How to Change ISO Settings on Your Digital Camera

Image, courtesy of Stock.xchng

Rate: (1 Ratings)

Your camera’s ISO (sensitivity) setting increases your ability to take photographs in low light. From the Greek word “isos,” meaning “equal,” the adjustable ISO number indicates the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor. As the number increases, so does the sensitivity level.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Increase the ISO number when you are shooting at night. A high ISO setting allows you to increase your camera’s sensitivity to light and at the same time, you can increase your shutter speed to prevent blurring from camera shake or subject movement.

Step2

Turn off the flash. With an ISO setting as high as 1600, you can hold the camera in your hands and use only overhead lighting to take the shot. The high ISO replaces a longer shutter speed.

Step3

Create digital noise to imitate old Hollywood-style photographs. To reproduce the glitzy posters of the 1940s, with their classic grainy appearance, try using a high ISO number and a narrow aperture to keep the entire scene in focus.

Step4

Suppress an unwanted grainy effect by lowering the ISO number and choosing a slower shutter speed. Use a tripod to avoid camera shake at slower shutter speeds. Make sure you have plenty of light or use your flash to supplement the ambient light.

Step5

Experiment with newer digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras to shoot in low light with ISO numbers as high as 800 and virtually no noise.

Step6

Examine large consistent areas of color in your photograph for evidence of digital noise before enlarging. If your photo is going to have noise, it will appear in these areas first. Skies and large areas of water are common targets.