I cut my teeth with Kodachrome 25 slide film. Back in those days using 100 ISO pint film was a quality compromise. As 200, 400 and then 1600 ISO films became available it was fun to explore the doors that opened though with some quality loss. My old DSLR did noticeably degrade going up to 1600 ISO. My new DSL runs up to 6400 ISO and is much cleaner than the old one at 1600. 6400 ISO is sort of my standard for non-flash indoor photography and frankly I don't even bother with a flash anymore indoors due to the amazing job these modern cameras do.
I am not sure if you are aware that light meters are very much still alive, and have much more capability than you gave credit to in this video. Yes, you can use the metering system in the camera, and if you do not mind chimping back and forth with the shot you have just taken, then trying trial and error to get the exposure right, go right ahead. The camera is using reflective metering, and as such, can be easily fooled. The advantage of the light meter is that you can use incident metering to attain the proper exposures, and several light meters, such as the Seknonic 858, have the capability of spot metering. The unit provides a 1% spot meter function that is very accurate. You can also meter an entire area and average multiple spot readings on your own to determine a better exposure for your shot.
Excellent suggestion to use Auto ISO in your camera settings along with an upper limit on ISO that you are comfortable with. I got this suggestion from Reed Hoffmann years ago at a Nikon photography class, and have used it since. My family appreciates me being able to take the vacation shots a little quicker too.
I under exposed everything by one stop now. I also use average in the metering mode. This makes a huge difference! I live in Australia and the light. I don't know what it would be measured in stops but it would be huge. It's very very bright here in Australia. The sun is harsh. Given that we also have noise reduction software if you are not sure it's okay to slightly under expose an image and run some D-noise software. You can recover more from shadows in highlights remember that.. Good to turn your highlights on the camera screen so you can see if you are blowing them out. This is more valuable to me than the histogram but I'm lucky because I shoot medium format and I've got a lot of dynamic range to play with. Bracketing is a good skill as well and in certain situations filters are okay too. It just depends on the circumstance.
Great video, and great information. I use auto-ISO for sporting events that occur in the evening. It keeps things convenient. You really do a nice job with your presentation style.
Wow, this is one of the most enlightening instructional videos I have ever seen about dynamic range and lighting. Awesome job! This information is foundational.
I enjoy your videos. I don't shoot a lot of landscapes but more macro stuff. Sometimes I'll get a blown highlight and depending on the size I'll use the remove tool in Photoshop. Also a polarizing filter can sometimes help.
I found your video while searching for Nikon P950 tutorials. The words "crazy sharp" caught my attention, so I watched. You just taught me things I've been trying to understand for years! And you made it sound so easy. Thank you! You have a new subscriber here!
Sometimes, my histogram is in the middle and to the left but then there is a thin strip that is pushed all the way to the right and up, what's that about?
I really don't disagree with what you said, but you are omitting something about increasing the ISO. When you increase your ISO you are also generally decreasing your dynamic range. I daresay that most of us will never miss the lost dynamic range for the photos we are taking, but it can be a problem in some cases. But the key to remember is that if you can't get a reasonably good shot without a higher ISO? Go with the higher ISO and take the shot. There is a lot you can fix in post-processing but if you have no image to process - you have nothing.
Thank you for your youtube video - you bring up several good points. In addition to your insight, I have come to realize that digital cameras all have ISO “sweet” spots. For example, my Canon R6 Mark II has less noise at ISO 400 than ISO 200. Another aspect of ISO settings to remember is ISO settings greatly impact dynamic range. Here again for the R6 Mark II at ISO 400 has better dynamic range at ISO 400 then 200. So, when I’m out in the field, I shoot at ISO 400 over 200 every time. Knowing my camera ISO sweet spots was game changer for me. Also, depending on what your audience is viewing your work, they may not even see the difference in noise. For example, most of my work is digested via the internet on browsers via a 4K monitors - in most cases they won’t even notice the noise. Lastly, as you mentioned, modern photography software and AI noise reduction really makes noise a very small issue…. As you said consider the shutter speed and aperture as your primary exposure controls.
This is a helpful and valuable video. I came up in photography in the film area. Shooting 4x5, I studied the Zone System as used by Ansel Adams, and well explained by Minor White. This video brings that old school film technology, into the digital age. Thank You!
I totally agree with you. But every photographer I have seen recomending this, is sitting there with the latest, low noise gizmo of a pro-grade camera. And most of the people that need this kind of advice ....do not.
