Join me on Patreon for the best Alpha Support and Guidance. A single $10 Membership fee includes access to my 500-page camera-specific eBooks, member-only Q&A Forums + Over twenty 1-hour member-only seminars + cameras settings files & access to the Raw files from the lens and camera reviews (there is no contract or commitment beyond the first month). www.patreon.com/markgaler
I was unaware of the correlation between ISO and available high dynamic range. It's things like this that make Mark's channel head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Thanks for the tutorial. Thought I would share something that I find very useful: in manual mode, in addition to having aperture on the front wheel and shutter speed on the back top wheel, I also set the back thumb dial to iso. This lets me roll on and off auto iso. If I know I will be shooting in the same lighting conditions for a while, then I will use auto iso to quickly figure out an appropriate value, then I will roll off auto and fix my iso to whatever setting I want. Very helpful when a continually changing background would otherwise interfere with the appropriate exposure for my subject.
So much knowledge condensed in this video! Thank you Mark and I will be rewatching this a few times. Apart from being a great tutor you are also an outstanding photographer, who inspires me. Thanks again.
I grew up with ASA and DIN numbers. Took me almost until 2010 to stop referring to film speed / light sensitivity as ASA, because the numbers are the same. Anyway this was a really interesting video. There is another reason for using different ISO settings ( I don't know if I missed something in the video) and that's to do with light fall-off and shadow contrast. For any given shutter speed / aperture setting a lower ISO number means higher intensity of light. Conversely higher ISO means lower intensity of light. So, in accordance with the inverse square law, the higher the intensity of the light at a given distance (needing a lower ISO) the more gradual the light fall-off will be, giving a smoother, longer transition from light to shadow. The lower the intensity of light at the same distance (needing a higher ISO) will create a shorter, less gradual transition from light to dark, leading to darker shadows. (On a slightly different topic this also explains why in the studio placing a diffused light closer or further away from a subject creates a softer or harder light - because the light fall-off is or more or less gradual, leading to greater of less contrast).
Mark you always share the amazing details. I always learn something new, when I watch. Thanks for taking the time out, to teach, so we can learn from the master.
Love your presentation tone and style. With multiple college plus trade school degrees under my belt, I have had enough "instructors" in my lifetime to be able to know an outstanding one when I come across him/her. YOU ARE OUTSTANDING.
Phase detect AF gets locked on the first image in the sequence in the Mid, Hi and Hi+ drive modes when using apertures smaller than f/11, e.g., f/16 and f/22. This minimum aperture changes from camera to camera, e.g., it is f/8 for the A7RIII and f/16 for the A9II and f/22 on the A1.
Great video, gave me the necessary ISO guidance. Ran into a situation in Florida while shooting an unexpected video. Too much sun and I hadn’t run into that scenario with this Sony. I’d love to watch another video on editing the photos. Suggestions? Thanks again for your diligence 👀👌🏽
Hi Mark, Thanks for your interesting video as always. Do you it is possible to send you a few samples images to check if the noise is acceptable for the ammount of ISO used, on my sony a7iii? Thanks
Hi Mark: As a new Sony shooter, I am finding your video very helpful as a learn the various options and menu selections. Keep safe . . . Cheers, Keith (Canada)
I shoot everything in manual but while shooting video I choose manual with ISO auto and the brightness of the footages are higher than anticipated. In the camera display the brightness level stays at +2. How can I change it to 00. I am using Sony a7 iii.
Way back in the sixties and seventies when I shot film, what is now referred to as ISO was called ASA (an acronym for the standard used) in the englishspeaking world. A German maker like Agfa, rated film speed according to the European DIN standard. A colour slide film like Agfa CT18 had a speed of 18 DIN which was the same as 50 ASA which is the same as ISO 50.
Great video Mark! I am traveling to London and in an effort to minimize the number of lenses to carry around, I am planning to use my Tamron 28-200 (F2.8-5.6) lens on my Sony A7IV. Do think I can just increase the ISO in low light instead of bringing a prime 1.4/1.8 prime lens? I currently use Topaz DeNoise...so I'm hoping that will do the trick if necessary. Do you agree or would you recommend using a faster prime lens for night street photography? Thanks for your thoughts.
At the wider focal lengths your ISO may be quadruple that of having used an f/1.4 prime and at the longer focal lengths quadruple that of having used an f/2.8 zoom or eight times higher than having used an 85 or 135 prime. e.g., at an 85mm focal length instead of shooting at ISO 400 you will find yourself shooting at ISO values over 3200 by using the Tamron. As well as noise increasing you will also be reducing the dynamic range of the sensor and lowering the the sharpness by using a superzoom instead of a prime. You may increase the weight in your camera bag by using primes but increase the weight in your hand. Many of the Tamron zooms don't have SteadyShot so you would have to double the ISO again when using the longer focal lengths to avoid camera shake. You would now be shooting at ISO 6400 instead of ISO 400. I recommend watching my Lens Choice video or signing up to Patreon.com/markgaler so I can give your further advice.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you very much for answering, I already looked for it throughout the menu and I can't find it, I also looked in the manual and I can't find the option either. I will solve it using the wheel lock, because it has happened to me a few times that I am working at ISO 100 and without realizing it drops to ISO 80 or less and what I do not want is to lose dynamic range. Thank you for all your videos and for taking the time to respond.
Most of the ISO settings are applicable to both stills and movies but ISO Auto Min SS is a stills only feature that can be used in the Program and Aperture Priority exposure modes
Mark - just a query if I may! Why people often recommend that, when using a tripod, optical stabi (steady shot) should be turned off? I m mostly doing macro (with the 90mm Sony), but haven't been able to tell the difference (with or without). So what's the point?
