Auto ISO Opinions

[Mark Theriot]

I'm just getting comfortable with manual mode - so what I doing right now when there's action and distractions going on it Tv mode and auto ISO, allowing the ISO to float up when needed.

Am I allowing myself to develop a bad habit and leaning on a crutch or is this acceptable technique?

Thanks!

Mark

[allanrube]

When I shoot static subjects, especially in good light, I set iso and shoot manual. When I shoot wildlife I like to set ss and aperture and let iso go from 200 - 1600 on my D300s. I set the minimum ss at 1/250. If the bird is stationary, however, I will reduce the minimum ss if the light is low in order to get iso below 1000.
I don't think this is a bad technique. You just have to be careful when the iso gets at its highest and lowest levels to make sure you are not under or over exposing.
If I had a D3 I would set the maximum iso even higher.

[Kurt Bowman]

mark, I have recently been trying the same thing (but mostly using Auto ISO on manual mode). I asked this quesiton on a post here in Avian and on a couple of posts I placed on another nature site and found even some pros favor this method (one of them very successful). I did find though that most seem to be Nikon users. My understanid is this is new on Canon equiptment (7D not sure if on Mark IV) and has been standard on Nikon for some time. Again, just what someone told me, not sure how accurate that statement is.
Bottom line is I have found it helpful on some occasions...mostly when it is a partly sunny day and the cloud cover keeps coming back and going away all day.

[Dave Blinder]

Hi Mark - I like to stick to AV mode so I can have better control of the DOF. I'll often start out at with the aperture wide open and see what type of shutter ISO 400 is going to give me. If I'm expecting BIF, I'll aim for 1/1000s or higher, for slower moving birds I strive for 1/200 - 1/500. I generally always attempt to "expose to the right" and find +2/3 exposure compensation often works for my wildlife subjects and surroundings.

If metering is way off or background changing too much, I then go to manual mode. I'm much less worried about high ISO noise than unwanted motion blur.

Hope this helps.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Mark there is not best mode !!! Don't fall into the trap that you have to shoot manual to be a good photographer. A good photographer knows all the modes .. both exposure and metering.

I normally use manual with varied bg when the subject is in the same light. I would say the majority of the time I spend in Av .... or Tv very early morning to control the SS. Fabs uses manual much more often .. both get great results !!! Remember no best mode !!!

... the auto ISO is a neat feature just remember to set the limits of how far your willing to go !!

[Jamie Strickland]

auto iso is better on nikon than canon, or at least on some of the models because you can set the min / max if the canons could do that I might actually use it but the fact it loves to select iso800 when you could easily use 400 drives me nuts

[Grant Eldridge]

I use auto ISO on my D300 a fair bit...you just need to know where to place your limit..for me its ISO800. The next step in the auto ISO menu is 1600 and that does not produce acceptable results on a D300 in my opinion.

[Mark Theriot]

Thanks everyone, I've been playing with it some more and do like it as a tool for certain circumstances.

I wish I could set an upper limit (if there is a way, I didn't find it) so auto on the Canon 7D ranges up to 3200. Now, some shots that were exposed to the right at 3200 didn't look too shabby though!

Mark