Nikon ISO settings

Chuck289

I'm new to DSLRs and was looking to maybe buy the Nikon D3100. (I might also wait to read reviews on the new Canon T3) I read on Dpreview that the Nikons Auto ISO works differently than what I'm used to. I was playing around with the Nikon at the store and I think it had options for max ISO and minimum shutter speed. I couldn't quite figure it out. Could somebody explain how it works?

A snip from the D3100 review,
"Whereas all other brands program Auto ISO in a fashion that's designed to combat camera shake by automatically increasing the ISO at a shutter speed determined by the focal length of the lens,Nikon's approach uses a single, user-specified minimum shutter speed, which has to be carefully selected for the specific situation and focal length being used."

borrowlenses.com

Here is a detailed explanation: http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14130/~/how-does-the-auto-iso-feature-work%3F

The short version is you set the minimum shutter speed, and as light decreases the camera will automatically drop the shutter speed until it gets to that limit, then start boosting ISO in order to maintain a proper exposure.

catspaw

okay, borrowlenses officially rocks for answering that

Chuck289

borrowlenses.com wrote: »

Here is a detailed explanation: http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14130/~/how-does-the-auto-iso-feature-work%3F

The short version is you set the minimum shutter speed, and as light decreases the camera will automatically drop the shutter speed until it gets to that limit, then start boosting ISO in order to maintain a proper exposure.

Exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you.

Matthew Saville

It also works GREAT in manual exposure where you know you want a specific aperture, and want to cut it as close as possible with shutter speed, but still need an auto exposure. Just be careful, because your camera being set to "Manual" yet still auto-exposing the actual image is a lot to wrap your mind around sometimes. Or you just plain forget. Anyways, I find it VERY useful in extremely dynamic lighting situations where other "manual exposure purist snobs" would wind up with severely under-exposed or over-exposed images every 10 minutes... ;-)

=Matt=