I have a SteadyShot video where I explain the issue. The issue mainly arises with using Non Sony lenses where the stabilisation gyros in the lens carry on working even thought the camera is on a tripod. This causes vibrations which will blur long exposures. Sony lenses know what is happening on late model Sony cameras so take a nap - even if left switched on.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you Mark - I did watch that video before, but didn't hold on to that crucial detail! My Sony 90mm Macro lens does have OSS, but my a6300 doesn't have in-body stabilisation. Can I safely assume it goes off whilst on a tripod? I ll remember to switch it off anyway thought - just to be on the safe side
Thanks for the useful video, Mark. With the A6500, when shooting video with auto ISO, the currently selected ISO is not displayed, and as far as I know, there is no way to see it. Is this still the case in the more recent Sony cameras or has it been fixed?
Most pro videographers prefer to shoot video with a manual ISO setting as they don’t want the fluctuations of brightness that occurs when dark or light toned subjects appear in the frame
Taking some photos of surfers in bright even sunlight my ISO settings jumped from the minimum that was set in camera to a lower number for 4 or 5 shots in a sequence then went back. I had a minimum shutter speed set but it did not change.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Hey Mark, I wish I knew what happened. I was just holding down the shutter button no other buttons were pushed. Looking at the photos in post 4 or 5 of the photos in the sequence were dark then the next ones were perfectly lit. Looking at the information it showed the ISO had dropped down to 320 and the shutter speed remained at the minimum of 2000 a second I had set. Maybe it was just a fluke and won't happen again. Thank you very much for responding. I love your tutorials.
In a move to simplify the menus of the A6100 (when compared to the A6400 and A6600) Sony removed this very useful feature from the A6100. Not a good move in my opinion.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Wow I didn't even know that. Thanks for the info. Funnily enough, in Poland you can find A6400 body cheaper than A6100+kit lens nowadays, which is crazy. Wish it was that cheap 6 months back when I drowned my previous camera...
Hi! How are you? I wanted to ask if you know if it's possible to do the following: With ISO or Aperture, half-pressing the shutte to increase exposure to be able to focus properly, then when full-pressing the shutter, lowering back ISO or getting a higher aperture. This I'd really like, since I like to take macro shots, which will later be correctloy exposed with an external flash. I'm new with Sony cameras, I'm cooming from a Pentax and now own a a6700. Please your help here, since it would be really helpful!!!
What you are suggesting is not possible but you need to be aware of the fact that when shooting with AF-S instead of the AF-C, it will allow the aperture of the lens to momentarily breather wider to assist in focus acquisition. The A6700 has an excellent low-light focusing capability -4.00 EV. I offer personal support and guidance on my Patreon.com/markgaler support channel as I only get to 10% of the questions here on RUclips.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks! The thing is that I do macro photography and my lens is a manual one, fully. So controlling aperture from the camera is impossible, that’s why ISO was such a good thing. I want to subscribe to the patreon, especially for the ebook on the a6700!
Another wonderful tutorial. I can't believe this is free. What is the ISO sweet spot on cameras such as the Sony Alpha 6400? I do notice the limited dynamic range from time to time. Edit: Noticed several other people have asked similar questions. I'll try to stay under 400 then.
I have done further research on this topic since questions starting coming in. It appears Sony switched to using dual gain sensor technology on the the APS-C cameras. I have not had time to test this but there are some reports that it is 400. I will have to find time to test it.
No - ISO 100 is the optimum ISO but 640 will offer greater dynamic range and lower noise than ISO 400 on most full frame cameras (the sweet spot on the A7RlV is ISO 320).
To protect the highlights when shooting video we need to lower the contrast using either the Creative Style options or choose a Picture Profile that lowers contrast. Watch my Zebras tutorial to see how you can monitor the highlights during recording.
Hi Mark: As a new Sony shooter, I have found this video very helpful. Thanks so much for providing this content. Keep safe . . . Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada)
ASA was when it was an American Standard and it became ISO when it was recognised as an International Standard back in the 1950s. It took a while for film companies to remove ASA from the boxes of film as I remember ASA in the 70s and 80s
Thanks to user error, I have been using 800 for the sweet spot but after you mentioned 640, I went back and looked at the Photons to photos Photographic Dynamic Range versus ISO Setting graphs for the Sony cameras I use. And sure enough I should have glided over the graph points because it to shows 640 being the sweet spot. Glad I watched this video to catch the errors of my ways. 😛 Thank you for another great video to help me understand how to use my Sony cameras - only switched three months ago. 😊
There are a few different standards or baseline ISO settings. I have also owned cameras where the baseline was 200 and one with ISO 80. I am not sure why there is no standardised sensor ISO.
Thanks Mark for another great video, quick question : I often shoot my still image at ISO 50, are you saying that an ISO 100 would actually give me a better image in terms of dynamic range?
@@AlphaCreativeSkills you confused me a little there with the “sweet spot” Iso 650 will still be more noisy than 100 but actually less noisy than 400? Is that what you meant?
As usual, love your educational and thorough videos. I like the way you break the "10-minute" RUclips rule as you bring so much more to the table. As far as ISO, us older photographers grew up saying I-S-O (since that truly is and has been correct forever), and I will not ever change no matter how much mis-information there is.
As someone that says, "I-SO", I really only prefer it because it has one less syllable. Might seem silly, but saying "I-S-O" just doesn't flow the same in conversation for me. It's really all personal preference, and anyone that cares too much one way or another is being pedantic.
I knew if I didn’t clear this up at the beginning of the video I would get lots of negative comments that would result from the fact that the most influential vlogger in the USA made a movie to say that photographers were pronouncing it incorrectly (he uses the word). I continue to receive negative and hateful comments for my pronunciation of the GIF file format, even though the inventor of the file format is on record as to how he wanted the acronym to be pronounced. I really don’t understand why anyone can get so upset over pronunciation.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Sad state of affairs. Especially when we were actually in the trade when those two words came out. I promise you, we would have said it the way it was being pronounced back then. The next big debate...BC & AD. You know you can't please everyone, but your videos are of the highest quality, and should please nearly the rest. Keep them coming.!
