adrian

[@charliegrossman3801]

AF8Images Adrian, Thank you so much. I’m really thankful for insight from others as I look to buy the camera that’s right for me. I will mostly be using it for travel photography, landscape shots, and video. I want great image quality for landscapes/possibly astrophotography. But these images will likely just be posted on social media so I know more megapixels won’t necessarily matter. Based on the 10 bit video Nikon and some others have released from the Z7 and the Z6, it looks pretty amazing! I know the Z6 would probably be better for astro as it is better in low light. If you have any more thoughts it would be greatly appreciated. Subscribed!

[@charliegrossman3801]

AF8Images Also I am very fond of time-lapses and will likely be taking tons of them.. including cities/landscapes day and night

[@AF8Images]

Charlie, it's a really difficult one, you're right the Z6 would be better for astro. But then for travel and landscape is my go to, not necessarily due to the mp directly, but as I said in one of my videos it's more versatile if you have to travel light. I've survived with just my 24-70 on a trip to Japan and was able to use the DX crop to extend the lens to 105mm and then stitch images in lightroom to go wider. For me the camera is just one piece of the jigsaw and there are many ways to achieve similar outcomes. A lot of my timelapses have been done with full resolution Z7/D850 stills but they are big for processing and storing, but I'm considering shooting at M or L size RAW files. I haven't used the 10-bit video yet, I'm still on a journey developing my video skills so that may be a future step and it's great to have it there in both cameras. What are you shooting with at the moment? Adrian

[@charliegrossman3801]

AF8Images I just have a dji drone.. I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable on photography though just because of all of the videos such as yours that I’ve watched through the years, which makes me comfortable purchasing one of the Z’s. I think I’ve decided to go with the Z7 for that extra bit of quality and the allowance for cropping (for social media and for prints)..Plus, when everyone has an 8k monitor, I’ll be able to throw an image or a time lapse up!

[@jpdj2715]

If/when I needed to shoot JPEG, I might use it - in combination with metering for the highlights maybe. Basically, D-Lighting is a form of HDR using a single shot. The camera internally shoots raw and in converting raw to JPEG, the shadow areas are rendered more detailed than in conventional JPEG conversion. You have to really watch what the camera is doing, as contrast is reduced. If you hope to get contrasty shots with potentially some bleached highlights and dark areas turned black without detail, then this is not for you.

[@AF8Images]

I'm pretty much exclusively a RAW shooter so I can control the adjustments in post-production, but it's interesting to see how the in camera alternatives for jpeg shooting are developing.

[@jpdj2715]

@@AF8Images- Adrian, same here. Have you noticed the edges between two contrasty bordering areas have become sharper with less cross pollution? The compression algorithms have really become better. But, I'll never want to lose Raw. The gradation resolution is so much better.

[@AF8Images]

Yes, I've noticed that they are improving, but I like the way that Nikon are keeping the adjustments quite subtle, in an age where perhaps smartphones are being a little harsh with their application of adjustments. My next video this weekend is a rough and ready / real world comparison of in camera HDR and ADL as I wanted to see when each might be useful. Adrian

[@tboy1234567]

Maybe i am doing something wrong i was in almost broad daylight. With these exact settings and my iso always shoots up 6400. I have to point it at a super bright light to get it to come down

[@AF8Images]

Hi David, sometimes I'm surprised by the cameras choice of settings. At the moment I'm indoors in a bright room, shooting in aperture mode at f8. The camera has dropped the shutter speed down to 1/160s (~2x my lenses focal length) and has then had to increase the ISO to about 6400 to expose the image. It's only when I point it out the window that the ISO drops to 400 (my min setting) and the shutter speed gets faster. What mode are you shooting with and what is the focal length of your lens? It does remind me how much dynamic range our eyes have!

[@tboy1234567]

@AF8Images Thanks so much for the reply. I am in aperture priority, and my lens goes from 24-200. Looking at some photos, I was outside in the daytime, and my camera was shooting at 1/8000 F4.0, and Iso went to 6400. I rarely ever saw it go below 1000. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I just reset my Iso sensitivity settings, so I'll try again!

[@AF8Images]

That looks pretty unusual as it would normally slow the shutter speed before increasing the ISO. That is unless the min ISO had somehow got set to 6400, in which case the camera would have to make the shutter speed faster to hold the f4.0 that you'd set. Did a re-set work?

[@tboy1234567]

It did thanks! Haha will make sure I don't over ride my settings again!

[@kimberlypowell2068]

Great thread. What does it mean when the ISO is red after metering the shot?

[@TheCallie52809]

I believe the Z6 / Z7 can easily handle a Maximum sensitivity of 12800.

[@AF8Images]

Totally, especially if you're shooting RAW and expect to reduce noise in post. Adrian

[@BigMikeMora]

As soon as someone says Zed series I stop watching. Nikon puts Z on the box. Call it that.

[@AF8Images]

🤣Zed or Zee, maybe there’s a whole video on that😜

[@BigMikeMora]

AF8Images I did watch it all though. Lol

[@AF8Images]

Much appreciated, I’ll put myself in for language reprogramming😜