Digital cameras are confusing to a lot of new users. And digital photography may seem like a whole new world for someone who is used to a film camera. Even though high-end digital cameras have a hefty learning curve, they can take wonderful pictures, and with practice can be quite readily understood.
One of the terms you will run into frequently as a photographer is the ISO setting. Film camera aficionados are probably familiar with this term. It refers to film speed, which is nothing more than the measure of films sensitivity to light. It can range from 50 to 1600 or more. Of course on a digital camera there is no film. The designers of digital cameras decided to use this old terminology of the film world to describe electronic sensor gain. It is the amount of electronic amplification the camera applies to the signal to obtain a clear picture.
On a digital camera, the ISO number indicates the camera sensors sensitivity to light. The higher the sensitivity the less light needed to make an exposure. Shooting a picture at a low ISO (50-100) requires more light than shooting at a higher number. A picture taken at a low ISO results in an image with the least amount of electronic distortion. The picture will appear crisper with more detail. Generally speaking the higher the number, the more grain or speckles you will have in your picture. These artifacts are called 'noise' in photography.
When your digital camera is in the full automatic mode, the camera's sensor decides how much amplification is required. The more amplification your camera applies to the image, the greater the amount of noise that will appear in your photo. Automatic ISO will usually result in average to good pictures. It's greatest advantage is when it is used in bright light situations or outside when there is a lot of sunshine. But to get the most out of your digital camera it's best to learn how to use its manual settings.
Below are some general guidelines to help you understand where your settings should be under different lighting conditions. Of course it's best to refer to your owners manual for specifics because the electronic configuration in digital cameras may not always the same.
When outside in bright sunshine set your ISO from 50 -100. Some macro photographers find a low ISO suitable as well because it tends to produce better quality images.
An ISO setting of 200 is best suited for cloudy or overcast days. The image will be acceptable, but a loss in picture quality can sometimes be detected.
If your inside or taking sports shots that require fast shutter speeds, set it at 200 to 400. This would be a suitable for shooting pictures at an event like a basketball game or an indoor dog show.
An ISO of 400 or greater works best when you are unable to use a flash. It could be used when you're shooting indoors in a low light setting, but is likely to produce a lot of noise in your picture.
As a rule of thumb least amount of ISO amplification will result in the sharpest pictures. Unfortunately noise is difficult to remove with picture editing software. So it's a good idea to check the ISO setting on your camera as the ambient light changes.
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