@@brandonmccann8893 that is a safe way to comment. But the fact remains, back when we ISO came about, NO ONE ever said the letters as a complete word. So it's not pedantic...it's just wrong. Not trying to incite you, just telling you the truth. Do you remember when ASA and ISO were being discussed 40 years ago?
I consolidated my understanding with great examples given here. You should also be Canon/Nikon ambassador, but it is universal what you are showing. I like your videos very much, calm voice.
Thanks for a very informative video on ISO. I have recently moved to Sony from another manufacturer and Sony handles some aspects of exposure triangle management differently. It’s unfortunate Sony does not include full feature operating instructions, especially since its menu system also differs.
Thanks Mark. Good to know about ISO 640. I didn't know that. One question, at ISO 64 or 50, is dynamic range reduced compared to ISO 100? Sometimes I pop down to a lower ISO than 100 for longer exposures.
The dynamic range decreases with the lower ISO values. 50 is not significantly different on most of the full frame cameras but ISO 64 and 80 loose noticeable dynamic range compared to 100.
You've a "gift" for teaching; I am so glad that I've come across your channel. Sony is fortunate to have you on board, most fortunate, indeed. Thank you Mr. Galer, for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Couldn`t have said it any better! I was absolutely lost until I came across Mark`s fantastic channel. Very easy to digest, with a good pace and extremely informative for beginners!
Hi Mark, What is the ISO Auto sweet spot for the A6000? I enjoy your videos but should point out a lot of us don't own 7 or 9 series cameras & would appreciate some focus towards us as well
There isn't one as far as I am aware. There was content in this video that was specific for APS-C users (ISO 50) and I spent four months last years creating free-to-download eBooks for APS-C cameras (available from my website).
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Since the a6300, the higher ISO sweet spot for the APS-C cameras is at ISO 400. There is not a higher ISO sweet spot on the a6000.
Mark thank you. This was very informative. But...I wish you could speak about the recommendations for full frame vs crop sensors. For example I have a 7 iii and a a6600 and would be interested in dynamic range implications.
There isn’t a sweet spot for the APS-C sensors (just keep the ISO as low as possible). The sweet spot on the full frame sensors is a result of their newer sensor design and how Sony now deal with sensitivity. Dpreview have some articles in the subject.
You can in Program, Aperture priority and Shutter priority. It may not be possible in shutter Priority if the maximum or minimum aperture has been reached. It is not possible in Manual Exposure mode because, as the name suggests, you must manually change exposure using Shutter, Aperture or ISO adjustments.
7:40 If you're shooting raw, don't even bother with the *extended* low ISOs (below 100.) You will not have any improvement in highlight detail whether you pull it down in post or let the camera do it. The only time you would get an advantage out of shooting ISO 50 is when you're shooting straight to a JPEG.
I always love to watch your videos. In fact, Initially, I wanted to buy focus on the Canon camera system but I end up buying a Sony APSC, and I love it. Thanks to you I think I made a wise decision
Why would ISO 640 be a sweet spot and be better than ISO 400. I had presumed that signals from the sensor were optimum at ISO 100 and above that value the signal was amplified and it was this amplification that produces increased noise as ISO increases. Hence I can not see a technical reason why ISO 640 is better than ISO 400 ?
All is good Mark. All I need to know is the function of the ISO and I just know how and what it does. The good and the noisy. I’m using my A/7/3 in uncompressed format and if you have the time & can throw an answer at me I would appreciate any advice. From one Aussie to another, stay safe Mark. Thank you. Neville J.
ISO is one of three controls we have over exposure. I outlined this on my first slide in the presentation. If you search for more info on the ‘exposure triangle’ you will learn more about how each works with the other two. If you are wanting individual support you may want to consider joining my Patreon service.
I always thought ISO 400 was the "sweet spot"... Is it 640 for all the Sony sensors or does it vary? That's actually a very useful information for me, thanks!!
Mark, great video as always. Two thoughts: You mentioned that most of the “most” of the Sony full-frame cameras have the second of ISO “sweet spots” at ISO 640. I think it would be helpful for people to know the exceptions such as ISO 320 for the A7RIV. My other thought is that I wonder how many other people find it annoying that you can’t remove “AUTO” from the list of ISO options. I shoot manual exposure almost all the time and have ISO set on the control wheel and it’s annoying that when I’m in a rush and I spin it all the way left that I end up at AUTO instead of 100. It’s a habit now that when I want to get to ISO 100 quickly I spin it all the way left and then right once. It’s nice that I can set the minimum but I’d like to have the option to remove “AUTO” from the list of options. I’ve given this feedback to PRO Services.
I can't assign anything to the control wheel as it is too easy to know. The original A7 cameras had ISO assigned to the Control wheel by default but removed it on subsequent releases. A button press and then rotate is the way to go I feel.
Yes I couldn't live with the ISO on the wheel like it used to be and completely agree. I just bumped it too easily. Works for some photographers however, like Mark Smith.
Yes, I have an A6500 which can take ISO from 100 to about 51200. Any good photographer with the deficient APS-C format can tell you that even 800 ISO is doubtful, and anything above is good for maybe facebook sometimes. Sony is all digital mechanics .
I have images captured on Sony’s APS-C cameras at 2,500 which look fabulous in a 27 inch 4K monitor - there just has to be appropriate exposure and post processing. Zoos Victoria even used one as a poster.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Yes Sony, that's right the user doesn't know what he's doing even though he was printing monoprints while you were starting school. Yes of course you will get some good prints, but the APS-C sensor colour saturation fades badly above 800 ASA onward, and you must know it, your examples show that obviously. Maybe you never used Kodak 25ASA film. Everything looks OK in a monitor, let's see the one metre prints . As far as I am concerned if I want to guarantee a quality photo from an APS-C you need about 6 overlapping exposures, 3 across, two down , and put them through the joiner in photoshop. Even then you often need the continuous bracket feature to get balanced light in each integral input..The APS-C sensor is deficient for high quality work in most cases.
