Great Photography and Camera Deals

How ISO Works in Digital Photography

Understanding how ISO works in digital photography can save you from many difficult low light situations, which is primarily what this setting is used for.

The term ISO was widely used since the days where film cameras were popular. Those days, the term ISO refers to film speed or how sensitive a film is to light. Film generally comes in various ISO speeds, and photographers can swap films with different film speed to achieve the desired effect. However, in the digital world today, this process has been simplified as we can adjust the ISO setting with just a few clicks in our camera settings menu. Today, as most cameras are now digital and does not require film, we generally refer to ISO as how sensitive the image sensor is to light.

ISO is measured in numbers which can be anywhere from 100 up to 3200 or more. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive the image sensor is to light, while the lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the image sensor is to light. The sensitivity of the image sensor will affect your shutter speed and aperture combination in order to obtain a properly exposed picture. When changing your camera's ISO number, be sure to check your camera's light meter to ensure that your picture will be properly exposed. If not, you might have to change your shutter speed or aperture so that just enough light will enter and hit the image sensor.

When shooting in lower ISO mode, your picture color will be richer and better quality. This is because less noise will be collected by the image sensor as it is less sensitive, thus, resulting in finer grains in your picture. Shooting in lower ISO mode also allows you to use wider aperture or slower shutter speed or a combination of both. An example of using low ISO number would be when you are shooting in broad daylight. It is a good idea to use a lower ISO number when there is enough light around and you do not need your camera's image sensor to be more sensitive to light, as this will only create more noise in your picture.

When shooting in higher ISO mode, your picture contain more grains and is more noisier as the image sensor will be more sensitive to light. When your camera's image sensor is more sensitive, it will give an artificial boost to the light signal that hits the sensor. This is not clean light, it is amplified light, which also amplifies undesired noise in the light, resulting in grains appearing in your pictures. Shooting in higher ISO mode also allows you to use a smaller aperture or faster shutter speed or a combination of both. Higher ISO mode is typically used when shooting in low light conditions where you need your camera's image sensor to be more sensitive to light so that the light would be amplified. Although this may produce noisier and grainier pictures, but it will ensure that you are able to capture the scene even in low light.

As a rule of thumb, your ISO should always be set at the lowest number whenever possible so that higher quality pictures can be produced. However, there are many cases where we need to bump our ISO to a higher number for proper exposure. Let me give you a few examples:

1) When you are trying to capture a moving subject in a low light area (e.g. a concert), you would need to bump your ISO higher, so that you can use faster shutter speed to freeze the moving subject.

2) There are many places where flash photography is not allowed, such as in museums. You could bring along a tripod, mount your camera on it and use slow shutter speed for more light exposure. However, a tripod is not always handy and therefore, we have to rely on our ISO setting. Just bump your ISO higher, and you will be able to use faster shutter speed to reduce the possibility of your hand shaking.

3) There are times when you are gathered in low light areas with friends for barbecue or in dimly lit restaurants and you wish to capture a special moment. You do not want to spoil the scene with a sudden burst of flash, which would create a very unnatural feel to the picture. Do it without flash and bump your ISO higher with a faster shutter speed, and you will be able to preserve that natural low light mood.

Using ISO to increase the sensitivity of the camera's image sensor can help boost the brightness of your pictures at the cost of quality. This can be your life saver in many low light situations. You would prefer to have captured a picture that is bright and with some noise in it rather than a picture that is dark with no noise.

Roy Lee is a freelance photographer residing in Malaysia, who specializes in wedding, portrait, and landscape photography.

© Copyright - Roy Lee. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

Photo Mugs ....

133MBDA Photo Mugs Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia....

A decorator crab camouflages himself by attaching living sponges and anemones, Photo Mugs A decorator crab camouflages himself by attaching living sponges and anemones, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia....

Kata KT D-3N1-22 3 In 1 Sling /Backpack with Laptop Slot $92.90 Kata 3N1-22; 3in1 Sling Backpack...

Lexar Professional Series 8 GB 133x Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card SD8GB-133-381 $15.00 Trusted by professional photographers, the Lexar Professional 133x Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory card is designed for sustained, rapid-fire picture taking, and provides high-capacity, high-speed performance and reliability to bring out the ultimate performance in your SDHC-enabled DSLR equipment. FEATURES: High-capacity, high-speed performance and reliability Designed for r...

Kodak Photo Print Kit for the 6800 Thermal Printer, 6R - Ribbon & Paper for 375 6 x 8 Glossy Prints $114.22 Contains both Ribbon and Paper for making up to 375 - 6" x 8" (6R) 15.2cm x 20.3cm prints...

Melissa & Doug Deluxe 50-piece Wooden ABC/123 Blocks Set $8.39 Our durable blocks allow children to experience constructive play at its best!...

Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Malaysian eagle owl, KL Bird Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia from Robert Harding $24.99 Photo Puzzle, Malaysian eagle owl, KL Bird Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia. Malaysian eagle owl, KL Bird Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia. Chosen by Robert Harding. 10x14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of dimensions 5 5/8 x 7 5/8 x 1 1/5. Puzzle image 5x7 affixed to box top. Puzzle pieces printed on RA4 paper at 300 dpi. This item i...

Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Shoes outside mosque during Friday prayers, Masjid Kampung Mosque, Kuala from Robert Harding $24.99 Photo Puzzle, Shoes outside mosque during Friday prayers, Masjid Kampung Mosque, Kuala. Shoes outside mosque during Friday prayers, Masjid Kampung Mosque, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Southeast Asia. Chosen by Robert Harding. 10x14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of dimensions 5 5/8 x 7 5/8 x 1 1/5. Puzzle image 5x7 affixed to box top. Puzzle pieces printed on RA4 paper at 3...

Case Logic DCB-308 SLR Camera Sling (Black) $50.39 The combination of design and quality materials of this SLR camera sling offer convenience and style for your everyday photo needs. Carry all your SLR equipment comfortably on your backwhen you are ready to shoot, simply pull the sling forward to quickly access to your camera....