If you want to see sharp, like so sharp your eyes will bleed, get your hands on a Simga DP1 or DP2. It has different type of sensor. It doesn't require a Bayer filter.
Great video and I agree with you ❤It is also worth mentioning that if you properly expose your photos high ISO will produce less noise than if you keep the same ISO and underexpose your scene and later try to raise the exposure during the editing process 🔥
Great vid. There's one more layer in my process. Why do you need the break from work and the time to get out into nature? My photography genre is different but many years and peeling back many layers is the process of focusing down on what one is looking for. Another metaphor is pruning a large tree of all it's dead wood to get down down to its essential life. It's a profound question you ask and peers into the mystery of life
Basic photo knowledge from +30 years ago. Know the rules to break / bend them. Noise / grain can't only be a stylistic tool - it can also imitate details without killing sharpness... The perfect photo doesn't have to come out of camera, and many other thoughts... These casual guides are helpful and handy, but take a look over your shoulder too.
With my Canon R6M2 and the RF 24-105 f4 l and the RF 100-500 mm f4.5-7.1 L I do manual shutter and f. But always with auto iso. With the RF 100-500mm it goes up frequently but that does not matters me. :) I am not a professional but amatur wildlife photographer.
I'm getting perfectly usable, low noise images from my newer('ish) Lumix MFT cameras (GX9 and G9) and Canon APS-C and full frame cameras (90D, 5Div, R7 , and R8) at ISO settings that didn't even exist on cameras on my first few digital cameras (Canon D30, D60, 20D, 40D) Back in the early days I know if I boosted my Canon D30 and D60 cameras (yes I'm that old ;) ) past 400 ISO the images were unusable, even now going back using modern AI noise filters they are still unusable so I had to keep things at base or at most 200 ISO , by early/mid 2010s I felt comfortable pushing my cameras (Canon 60D and Lumix GX7) up to 1600 ISO, no problems, now days my 5Div and R8 and even with the smaller "noisy" MFT G9 & GX9 honestly 6400 is great, as good as, or better than, the D30, and D60, and even 20D were at 200iso, .
I do a good amount of bird 🐦 photography with a Fujifilm XH2 and a 100-400mm Fujifilm lens, very often i find myself using ISO 1600 depending on light because of the quick movement of the subject, many of the birds i photograph are Herons, Egrets, Ospreys and an occasional Eagle, many of these are in or around water hunting for fish and you need a fast shutter speed to get a sharp photo, when an Egret or Heron spears a fish or any other prey, it's movement is like a blink of a n eye.
I use m4/3 as the lens are smaller and lighter for wildlife. I will set the aperture and shutter and let the ISO do whatever is needed. Using DXO pure raw or Lightroom to remove noise it’s sharper and has less noise than images at 200 from a decade ago. I will use topaz labs photo Ai for iPhone snaps when that all I have with me and shot with one of the aftermarket. Apps that shoot raw. I will go it the same way. Lock the shutter and aperture. ISO is whatever. I have some excellent landscapers mounted shot wall mounted from the iPhone.
Thanks. I love your videos. They are very informative and practicle. Actually your materials helped me clear some doubts i had about some settings and compositions. Thanks a lot. Look forward to your next videos.
For all the Nikon users out there, you can also set your minimum shutterspeed in the ISO settings too, and then shoot in Aperture priority to take advantage of it. If the scene gets brighter the shutter speed gets adjusted as necessary maintaining correct exposure if the ISO is at the lowest setting of the selected range. I shoot sports 98% of the time, as a football club volunteer mostly along with other sports for over a decade and always done it this way as it has made life so much easier. Solid points well made, thank you, so many people don't understand how helpful this setting can be. I refuse to call it a hack too, it's how the equipment was made to be used, if so desired.
We made video….. I do mostly monochrome editing and I shoot in jpeg monochrome as well as raw and I love grain/noise in my photography and in my paid portraits I need to catch the shot so auto iso with out fear
The trouble with photography is that you are listening to amateurs. There is a whole other world out there. I have been using aperture priority since this become available in cameras, about 1980. I also use auto ISO and since noise reduction software become availible I have hiked the auto ISO up to max.I only use manual in a studio, manual gets in the way of creativity as does fiddling with camera settings. Photos are made in the head not in settings, left to it's own device the camera will make a better exposure than you can. That's the truth.
yep "manual mode" is at best a training/learning experience, once you understand exposure then hell shoot in P mode if you want and ride the exp comp dial . My Nikon f4 was basically glued to A mode for real estate and car commercial work and glued to S for moving car shots, honestly in my time as a paid photographer the only time I shot manual mode was product photography studio shots with medium and large format cameras
Great down to earth advice. Please don't keep repeating "this is what pros do", saying it once is enough. We get the message. You will have more time for your own opinions then.