I use both APS-C and full frame. I cut my career using Tri-X and Kodachrome. I was an early adopter of both digital and Mirrorless so have encountered many nay sayers in my time.
Sony use ‘dual gain’ sensors so there is a second ‘sweet spot’. Sony can also place the best dynamic range at an ISO value of its own choosing, e.g., the S-Log profiles use elevated ISO values.
Great content as always but one niggle. ISO does not have an effect on exposure and so is not part of the "Triangle of Exposure". Exposure is the amount of light received by the sensor and that is controlled by aperture and shutter speed alone. Once you have collected the photons of light in an exposure, all the ISO does is apply a "volume control" on the light collected. An exposure of 1/100s @ f5.6 collects the same amount of light (same exposure) regardless of the ISO setting.
Another EXCELLENT video Mark, thank you. I'll keep that 640 sweet spot in mind! Also, as some already mentioned, and I would like to echo their statement, You have made me a much better photographer because of your tutorials! So glad I switched to Sony . . . I didn't realize when I did there would be such excellent support by ambassadors such as yourself! Cheers!
Iso above youre base iso is an amplification. Nothing more, nothing less. And anyone who did some analogue recording knows that the amount of signal (light) determines the amount of noise you can hear(see) after amplification.(applied iso) And sometimes, you need to amplify to freeze the moment(and accept noise).
First-time on your channel, don't worry about how to say ISO (EYE SO) or (I. S. O.)! The same goes for Bokeh! Just know how to use them correctly in photography! How to pronounce them Is not that important. @Mark Galer's Just keep teaching and let the petty people complain about how to properly say a word. Depending on what part of the world that speaks English, words are pronounced differently from proper English, American English (in America, depending on where you live, the same word is said many different ways) LOL Lets not get into slang, so don't sweat the little things.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Join me on Patreon for the best Alpha Support and Guidance. A single $10 Membership fee includes access to my 500-page camera-specific eBooks, member-only Q&A Forums + Over twenty 1-hour member-only seminars + cameras settings files & access to the Raw files from the lens and camera reviews (there is no contract or commitment beyond the first month). www.patreon.com/markgaler
Why watch the television during the covid 19 when we have great learning content from you. Thank you for making me a better photographer!
Thanks Curt :-)
Right, we learn nothing but to fear the boogie man from watching television.
I agree totally!!!
i guess I am kinda randomly asking but do anyone know of a good site to watch new series online?
Mark you produce same of the best tutorials in the net. I can see you have a classical education too , priceless in this time . Well done 👏
Glad you like them!
Glad I found this channel. This is next level content for anyone that seeks to improve their craft so thank you.
I was unaware of the correlation between ISO and available high dynamic range. It's things like this that make Mark's channel head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Thanks for the positive feedback Kenneth
Thanks for the tutorial. Thought I would share something that I find very useful: in manual mode, in addition to having aperture on the front wheel and shutter speed on the back top wheel, I also set the back thumb dial to iso. This lets me roll on and off auto iso. If I know I will be shooting in the same lighting conditions for a while, then I will use auto iso to quickly figure out an appropriate value, then I will roll off auto and fix my iso to whatever setting I want. Very helpful when a continually changing background would otherwise interfere with the appropriate exposure for my subject.
So much knowledge condensed in this video! Thank you Mark and I will be rewatching this a few times. Apart from being a great tutor you are also an outstanding photographer, who inspires me. Thanks again.
Subscribed. Very nice tutorial.
Just bought the sony a6400.
Trying to learn the basic.
Without people like you it won't be possible.
Thanks a lot.
Thanks for the sub! If you find you need additional support check out my Patreon.com/markgaler support service.
Thank you Mark !! Never left without knowing something new or something forgot !!
I grew up with ASA and DIN numbers. Took me almost until 2010 to stop referring to film speed / light sensitivity as ASA, because the numbers are the same.
Anyway this was a really interesting video. There is another reason for using different ISO settings ( I don't know if I missed something in the video) and that's to do with light fall-off and shadow contrast. For any given shutter speed / aperture setting a lower ISO number means higher intensity of light. Conversely higher ISO means lower intensity of light.
So, in accordance with the inverse square law, the higher the intensity of the light at a given distance (needing a lower ISO) the more gradual the light fall-off will be, giving a smoother, longer transition from light to shadow.
The lower the intensity of light at the same distance (needing a higher ISO) will create a shorter, less gradual transition from light to dark, leading to darker shadows.
(On a slightly different topic this also explains why in the studio placing a diffused light closer or further away from a subject creates a softer or harder light - because the light fall-off is or more or less gradual, leading to greater of less contrast).
Got the a7c after watching your review. Amazing to see this entire playlist, I guess I have some homework to do.
Mark you always share the amazing details. I always learn something new, when I watch. Thanks for taking the time out, to teach, so we can learn from the master.
My pleasure!
Love your presentation tone and style. With multiple college plus trade school degrees under my belt, I have had enough "instructors" in my lifetime to be able to know an outstanding one when I come across him/her. YOU ARE OUTSTANDING.
Are there certain apertures in the a7r4 that phase detect autofocus is turned off?
Phase detect AF gets locked on the first image in the sequence in the Mid, Hi and Hi+ drive modes when using apertures smaller than f/11, e.g., f/16 and f/22. This minimum aperture changes from camera to camera, e.g., it is f/8 for the A7RIII and f/16 for the A9II and f/22 on the A1.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills so my a7r4 issues contrast based on more wide open apertures?
Great video, gave me the necessary ISO guidance. Ran into a situation in Florida while shooting an unexpected video. Too much sun and I hadn’t run into that scenario with this Sony. I’d love to watch another video on editing the photos. Suggestions? Thanks again for your diligence 👀👌🏽
I have two 2-hour Lightroom Masterclasses
So my question -- is there any way to turn auto ISO off completely? So when you use the wheel for ISO it will stop at ISO 50 instead of going to auto?
