CAMERA SENSITIVITY - ISO

ISO Auto

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Five settings can be selected for camera sensitivity: Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800; the numerical values are based on an ISO equivalent. ISO is the standard used to indicate film sensitivity: the higher the number, the more sensitive the film.

Camera sensitivity is selected with the function button and the controller (p. 64).

The auto setting automatically adjusts the camera sensitivity to the light conditions between ISO 50 and 200. When any other setting than auto is used, ìISOî and the set value is displayed on the monitors.

Photographers can select a specific sensitivity setting. Like grain in silver-halide film that increases with speed, noise increases with sensitivity in digital imaging; an ISO setting of 50 will have the least noise and 800 will have the most.

A change in ISO also affects the flash and shutter-speed range. See the next page for more on the flash range, and page 55 for the shutter-speed range.

As the ISO value doubles, the camera sensitivity doubles; changing the ISO between 100 and 200, 200 and 400, or 400 and 800 changes the camera sensitivity by one stop or 1 Ev (p. 105). A change between 100 and 800 changes the camera sensitivity by a factor of 8 or three stops. High ISO settings (400, 800) can allow the photographer to hand hold the camera in low-light conditions without the need of a flash.

Manual camera sensitivity indicator

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