Auto ISO?

[dankearl]

Does anyone here use this? I am experimenting with it.
I have the D800 which is pretty good at high ISO, so rather than guess and use Iso like I used to, I am just shooting manual, selecting the speed needed and the aperture I want and just shooting away.
I set the top end at Iso 3200 and hope for the best. In overcast low light today, I shot birds at 1000ss
minimum, most photos were ISO 2000 or greater, but at least they were sharp.
Is this a reasonable way to shoot?

[Dan Brown]

I would not hesitate to use auto iso with that camera as an "just out of the camera bag" setting, so if you are just getting your stuff out and some great shot opp happens right in front of you, you are going to get it! Set to auto iso before you put your gear away and it will be loaded for bear! As for using the setting all the time, I would prefer to use one iso setting and adjust my shutter speed/aperture for proper exp, changing the iso if needed. With auto iso, you would have to adjust + or - exp comp, which works, but takes some getting use to. The nice thing about auto iso is that you can control the iso by changing you SS and Aperture to a degree but the camera is going to be in charge ultimately. With your D800, from what I can gather, you should be able to use 1600 iso pretty much all the time (probably wouldn't need it in full light). My 2 cents.

[Ed Cordes]

While I think auto ISO is cool and has its place, I still prefer to set it myself after evaluating the the conditions. Auto ISO may decide to raise the ISO when I would prefer to choose another SS or F stop.

[Linwood Ferguson]

I have a subtly different view (and I have the D800). I tend to shoot either "S" or "A", but with auto-ISO set. Mostly "A" with the lower limit shutter speed set (although the variable 'auto' in the D800 is really nice -- I'm using it more and more to adjust on the fly based on lens focal length).

To me it is a safety net. I set my shots most times, and the ISO stays at the base, whatever I choose. But if I grab a shot and the light has changed, rather than getting an under (or even over) exposure, it adjusts for me, and sits there flashing so I know.

The one exception is flash -- I did the above with the D300 and it worked wonderfully, but Nikon has ruined flash mode auto-iso, in my opinion. When doing non-BL flash, the D300 FIRST used full flash power, THEN decided to up the ISO. On the D800 they reversed it, meaning you shoot at maximum ISO with minimal flash power. Pointless in my opinion, and a bad decision. But interestingly enough for fill flash outside, it works nicely. So for (daytime) birds, I would stay in auto there also.

[ericbowles]

The method you described for using auto ISO makes sense. There is nothing wrong with that approach. I find auto ISO is important in changing light - with partly cloudy skies or a subject that is moving unpredictably from sun into shadows. The ISO selected is shown in the viewfinder so if you don't like the selection, you can easily adjust aperture or shutter speed.

I would not use Auto ISO if the scene is predictable. I prefer to have more control and not have ISO change unexpectedly. But there is little wrong with using the function.

[Jay Gould]

I guess the question becomes: who is in charge. If you set Auto "anything" you other settings become almost irrelevant because the camera is going to decide the best exposure. After four days with Chas, I am now shooting manual for everything other than a completely static landscape subject. Thanks Chas!

[dankearl]

Jay, I agree with you in Landscape or controlled shots. I am shooting manual so in Landscape photos with a tripod I would use Iso 100 and adjust other settings as I want.
For auto ISO, I am talking about Bird photos where SS and DOF is all important, I just adjust for SS as that is mostly what matters. I can process ISO 3200 with the D800 and it looks pretty good.
I choose a minimum SS and the f stop I want, and the ISO doesn't really matter. See the Osprey photos I posted in Avian,
really large crops at Iso 2500. The photos may have flaws, but the ISO is not the problem. It just takes one variable out of the equation when I am shooting.

[Linwood Ferguson]

I guess the question becomes: who is in charge. If you set Auto "anything" you other settings become almost irrelevant because the camera is going to decide the best exposure. After four days with Chas, I am now shooting manual for everything other than a completely static landscape subject. Thanks Chas!

If you are shooting manual, I agree. And many circumstances call for that. Especially when the meter is being fooled (though I think people neglect the spot meter's usefulness).

It is worth noting (as I have found many DSLR shooters who do not know, though probably none on this forum) that you can be in "manual" and still set auto-ISO. This lets you determine action-stopping and DOF, and allow the camera to vary ISO to give good exposure.

[Morkel Erasmus]

It is worth noting (as I have found many DSLR shooters who do not know, though probably none on this forum) that you can be in "manual" and still set auto-ISO. This lets you determine action-stopping and DOF, and allow the camera to vary ISO to give good exposure.

That is how I use my D3s and D7000 for all wildlife/bird shooting. It gives me a lot of freedom (but you need to know your camera's boundaries - for the D7000 I cap at 3200, D3s is capped at 12800)
Obviously for landscapes I set the ISO to where I want it (100 for daytime, 3200 for nightscapes)...