Auto ISO is off when you have dialled in a fixed ISO setting but you cannot remove ISO Auto from the ISO options.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks! I was hoping I might be able to but figured that wasn't a possibility.
The best of all information. A great camera system explained by a top teacher.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your interesting video as always.
Do you it is possible to send you a few samples images to check if the noise is acceptable for the ammount of ISO used, on my sony a7iii?
Thanks
I have a Patreon support group for Alpha Photographers wanting a consultancy service.
What is the ISO sweet spot for an a6100? Many thanks!
ISO 100 is the optimum ISO and there is a second sweet spot at ISO 640. A site called Photons to Photos provides bench-tested data for Sony sensors
Another amazing tutorial and an amazing picture of Mevagissey Harbour such a lovely area of the world and my favourite place.
Hello,
there is no possibility to put the isos in manual and not in auto?
Yes you can use manual ISO
@@AlphaCreativeSkills thank you so much👍
Who knew there was so much to learn about ISO, or ISO however you pronounce 😊. Another great, instructive video!
Hi Mark: As a new Sony shooter, I am finding your video very helpful as a learn the various options and menu selections. Keep safe . . . Cheers, Keith (Canada)
I shoot everything in manual but while shooting video I choose manual with ISO auto and the brightness of the footages are higher than anticipated. In the camera display the brightness level stays at +2. How can I change it to 00. I am using Sony a7 iii.
If you are trying to shoot movies with a wide aperture and slow shutter speed you need to use a variable ND filter.
Way back in the sixties and seventies when I shot film, what is now referred to as ISO was called ASA (an acronym for the standard used) in the englishspeaking world. A German maker like Agfa, rated film speed according to the European DIN standard. A colour slide film like Agfa CT18 had a speed of 18 DIN which was the same as 50 ASA which is the same as ISO 50.
Mark, Thank you so much for the video, which answered the question I ask you earlier. Great content! Much appreciated!
Great video Mark! I am traveling to London and in an effort to minimize the number of lenses to carry around, I am planning to use my Tamron 28-200 (F2.8-5.6) lens on my Sony A7IV. Do think I can just increase the ISO in low light instead of bringing a prime 1.4/1.8 prime lens? I currently use Topaz DeNoise...so I'm hoping that will do the trick if necessary. Do you agree or would you recommend using a faster prime lens for night street photography? Thanks for your thoughts.
At the wider focal lengths your ISO may be quadruple that of having used an f/1.4 prime and at the longer focal lengths quadruple that of having used an f/2.8 zoom or eight times higher than having used an 85 or 135 prime. e.g., at an 85mm focal length instead of shooting at ISO 400 you will find yourself shooting at ISO values over 3200 by using the Tamron. As well as noise increasing you will also be reducing the dynamic range of the sensor and lowering the the sharpness by using a superzoom instead of a prime. You may increase the weight in your camera bag by using primes but increase the weight in your hand. Many of the Tamron zooms don't have SteadyShot so you would have to double the ISO again when using the longer focal lengths to avoid camera shake. You would now be shooting at ISO 6400 instead of ISO 400.
I recommend watching my Lens Choice video or signing up to Patreon.com/markgaler so I can give your further advice.
Saving for the alpha a7 iii. Will this be a good camera for macro photography? Any lens you guys recommend?
Yes this will be a good camera - the Sony FE 90 f/2.8 Macro is highly regarded - often considered to be one the sharpest lenses ever made.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you a lot. Will look into this
On the Sony A7III I can't find the option to deactivate the forced ISO range, isn't it posible?
It’s possible to change the ISO range and the Auto ISO range on your camera.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you very much for answering, I already looked for it throughout the menu and I can't find it, I also looked in the manual and I can't find the option either. I will solve it using the wheel lock, because it has happened to me a few times that I am working at ISO 100 and without realizing it drops to ISO 80 or less and what I do not want is to lose dynamic range. Thank you for all your videos and for taking the time to respond.
By default the Control Wheel on the A7lll doesn’t change ISO. I think this was a feature of the original A7 that Sony dropped.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills gracias thanks for replying again
Can this be applied to video settings as well?
Most of the ISO settings are applicable to both stills and movies but ISO Auto Min SS is a stills only feature that can be used in the Program and Aperture Priority exposure modes
Mark - just a query if I may! Why people often recommend that, when using a tripod, optical stabi (steady shot) should be turned off? I m mostly doing macro (with the 90mm Sony), but haven't been able to tell the difference (with or without). So what's the point?
I have a SteadyShot video where I explain the issue. The issue mainly arises with using Non Sony lenses where the stabilisation gyros in the lens carry on working even thought the camera is on a tripod. This causes vibrations which will blur long exposures. Sony lenses know what is happening on late model Sony cameras so take a nap - even if left switched on.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you Mark - I did watch that video before, but didn't hold on to that crucial detail! My Sony 90mm Macro lens does have OSS, but my a6300 doesn't have in-body stabilisation. Can I safely assume it goes off whilst on a tripod? I ll remember to switch it off anyway thought - just to be on the safe side
EXCELLENT. Could not be more professional. Thank you!
Thanks for the useful video, Mark. With the A6500, when shooting video with auto ISO, the currently selected ISO is not displayed, and as far as I know, there is no way to see it. Is this still the case in the more recent Sony cameras or has it been fixed?
Most pro videographers prefer to shoot video with a manual ISO setting as they don’t want the fluctuations of brightness that occurs when dark or light toned subjects appear in the frame
Taking some photos of surfers in bright even sunlight my ISO settings jumped from the minimum that was set in camera to a lower number for 4 or 5 shots in a sequence then went back. I had a minimum shutter speed set but it did not change.
That should not be possible unless you are in ISO Auto or accidentally depressed a custom key assigned to Recall Custom Hold.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Hey Mark, I wish I knew what happened. I was just holding down the shutter button no other buttons were pushed. Looking at the photos in post 4 or 5 of the photos in the sequence were dark then the next ones were perfectly lit. Looking at the information it showed the ISO had dropped down to 320 and the shutter speed remained at the minimum of 2000 a second I had set. Maybe it was just a fluke and won't happen again. Thank you very much for responding. I love your tutorials.
