Which ISO Setting to Use - Camera Basics Explained

You may have mastered shutter speed, aperture and white balance now it is time to master your cameras ISO settings. ISO isn't taught enough in my opinion to new photographers and I can't for the life of me understand why because the ISO settings you choose will not only effect the exposure of the image but it will also affect the overall image quality. In this article I will teach you everything you will need to know to master your cameras ISO settings.

Back in the olden days when film was the main way to take photographs you would have different variations of film, the higher the ISO of the film the more sensitive it was to light. These days we use digital cameras so we no longer need to worry about film, we do however need to learn which settings make our camera more sensitive to light, this is where the ISO settings come into play.

High ISO

Most DSLR cameras will have the ability to go up to ISO 1600; this is the highest ISO setting on the camera making it the most sensitive setting to light. By raising the ISO of the camera you will be able to shoot at higher shutter speeds. There are many reasons to do this, some include:

? Letting more light in to avoid motion blur

? Shooting at low light

? Increasing shutter speed to freeze the action

Raising your ISO settings by 1 increment will make your camera 1 stop of light more sensitive. This may sound good to you at this current moment and you may be thinking if you can do all of this with a high ISO why would you want to shoot with a lower ISO, well there is a catch.

Shooting at a high ISO will decrease the quality of your image. The higher the ISO the more likely there will be noise in your image. If you don't know what noise is then imagine your television set when it is not programmed into a channel and you turn it on, the black and grey mess looks exactly like noise.

Some DSLR cameras are better at higher ISO levels than others.

When to use certain ISO settings

As a rule of thumb I would prefer a noise image over an image with motion blur in it, simply because blurry pictures aren't usable where as a high noise picture can be still used. I however would recommend using the lowest ISO settings that you can to get your correct exposure.

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Digital Cameras Explained

While looking into investing in a new digital camera can be quite a thrill, all of the technical specifications and jargon associated with these devices can be a bit daunting if you are relatively new to this type of technology. Thankfully, there are only a few features that casual photographers really need to concern themselves with in order to find a camera that is perfect for their current needs.

Understanding the Different Types

Today, there are cameras on the market for virtually every type of user ranging from young children to professional photographers. Most people prefer to use cameras that are small enough to fit into an owner's pocket and have only a handful of easily accessible features. They typically have a durable casing and allow users to easily switch their settings based on whether they are photographing a landscape, a portrait or a smaller object like a flower. There are also beginner cameras that are great for people who are new to computing, micro cameras that are small enough to fit in a wallet and advanced cameras that require a fair amount of technical knowledge in order to operate.

Understanding Pixels and Megapixels

Pixels are basically the individual picture elements that make up an image, and a megapixel is short for one million pixels. In terms of digital cameras, a cameras megapixels is the number of individual image sensor elements that the device has to offer. When digital cameras first started catching on with the public, choosing a camera with the highest number megapixels was considered a top priority. Today, most decent digital cameras are able to capture images with greater resolution than can be displayed on most computer monitors or printed out on most printers.

Understanding Zoom Features

Choose a camera with good zoom capabilities, on the other hand, continues to be a very important part of finding a digital camera that you know that you will be happy with. The key point to understand about zoom is that there are two different types of zoom available: digital and optical. Digital zoom simply enlarges the pixels themselves and results in a lower image resolution the further you zoom in. Optical zoom actually bends the light like a traditional camera lens while retaining an optimum image resolution.

Understanding Digital SLRs

When the first cameras appeared on the market, there was some concern over which types would be compatible with desktop pcs and cheap laptops in the years to come. Virtually all digital cameras can now connect to a basic computer like a Dell laptop through an USB port or a memory card, so computer compatibility is no longer something that modern customers need to factor into their decision.

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