I’m really embarrassed to be writing about this.
I just discovered the ISO speed setting on my digital SLR. It didn’t occur to me that I could set my ‘film speed’ on a digital camera. I made this discovery while surfing Flickr the other day. In the photographer’s comments he mentioned setting his ISO speed to 1600 in a low light situation. Yes, of course! Then, OMG, I can’t believe I didn’t think about this earlier. I’ve only used a film SLR for the last 25 years and complained about having to use a whole roll of 800 or 1600 film for low light for all 25 of them. This is a BRILLIANT feature. Yes, I’m still extremely excited I finally twigged on to it however late to the party I might be.
It works the same as film, the higher the ISO speed the more grain (it seems to be called noise in the digital world). Very good article on digital ISO settings.
I took this shot at Caitlin’s band concert last week with an 800 ISO setting. Sakai had lost their power so all I had were the security lights powered by the generator and ambient light coming in from the windows. Proud mommy took a ton of pictures and didn’t want to rattle child with flash. I also wanted a higher aperature setting that would give me some depth of field.
Happy low light Christmas shutterbugging.
lovely photo, you are obviously a quick study.
I’m so glad you posted this. I was just musing yesterday about adjusting some kind of speed-something on my camera so I can take better pictures with less light. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip! I’ve been really dissapointed with the “noise” in my photos taken with the manual setting. Reducing the ISO seems to help! Yay! I love my camera again!
Thanks Kathy. I steadfastly refuse to learn anything about numbers related to photography so though I’ve been advised to fiddle with ISO, etc. etc. I never have. So you aren’t the only one, though I’m just stubborn.
I’ll read the article though and perhaps I’ll be converted
You results are certainly impressive. Hooray for parents that take photos at kid’s school band concerts by the way.
Hey it was you who mentioned something in a post that made me find my micro setting after owning my camera for almost a YEAR!! Maybe I should go back and read the manual again to see if I missed anything else…like ISO settings???
Great picture!
Great picture! I’m still trying to figure out my new camera and it’s got way fewer fancy things than yours! I’m going to read the article and play around. Hopefully I’m not too thick in the head and can understand.
oh! When I saw this pic on Flickr I was totally wondering if the concert was in the hall due to power outages, then I saw the “exit” light visible in the pic and decided that this must be the usual mode.
Great info! I just received a (very nice!) digital SLR as a gift and I’m learning how to use it. Thanks for sharing this info…I did play around the other night with the ISO settings, but I really don’t know what I’m doing yet. I’ll definitely be looking up the article you linked to.
~Mariah~
You have been making me laugh so much recently. I guess you aren’t the read the instruction manual type. Really though, is anyone that type?
Wonderful picture and you should be so proud of yourself. I recently discovered Picasa.com and that has changed my life…or at least the pictures I take. I would be lost without that program!
Now I can fiddle with my camera too!
First of all — I LOVE this blog & am glad I stumbled on it through Dorie of Tumbling Blocks. I, too, am touched by the school band concert picture, the hall scene, power-outage, etc. It really adds to the ambience. Good to know kids still play in the school band. Post-Christmas I am about to purchase my first digital camera so I can quit borrowing my friends’ constantly. But, [Confession:] ya know, I AM one of those geeks who does read the manual, on most anything, because I find them fascinating. Go figure. But that doesn’t mean I would retain the info, such as the one you’ve so generously shared about the ISO. I’m still in the world of an SLR camera that uses film and no automatic settings. Which is why my poor kids were required to “hold that pose!” while I fiddled w/ my old fashioned camera settings throughout their entire childhoods. The poor thangs. So, you betcha, I will read the article. Thanks for another great blog entry & Happy Holidays! –Zann
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I never thought about this! Thank you thank you thank you!
Kathy, Dad and I are thrilled you posted this picture, not for the camera technology, but for the fact that we are able to be a part of Caitlin’s concert. You look wonderful Caitlin. We love you.
As a newcomer to the DSLR world, I’m finding out just how *stupid* I am when it comes to photography. Who knew that there was this whole new world out there beyond the ole point-n-shoot?! Even though it’s taken me quite a few shots (now THAT’S an understatement!), I think I’m finally getting it.
)
Happy New Year!
OMG… you saved me with your ISO info! I still think in 35mm and after almost 10 years of digital… you finally clicked the light bulb on for me! You should be a manual writer!
Hmmm…. maybe a higher ISO setting is actually the elusive (and secret) “Oregon setting” I’ve been dreaming about! Dark and rainy skies you don’t scare me!
[...] Gosh this was fun. Good ol’ giggle fun. Like take a guess, be lucky sort of fun. I had some great laughs (who can’t use those) and a lot of great ideas! Maybe my back to school projects aren’t finished yet. Well, no one guessed correctly, which I predicted, but I was pulling for you guys. Some of you were so ‘hot’ around the back-to-school tote thing I thought one picture might give it away. [...]