Thanks Chris. Had the same feedback in another comment on this video. I'm trying to separate myself from all of the "pros" on RU-vid but it's too obviously on the nose in this video.
I've even had the argument that, "My IBIS is so good so I can shoot at 1/4th without camera shake!" and then ask me afterwards why their photo became blurry.. Well, when the wind is about 25km/h and you're shooting tree's that HEAVILY moving, take your guess why your photos are blurry. So this is when I've had to step back with them and talk about the real basics again that, if you want to freeze your movement you gotta increase the shutter. And to achieve that shutter and proper exposure you either have to change your aperture or your ISO.. 😆 Also mate, I just recently discovered your videos but please, please stop using expressions like "Pro's do this / that" and similar. Only difference between a photographer and a "pro photographer" is that the latter earns money by doing it.
Hey Jimmy. Appreciate the comment and love your anecdote. The pro vs amateur thing is because I'm trying to separate myself from everyone else on RU-vid who say that they're "pro" this and "professional" that. I hear you though. Maybe it needs to be less on the nose. I checked out your channel and I've queued up your micro camper videos. I think building one out might be on the cards for me this Christmas period!
@@Photography-Explained No, I feel you. I usually introduce myself as a hobby enthusiast because that's what most of us are. Maybe I'm just being dramatic, but being a "pro" doesn't mean you're a great at what you do anyway. It's just my opinon anyway, I get why you are doing it. And thanks! I'm about to make the 6th part as I've been out a lot with the camper this summer. A little of an update of what my experience has been so far
@@Photography-Explainedwrong again. An Amateur is not a beginner. Amateur and Professional should have the same skill set but one does it as a job and one does it for fun. Don’t worry we’re not bad it’s just a misnomer.
You are 100% correct about auto ISO. I almost always shoot in manual and where I live when I’m outside, I’m dealing with clouds that are constantly changing my settings. Picking my depth of field or shutter speed to capture a subject is priority and my ISO is the variable. The only other setting I could suggest is exposure compensation to catch over or under exposures with auto ISO. This is the same with indoor event photos, auto ISO with my exposure compensation set to around -.7 to keep whites or highlights from blowing out. Like you had mentioned, I had listened to too many RU-vid videos telling me to keep my ISO down… finally I just switched to higher ISO’s and can’t believe what I’ve captured. Also, you can pixel peep all day but the real test is printing your pics. You will be amazed how a little noise just vanishes or adds to a pic. Great video!
Hey Patrick! That would actually be a cool video - what exposure comp are starting points for difference scenes and settings. Are there any other exposure comp settings you tend to default to?
@@Photography-Explained Would love to see you do a video on Exposure Compensation. This is something that I’ve been using over the past 6 months or so. I’ve found when using my Auto ISO the camera can tend to over expose whites when you have primarily a dark background (camera wants to bring blacks up to grey) or underexpose darks for mostly bright pics. I have found generally I’ll bring my EC down to -.7 to -1.3 if I’m indoors doing event photography if the room is very dark and I’m photographing people who are being light by spot lights. Outdoor photography can be a little more tricky. Since the Auto ISO can adapt faster to changing light, ie clouds, using EC helps me keep from blowing out my highlights. I’ll adjust the EC anywhere from just a little, -.3, to maybe a lot, -2 or lower. For example taking beach pictures the sand and sun reflection off the surf can drive me crazy. I’ll adjust a shots and watch the histogram to see how far I can go before blowing out my highlights. I haven’t got into photo stacking so I also use EC to push my pictures sky’s to keep from blowing out. I’m still learning like everyone and I’m always picking up a little something here and there. I like your videos since you’re not trying to sell the latest and greatest, but using the gear you have. Try playing with the EC when you have exposures that are either too dark or bright while shooting with Auto ISO and watch the histogram. I shoot RAW so the image on the back is more composure and the histogram is for my exposure. When you get it back to process I think you’ll be amazed at what you get.
Great video! I use manual with auto ISO most of the time. I see you're using a K&H Concepts Geared Head. I have one too. I much prefer it to a ball head design.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Yep the geared head really forces me to slow down and consider my shot, then reconsider it again because it's so much less of a pain than dealing with a drooping ball head.
