This is my own cheat sheet for setting my ISO, something I created for my own use. Generally, I'd use ISO 100-400 outdoors during the day and go ISO 1600 and above indoors or in the evenings outdoor, then fine-tune according to the actual conditions.
The biggest drawback of using high ISO ratings is noise. Your photo turns out grainy starting at ISO 1600. Some camera models do better than others in terms of noise reduction, but this is a general behavior.
ISO Setting
|
Conditions
|
100
|
Lots of Light, Sunny Day, Outdoors
|
|
Evening – with tripod for long exposures
|
200
|
A Bit Cloudy, But Still Bright, Outdoors
|
400
|
Overcast, Outdoors
|
800
|
Bright, Indoors
(Indoor places with Big Bright Lights like Chinese
Restaurants, Hotel Ballroom, etc)
|
|
Dawn or Dusk, Outdoors
(after Sunrise or close to Sunset)
|
1600
|
Warm Lighting, Indoors
(Well Lighted Restaurants & Rooms)
|
|
Well Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod
|
3200
|
Poor Light, Indoors
(Restaurant Lounges)
|
|
Poorly Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod
|
6400
|
Very Poor Light, Indoors
(Clubs, Shows)
|
|
Poorly Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod
|
* Nikon D60 only has ISO settings to 1600 then HI is set to ISO 3200. Some new models to day can even go ISO 12,800 or higher
During my practice, I've tried to fix my ISO first based on my guidelines then adjust my aperture and shutter speeds. This meant that sometimes, I would reach the thresholds where I could no longer get the right exposure. Let's say I set my ISO to 1600 because I'm in a room with poor lighting, get the aperture to go the widest my lens could do like F3.5 and then adjust my shutter speed. To get the right exposure, I will need to push my shutter speed to open the longest therefore, the slower side, below 1 second for example. As a result, my photo because I could not hold my hand steady or there is movement in my subject.
Basically, we just got to face it. The conditions are sometimes just too complex for my camera equipment. And this is one example of maximizing my equipment till the time I find it is no longer sufficient for the type of photos that I'd like to shoot. Then, maybe I'll upgrade. But there is always one challenge that plague us, the cost of upgrading. In the meantime, I can still shoot comfortably as these conditions are rare for me, and on the other hand, I could try to be resourceful and find other workarounds.
It's great to learn this way as you force to practice with the limitations and you practice your problem solving by finding other ways to resolve these challenges. For example, I could try to push my ISO to HI, 3200 in D60, and just do noise reduction in post processing. For the issue of lack of steadiness, it could be addressed by using a tripod. And the issue of the moving subject, I could probably add lighting to my subject among other solutions. I could even try to capture that moment where the subject will pause for at least a second or two by practicing my anticipation skills. There are a lot of information on the web as well so use it.