Hi Mark, how do I set ISO AUTO Min. SS in my A6100?
In a move to simplify the menus of the A6100 (when compared to the A6400 and A6600) Sony removed this very useful feature from the A6100. Not a good move in my opinion.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you. Strange move indeed considering even most basic entry-level DSLRs have this function.
I believe Sony have stopped making the A6100 so it was a short-lived model that did not find the sales success of the A6000 and A6400
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Wow I didn't even know that. Thanks for the info. Funnily enough, in Poland you can find A6400 body cheaper than A6100+kit lens nowadays, which is crazy. Wish it was that cheap 6 months back when I drowned my previous camera...
Hi! How are you? I wanted to ask if you know if it's possible to do the following:
With ISO or Aperture, half-pressing the shutte to increase exposure to be able to focus properly, then when full-pressing the shutter, lowering back ISO or getting a higher aperture. This I'd really like, since I like to take macro shots, which will later be correctloy exposed with an external flash. I'm new with Sony cameras, I'm cooming from a Pentax and now own a a6700. Please your help here, since it would be really helpful!!!
What you are suggesting is not possible but you need to be aware of the fact that when shooting with AF-S instead of the AF-C, it will allow the aperture of the lens to momentarily breather wider to assist in focus acquisition. The A6700 has an excellent low-light focusing capability -4.00 EV. I offer personal support and guidance on my Patreon.com/markgaler support channel as I only get to 10% of the questions here on RUclips.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks! The thing is that I do macro photography and my lens is a manual one, fully. So controlling aperture from the camera is impossible, that’s why ISO was such a good thing.
I want to subscribe to the patreon, especially for the ebook on the a6700!
But why are there lines under and above the lower ISO numbers ? Is that a warning that the dynamic range is reduced ?
They are artificially lower ISO values and yes you lose dynamic range if you use them -especially ISO 64 and 80
@@AlphaCreativeSkills thanks 🙏❤️
Another wonderful tutorial. I can't believe this is free. What is the ISO sweet spot on cameras such as the Sony Alpha 6400? I do notice the limited dynamic range from time to time. Edit: Noticed several other people have asked similar questions. I'll try to stay under 400 then.
I have done further research on this topic since questions starting coming in. It appears Sony switched to using dual gain sensor technology on the the APS-C cameras. I have not had time to test this but there are some reports that it is 400. I will have to find time to test it.
Learned several things here that would otherwise have taken a lot of frustration through trial and error. Thank you 🙏
Great tutorial many thanks dear Mark you are best.
So ISO 640 would be ideal for clarity and dynamic range vs ISO 100? I'm shooting on an a7RIII.
No - ISO 100 is the optimum ISO but 640 will offer greater dynamic range and lower noise than ISO 400 on most full frame cameras (the sweet spot on the A7RlV is ISO 320).
Great video Mark! What ISO is best for dynamic range when shooting video? Do higher ISO values provide better detail in highlights?
To protect the highlights when shooting video we need to lower the contrast using either the Creative Style options or choose a Picture Profile that lowers contrast. Watch my Zebras tutorial to see how you can monitor the highlights during recording.
Hi Mark: As a new Sony shooter, I have found this video very helpful. Thanks so much for providing this content. Keep safe . . . Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada)
hi Mark in my film days with my canons in the UK..was ISO referred to as ASA , or am i mistaken cheers (just to muddy the water😉
ASA was when it was an American Standard and it became ISO when it was recognised as an International Standard back in the 1950s. It took a while for film companies to remove ASA from the boxes of film as I remember ASA in the 70s and 80s
@@AlphaCreativeSkills thanks Mark i tnought i recalled this cheers
You are great, Mark! I'm a beginner myself and I really appreciate these videos.
if 640 iso on a full frame is the sweet spot, then what would it be on a ASPC?
Mostly 640 - some cameras have a different sweet spot such as the A7RlV which is 320
Well done Mark ..I am a Nikon shooter but these skills you teach apply to us all
Thanks for the tip. Are you saying ISO 640 is better than ISO 100 if we consider noise and dynamic range?
100 is optimum - 640 is better than 400 if the dual gain is 640. The A7RlV is 320
Thanks to user error, I have been using 800 for the sweet spot but after you mentioned 640, I went back and looked at the Photons to photos Photographic Dynamic Range versus ISO Setting graphs for the Sony cameras I use. And sure enough I should have glided over the graph points because it to shows 640 being the sweet spot. Glad I watched this video to catch the errors of my ways. 😛 Thank you for another great video to help me understand how to use my Sony cameras - only switched three months ago. 😊
As always a very great and interesting tutorial about mastering Sony cameras. Thanks Mark.
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi Mark, thank you for your insights. May I ask you why camera manufacturers don't use ISO50 as standard?
There are a few different standards or baseline ISO settings. I have also owned cameras where the baseline was 200 and one with ISO 80. I am not sure why there is no standardised sensor ISO.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Are there any disadvantages to using ISO lower than the camera's standard?
Yes - lower dynamic range
Thanks Mark for another great video, quick question : I often shoot my still image at ISO 50, are you saying that an ISO 100 would actually give me a better image in terms of dynamic range?
Yes - The optimum ISO for dynamic range is 100
@@AlphaCreativeSkills you confused me a little there with the “sweet spot”
Iso 650 will still be more noisy than 100 but actually less noisy than 400? Is that what you meant?
Thank you Mark for this great video. Do APS-Cs have a sweet spot above 100 as well?
Not that I know of
Hi Jennifer, If you have an a6300 or newer, ISO 400 is the higher ISO sweet spot. It is a very noticeable improvement over ISO 320.
@@JeffStovall38 Thanks!
