Why I Always Set My ISO First
What is ISO & when should I change it?
But first, I come from a film photography background. My very first camera was the Nikon F65, an entry-level 35mm film camera that I got with a twin lens kit.
Film photography has been with me ever since.
That doesn’t mean I never picked up digital, though. Digital was actually my main method of making photographs, and I was one of the first photographers to shoot digital images of high enough quality for magazines to print.
But film taught me a few things that still shape how I shoot today.
None of this needs to click yet. That's what our beginner photography classes are for. Keep reading anyway.
I was trained to set the ISO first. I always picture grabbing a roll of film off the shelf and loading it into my camera, and that habit followed me when I moved to digital.
It also makes sense, because ISO dictates how sensitive the film or digital sensor is to light, and that sets the standard for where the other two parts of the exposure triangle need to sit.
The General Rule: Lower ISO, Cleaner Image
The general concept I still work by, and it comes straight from film photography, is that the lower the ISO, the smoother and cleaner the image will be. Think fine grain, more dynamic range and typically better colours.
This holds true for digital ISO as well.
What Is Base ISO?
You’ll notice in many camera manuals, and hear from specialists, the term “base ISO.”
That’s the lowest native ISO your camera can be set to, and it’s the point the rest of the ISO range builds from. As you move the ISO up, you’re essentially pushing the digital sensor further away from its base, and to do so it adds grain, often called noise in the digital world.
If you shoot a photograph of something simple at your lowest ISO, then shoot the exact same photograph with the ISO boosted all the way to the extreme, you’ll get a very clear window into how ISO affects your image.
How ISO Affects Colour and Contrast
The two things to look for are colour and contrast.
At low ISO, you’ll typically see a greater range of colours, and the transition between light and dark is a lot smoother.
At higher ISO, you’ll see fewer colours but sharper contrast between light and shadow.
Keep Learning Photography With Us
This is just the beginning of what we teach in our beginner photography class. If you’d like to go a little deeper, head to the Loop shop page to find our upcoming photography classes in Melbourne.
And by all means, if you have any questions, reach out, because we’re only too happy to help.