srt101fan

I really don't understand the aversion so many seem to have to "auto" settings. The camera never "makes the decision", it suggests , you decide .

For me, aperture and shutter speed settings are usually more important than ISO. So I set those and let the camera suggest the ISO setting. If I don't like it, I change it....🙄

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

But that is what auto iso does. It changes the film (sensitivity) automatically, and quickly. You don't need two or three cameras with different speed films loaded.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

I always disdained auto ISO and never used it---until I got my Canon RP and I now use it all the time. For the most part, it changes the ISO to the situation as I would. I am now hooked on it, and my RP.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Hooray!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

What we may interpret as "aversion" is probably simply someone's personal challenge and/or pleasure.

I had my first dslr for four years with only an 18-55 mm lens. I spent much of that time carefully composing in-camera rather than thinking about cropping later in pp or doing any spray/pray. Coming from film, it was a pleasure to continue shooting that way. It was also when I still mostly shot non-moving targets

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I agree on moving subjects. Not much need for it with static subjects.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Photography has no rules, no commandments. It is the number 'likes' and 'views' that count, no matter how they are achieved.

Gspeed Loc: Rhinebeck, NY

[quote=Equus]I agree with Linda from Maine that a good understanding of exposure is a good idea. But I love auto ISO. I am frequently shooting in less than optimal conditions and the auto ISO means that I may get the shot even If it is noisy, OK I am old film school, grainy (and yes I do know the difference.)[/quote

Sometimes grainy is nice, though. It does have it’s place.

Chris

Even though I have had the cameras for a while I just discovered automatic ISO a little over a year ago. I use it when I think I'm going to be in a situation where I may not have a second chance at a shot

User ID

Simply Schmimply .... Acoarst I know what it “simply” does. And I cannot accommodate that a historically constant value can now just change itself.

I’m not against AE. But I prefer that AE only vary the variables, and that it leave the non variables unaltered. Shutter and aperture have ALWAYS been variables. ISO had always been a non variable ... until recently. So, I’m limiting my AE modes to use only the two historical variables, and also assuring that my manual mode doesn’t change anything “behind my back”.

I do appreciate that I can now carry multiple film speeds without carrying multiple film backs, but my film speed changes only if I intentionally choose to change it. I don’t want film backs sneaking out of my bag and swapping themselves without permission ;-)

BebuLamar

I have no problem with auto ISO in fact I often use it in conjunction with aperture priority mode. However, I pointed out that it's not the same as you have a lot of film holders or a lot of cameras loaded with different film speed. When you do that you have to manually pick up the holder you want or the camera you want. So this is only the same as manually adjusting the ISO on the digital camera and not auto ISO. The holders don't automatically loaded to the camera depending on the scene brightness.

User ID

Exactly. Can’t accommodate film holders animated by some alien magician to swap themselves onto and off of my camera.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

NO it does not take a minimum 1500th second to photograph birds! And yes Auto ISO is a gift as long as you set a maximum highest setting.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

My thoughts too, 'tho I under expose to keep faces from "blanching".

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I've found Auto ISO to be quite useful on the last one or two generations of digital cameras where it's well implemented. It wasn't usable on some of the first cameras with it, because you couldn't limit the range, couldn't use exposure compensation with it, etc. But those things are fixed now and it can work quite well in some situations.

Personally I only use Auto ISO with the camera set to Manual. This make M another auto exposure mode (some people like to say they "only shoot manual exposure", as if that's a good thing, then you find out they are using M + Auto ISO, which is actually another AE mode.

With M + Auto ISO I get to choose both the shutter speed and the aperture, leaving it to the camera to choose the ISO automatically, within the limited range I've set and with any exposure compensation I find necessary. This can be ideal when I need to insure both that I have the depth of field effects I want and the shutter speed necessary to either freeze or blur movement, but am not very concerned about digital noise in images (for various reasons... perhaps due to the moderate size the images will be used).

I do not trust or see any real need to use Auto ISO in conjunction with any of the other auto exposure modes (Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE and Program AE). As with M + Auto ISO AE, those other three AE exposure modes serve purposes at times, too. But if Auto ISO is used along with another AE mode, it's sort of double automation that may be too unpredictable. A large part of "good exposure" is knowing your camera and being able to predict the results, in order to get what you want in your images.

A relatively minor problem for me is that it's not as easy to apply Exposure Compensation when using M + Auto ISO on several of my cameras. This is simply because of the control layout of the particular models I use. They don't have a separate, dedicated EC dial. They have two dials and when using any of the other AE modes, the rear dial serves to set any EC I feel is needed. But when using M + Auto ISO both dials are in use... one to control the aperture and the other to control shutter speed. As a result, only when using M + Auto ISO, I have to dive into the menus to make any changes to EC. Not a big deal thanks to some shortcuts that can be programmed into the cameras, but not as quickly, directly and easily changed as when I can use a dial that's right under my thumb. In other words, when using any of the AE modes I can easily change EC while keeping my eye to the viewfinder. But with M + Auto ISO I basically need to "chimp" to see the menu while setting any EC.

Another camera I use (for other purposes) has a dedicated Exposure Compensation dial, so it's not a problem at all.

So to some extent, how useful Auto ISO will be for you really depends upon what and how you shoot, as well as how Auto ISO is implemented on your particular camera.

How I choose exposure modes:

- Manual (without Auto ISO) is my choice when lighting is very steady or under controlled conditions (such as studio lighting). It also is often what I choose when shooting slower and more methodically, such as landscape, architecture, etc.

- Aperture Priority AE is my selection when depth of field is my biggest concern. I set the ISO and the aperture, leaving it to the camera to select a shutter speed (which I can still skew if needed with Exposure Compensation).

- Shutter Priority AE is what I will usually use when I need to freeze moving subjects with a fast shutter or want to deliberately induce some blur with a slow speed (with EC if needed), when depth of field isn't a big concern. I choose the ISO and shutter speed, leaving it to the camera to select a lens aperture.

- Program AE is my least used auto exposure mode. Here I select only the ISO and leave it to the camera to choose both shutter speed and lens aperture (according to some programmed algorithm). I will occasionally use this if I need to quickly take a few shots under radically different lighting, but will be returning to whatever I was shooting previously. On my cameras (most cameras?), this keeps the original exposure setup intact so I can return to it quickly with the turn of a single dial.

- M + Auto ISO AE... I described above why and when I use it.

I never use full "Auto" or any of the "scene" modes like "Running Man" (sports), "Mountain" (scenic), etc. These automate a lot more than just exposure modes. These also override things like how my autofocus is set up, drive speed, don't allow exposure compensation, switch White Balance to "auto", force certain metering modes and patterns, choose whether or not a built-in flash is used (which I also almost never use... built-in flashes suck!)... even dictate the type of image file the camera will save to the memory card! No thanks! (In fact, two of my cameras don't even have "scene" modes. A lot of more pro-oriented cameras don't have them.)

However, this is not to say no one should ever use "Auto" or "scene" modes. They can be useful for people new to a camera and just learning how it works. They also may be useful to someone transitioning to a more advanced camera from a "point n shoot" camera, many of which rely heavily upon these "super auto" modes.

P.S. I'm still looking for the Auto ISO setting, White Balance adjustment, histogram and card slots on my old film cameras!