Auto ISO can significantly improve your photography, especially when handling shifting lighting conditions or needing quick adjustments. If used correctly, it helps you maintain consistent aperture and shutter speed settings without constant manual tweaks.
Coming to you from Benjamin Jaworskyj, this practical video explains how to effectively utilize auto ISO without common pitfalls. Jaworskyj emphasizes the importance of initially setting your exposure in the brightest possible lighting conditions rather than the shadows. This method helps avoid the typical issue of overexposure when moving from dark to bright environments, where the ISO can't decrease below the camera's minimum. By presetting your camera's shutter speed and aperture in strong sunlight first, the camera will comfortably adjust ISO when transitioning into darker spaces. He demonstrates this clearly by showing the difference between an image captured initially in shadows versus one set up in sunlight. It's a straightforward concept but often misunderstood, causing some photographers to underestimate ISO Auto's usefulness.
Jaworskyj’s example using a 50mm lens at an aperture of f/1.8 illustrates clearly how auto ISO maintains consistent settings. He selects a fast shutter speed of around 1/1,250 second to prevent shake, crucial when using longer focal lengths. Once these are set in sunlight, switching to auto ISO becomes intuitive. When transitioning into shaded areas, ISO automatically rises only as needed, resulting in properly exposed images without adjusting aperture or shutter speed manually. This efficiency makes it particularly valuable in dynamic environments, such as events or documentary scenarios, where rapid shifts between lighting situations are common.
Additionally, the video touches briefly on customizing range to match your camera's noise performance. This means setting a maximum ISO threshold appropriate to your gear's capabilities, thereby controlling noise in your images. For instance, Jaworskyj uses a camera comfortably set to a maximum ISO of 6,400, suitable for most modern cameras, but suggests lower limits if your equipment is noise-sensitive.
Jaworskyj’s approach highlights that auto ISO isn't just for beginners; it's an effective tool even for experienced shooters who appreciate convenience and consistency. The flexibility allows you to concentrate more on composition and capturing decisive moments rather than technical adjustments. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jaworskyj.
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