As usual, love your educational and thorough videos. I like the way you break the "10-minute" RUclips rule as you bring so much more to the table. As far as ISO, us older photographers grew up saying I-S-O (since that truly is and has been correct forever), and I will not ever change no matter how much mis-information there is.
As someone that says, "I-SO", I really only prefer it because it has one less syllable. Might seem silly, but saying "I-S-O" just doesn't flow the same in conversation for me. It's really all personal preference, and anyone that cares too much one way or another is being pedantic.
I knew if I didn’t clear this up at the beginning of the video I would get lots of negative comments that would result from the fact that the most influential vlogger in the USA made a movie to say that photographers were pronouncing it incorrectly (he uses the word). I continue to receive negative and hateful comments for my pronunciation of the GIF file format, even though the inventor of the file format is on record as to how he wanted the acronym to be pronounced. I really don’t understand why anyone can get so upset over pronunciation.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Sad state of affairs. Especially when we were actually in the trade when those two words came out. I promise you, we would have said it the way it was being pronounced back then. The next big debate...BC & AD. You know you can't please everyone, but your videos are of the highest quality, and should please nearly the rest. Keep them coming.!
@@brandonmccann8893 that is a safe way to comment. But the fact remains, back when we ISO came about, NO ONE ever said the letters as a complete word. So it's not pedantic...it's just wrong. Not trying to incite you, just telling you the truth. Do you remember when ASA and ISO were being discussed 40 years ago?
I consolidated my understanding with great examples given here.
You should also be Canon/Nikon ambassador, but it is universal what you are showing. I like your videos very much, calm voice.
Thanks for a very informative video on ISO. I have recently moved to Sony from another manufacturer and Sony handles some aspects of exposure triangle management differently. It’s unfortunate Sony does not include full feature operating instructions, especially since its menu system also differs.
There is the online manual, the books by Gary Friedman and my own 500-page eBooks from Patreon.com/markgaler
Thanks Mark. Good to know about ISO 640. I didn't know that. One question, at ISO 64 or 50, is dynamic range reduced compared to ISO 100? Sometimes I pop down to a lower ISO than 100 for longer exposures.
The dynamic range decreases with the lower ISO values. 50 is not significantly different on most of the full frame cameras but ISO 64 and 80 loose noticeable dynamic range compared to 100.
Good to know - thanks Mark.
You've a "gift" for teaching; I am so glad that I've come across your channel. Sony is fortunate to have you on board, most fortunate, indeed. Thank you Mr. Galer, for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Couldn`t have said it any better! I was absolutely lost until I came across Mark`s fantastic channel. Very easy to digest, with a good pace and extremely informative for beginners!
Julian Cahillane ALL THE BEST TO YOU, BROTHER!
Great intro! Yes good idea to get pronunciation over with. Your usual great quality demo.
Hi Mark,
What is the ISO Auto sweet spot for the A6000?
I enjoy your videos but should point out a lot of us don't own 7 or 9 series cameras & would appreciate some focus towards us as well
There isn't one as far as I am aware. There was content in this video that was specific for APS-C users (ISO 50) and I spent four months last years creating free-to-download eBooks for APS-C cameras (available from my website).
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Since the a6300, the higher ISO sweet spot for the APS-C cameras is at ISO 400. There is not a higher ISO sweet spot on the a6000.
Mark thank you. This was very informative. But...I wish you could speak about the recommendations for full frame vs crop sensors. For example I have a 7 iii and a a6600 and would be interested in dynamic range implications.
There isn’t a sweet spot for the APS-C sensors (just keep the ISO as low as possible). The sweet spot on the full frame sensors is a result of their newer sensor design and how Sony now deal with sensitivity. Dpreview have some articles in the subject.
Very good sir
It's amazing Mark ! You never stop , thank you.
What is the ISO sweet spot for the aps-c cameras?
Some don’t have one while for some it could be 400 - you could test your own camera now that you know some sensors have this dual gain technology.
Excellent tutorial on eye-zo. Lol
Thank you for educating us and taking the time to do so.
Why can’t I control exposure compensation in manual ISO?
You can in Program, Aperture priority and Shutter priority. It may not be possible in shutter Priority if the maximum or minimum aperture has been reached. It is not possible in Manual Exposure mode because, as the name suggests, you must manually change exposure using Shutter, Aperture or ISO adjustments.
How do I extend my iso range to get 50iso on a7r iv?
As outlined in the video ISO 50 has the manually selected as ISO Auto cannot select it.
7:40 If you're shooting raw, don't even bother with the *extended* low ISOs (below 100.) You will not have any improvement in highlight detail whether you pull it down in post or let the camera do it. The only time you would get an advantage out of shooting ISO 50 is when you're shooting straight to a JPEG.
I always love to watch your videos. In fact, Initially, I wanted to buy focus on the Canon camera system but I end up buying a Sony APSC, and I love it. Thanks to you I think I made a wise decision
awesome! I learned some new tricks today. Thank you!
Great to hear!
Great video Mark..
Thanks 👍
How I can make donation? Please let me know
paypal.me/alphacreativeskills
Thanks for your support
Always enjoy your videos, this one included, (even thought the first 2:10 were "of questionable value"?). Keep banging them out!
Any more questions about ISO? (Ισος+δύναμη)= (equal+power) = equivalent.
Why would ISO 640 be a sweet spot and be better than ISO 400. I had presumed that signals from the sensor were optimum at ISO 100 and above that value the signal was amplified and it was this amplification that produces increased noise as ISO increases. Hence I can not see a technical reason why ISO 640 is better than ISO 400 ?
Because Sony uses dual gain sensors.
Hi Mark. Great Video and a lot of information. Greetings from Germany. Wolper.
All is good Mark. All I need to know is the function of the ISO and I just know how and what it does. The good and the noisy. I’m using my A/7/3 in uncompressed format and if you have the time & can throw an answer at me I would appreciate any advice. From one Aussie to another, stay safe Mark. Thank you. Neville J.
