Camera ISO

Camera ISO is the third part of the photography basics trio.

What is ISO? In film photography it was used to determine the “speed” of the film. You saw it written on the boxes such as ISO 100, 200, 400 etc. The higher the numbers, the more sensitive the film was to light.

In digital photography, it is a term used to describe the sensitivity of a camera’s imaging sensor.

ISO principles are the same in digital photography as they are with film photography. Unlike film photography, however, it is quite easy to change ISO settings on the fly with digital cameras because you don’t need to change film rolls.

In digital photography, ISO is a term used to describe the sensitivity of a camera’s imaging sensor.

The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the imaging sensor is to light.

In low light situations, you can push your ISO higher and still keep the same shutter speed and same aperture combination you want.

The downside to higher ISO is more noise.

When determining your ISO, keep the following questions in mind:

  • Is the subject well-lit? – Yes = lower ISO
  • Will there be motion? – Yes = higher ISO
  • Do I want grain/noise in my photo? – Yes = higher ISO
  • Am I using a tripod? – Yes = lower ISO

Though I don’t often manipulate ISO during my normal shooting, I consider it as one of the pillars of strong photography basics.

Love your camera. Love yourself. Love your photos.