ISO is one of three controls we have over exposure. I outlined this on my first slide in the presentation. If you search for more info on the ‘exposure triangle’ you will learn more about how each works with the other two. If you are wanting individual support you may want to consider joining my Patreon service.
Your pronunciation, of ISO, is correct.
High iso performance is one of the main reasons I switched to Sony. I have made 17x11 inch prints from images shot at 12800, and they look fine.
BTW: DXO Photolab Prime/Deep Prime is the best noise reduction around. I HIGHLY recommend it if you need to shoot at high iso.
Anyone know what creature is on the thumbnail?
It's the chick of a White Tern on Norfolk Island
I always thought ISO 400 was the "sweet spot"... Is it 640 for all the Sony sensors or does it vary? That's actually a very useful information for me, thanks!!
Most full frame cameras.
Mark, great video as always. Two thoughts: You mentioned that most of the “most” of the Sony full-frame cameras have the second of ISO “sweet spots” at ISO 640. I think it would be helpful for people to know the exceptions such as ISO 320 for the A7RIV. My other thought is that I wonder how many other people find it annoying that you can’t remove “AUTO” from the list of ISO options. I shoot manual exposure almost all the time and have ISO set on the control wheel and it’s annoying that when I’m in a rush and I spin it all the way left that I end up at AUTO instead of 100. It’s a habit now that when I want to get to ISO 100 quickly I spin it all the way left and then right once. It’s nice that I can set the minimum but I’d like to have the option to remove “AUTO” from the list of options. I’ve given this feedback to PRO Services.
I can't assign anything to the control wheel as it is too easy to know. The original A7 cameras had ISO assigned to the Control wheel by default but removed it on subsequent releases. A button press and then rotate is the way to go I feel.
Yes I couldn't live with the ISO on the wheel like it used to be and completely agree. I just bumped it too easily. Works for some photographers however, like Mark Smith.
ISO sweetspot DR is not bigger than for 100. And for RIV it is at 320
Ισοδύναμο 😉
Hello from Greece.
U are an amazing artist and your photos are really stunning and breathtaking..
Thank u for all these tips and secrets
Thank you so much!
ISO impressed with this vid I watched it twice.
Thanks for your positive feedback
Yes, I have an A6500 which can take ISO from 100 to about 51200. Any good photographer with the deficient APS-C format can tell you that even 800 ISO is doubtful, and anything above is good for maybe facebook sometimes.
Sony is all digital mechanics .
I have images captured on Sony’s APS-C cameras at 2,500 which look fabulous in a 27 inch 4K monitor - there just has to be appropriate exposure and post processing. Zoos Victoria even used one as a poster.
flickr.com/photos/64207717@N00/sets/72157712764149221
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Yes Sony, that's right the user doesn't know what he's doing even though he was printing monoprints while you were starting school.
Yes of course you will get some good prints, but the APS-C sensor colour saturation fades badly above 800 ASA onward, and you must know it, your examples show that obviously. Maybe you never used Kodak 25ASA film. Everything looks OK in a monitor, let's see the one metre prints . As far as I am concerned if I want to guarantee a quality photo from an APS-C you need about 6 overlapping exposures, 3 across, two down , and put them through the joiner in photoshop. Even then you often need the continuous bracket feature to get balanced light in each integral input..The APS-C sensor is deficient for high quality work in most cases.
I use both APS-C and full frame. I cut my career using Tri-X and Kodachrome. I was an early adopter of both digital and Mirrorless so have encountered many nay sayers in my time.
Like to see a video feature on the highlights metering mode.
I have a video tutorial on metering modes
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank Mark. 👍
Why would dynamic range be better at a higher ISO (400 to 640). That defies logic, it seems.
Sony use ‘dual gain’ sensors so there is a second ‘sweet spot’. Sony can also place the best dynamic range at an ISO value of its own choosing, e.g., the S-Log profiles use elevated ISO values.
@@AlphaCreativeSkills Very interesting.
Thank you
Great content as always but one niggle. ISO does not have an effect on exposure and so is not part of the "Triangle of Exposure". Exposure is the amount of light received by the sensor and that is controlled by aperture and shutter speed alone. Once you have collected the photons of light in an exposure, all the ISO does is apply a "volume control" on the light collected. An exposure of 1/100s @ f5.6 collects the same amount of light (same exposure) regardless of the ISO setting.
This information serves little practical purpose to newcomers in photography, e.g. try setting the ISO to 100 and attempt to shoot sports photography.
Here watching again, for maybe the 8th time.
Another EXCELLENT video Mark, thank you. I'll keep that 640 sweet spot in mind! Also, as some already mentioned, and I would like to echo their statement, You have made me a much better photographer because of your tutorials! So glad I switched to Sony . . . I didn't realize when I did there would be such excellent support by ambassadors such as yourself! Cheers!
Cool, thanks
9:43 that owl has a ring on one of his foot :o
Iso above youre base iso is an amplification. Nothing more, nothing less. And anyone who did some analogue recording knows that the amount of signal (light) determines the amount of noise you can hear(see) after amplification.(applied iso)
And sometimes, you need to amplify to freeze the moment(and accept noise).
Thanks
First-time on your channel, don't worry about how to say ISO (EYE SO) or (I. S. O.)!
The same goes for Bokeh! Just know how to use them correctly in photography! How to pronounce them Is not that important.
@Mark Galer's Just keep teaching and let the petty people complain about how to properly say a word.
Depending on what part of the world that speaks English, words are pronounced differently from proper English, American English (in America, depending on where you live, the same word is said many different ways) LOL Lets not get into slang, so don't sweat the little things.
So ISO 100 is gives the best quality... but about the values beneath? 60 or 50. My current logic is, the lower the ISO the best.
Those are artificially low values that extend the shutter speed but lower the dynamic range
@@AlphaCreativeSkills thank you very much!
Thanks!
No problem!
Perfect explanation as always! 👍 Thank's a lot for your georgeus content you provide! 🙏 Grettings, Enno
My pleasure!
Thx!