ISO settings

[flying_babyb]

I was just currious. I dont go on most of the dark rides anyways, PIRATES was enough of a heart attack moment for me.

 

[webshark3]

I know even the DSLRs have issues on the dark rides.

I ordered the Fuji Finepix F100fd to use as a family camera. The reviews state that is was able to AF properly and quickly (with assist light) in nearly pitch black conditions.

I know everyone follows the rules (cough cough) and disables these lamps when on the dark rides, but for those of you who forgot....

Anyone have high ISO samples from dark rides (compacts, not DSLRs)? I.e. ISO 3200, 6400, or even the "extended" ISO 12800, etc.

Of course I'd disable the lamp, and use manual focus or a pan focus if I knew the results would be somewhat usable.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I don't have any samples, but I can almost guarantee that high ISO shots on it will be dreadful.

Look at Groucho's chart in the Dark Rides thread. The F100fd has a 1/1.6" sensor. That's very similar is size to the second smallest sensor that he has pictured. It is also limited to an f/3.3 aperture.

When you see nice looking dark ride shots here, they are often taken with lenses that let in 2 to 4 times as much light as the F100fd onto a sensor that has 10 to 20 times as much light gather area. That's a huge disadvantage.

For a point and shoot, it has a larger than normal sized sensor. It should be able to take shots in lower light than most other point and shoots. It just won't come close to the low light performance of even an entry level DSLR. My guess is that you might get acceptable (depending on your standards) shots on lighter dark rides like It's a Small World or maybe Splash Mountain. For rides like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, and Pirates of the Carribean, I'd recommend just enjoying the ride and cribbing someone else's pictures later.

 

[webshark3]

Yeah, I know all the math. For the record though, the Fuji sensor is one of the largest.... for a compact.

It just intrigued me that some of the samples I saw were are about 1/25 (stabilized I'm sure), in 0.6lux at ISO 12800 were suprisingly bright (if not hideous).

BTW, if you need a good laugh, look at Fuji's "example" of their ISO 12800:

LOL

 

[EnnEss]

I tried many times before getting a DSLR. Nothing was remotely usable. The ap is way too high. I would have needed a tripod and a stopped ride. I had a canon that was a big step up from the regular point and shoot, its iso did not go that high though.

 

[webshark3]

I'm going to run some test with my Fuji F100fd in different lighting. In zero light, the frame was dark at even ISO 12800 (no suprise), at "hand-held" speed about 1/30sec.

 

[ajwomic]

I have had a d90 for about a month and I am still learning. I have to say I am disappointed with the inconsistency in the IQ I am getting. I have a few specific question I have after taking a few shots while hiking today.

1.) I used auto for a few that I just wanted to take a quick shot. Even in the bright sun, it popped up the flash. Also is most often chose iso 800 despite the sunny day and the pics were noisy zoomed to 100%. Why did it chose high isos? Should I turn auto ISO sensitivity off?

2.) Using matrix metering and -1/3 comp, I am still getting blown highlights on almost all the pics. Should I compensate more?

3.) I got a f-- error and it would not shoot. I turned it off and back on and it was fine. Should I return. Did I get a lemon?

Out of about 30 shot on auto, program and aperture, only about 7 were sharp and properly exposed. I fully understand user error, but shouldn't a $1200 camera take decent pics on auto and program??
Alicia
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3685911452_4988f43696.jpg?v=0
(blown highlights in shirt, iso 800 shot on auto)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3685908250_eb6ee00ce7.jpg?v=0
(Blown highlights and high iso...noisy at 100%, shot on A)

 

[wenrob]

Well, it can only make so many decisions on it's own. $1200 isn't going to keep it from blowing the highlights. Even with you handling all the decisions depending on your conditions compromises have to be made, kwim? The biggest difference is you are the one who decides whether to blow the highlights or underexpose in another area. Honestly, those pictures look pretty good to me.

I would definitely get it out of auto ISO. I can't imagine why it would pick ISO 800 in bright daylight unless you were metering into the shadows?

I got the F-- error last night and was going to look it up but totally forgot about it until now. I had left the camera on when I put it in my bag but since I usually turn it off I kept trying to turn it on and got that. I just assumed that was it. I don't think you got a lemon but I do find my D90 "temper mental."

 

[Corey10112]

I don't know if the D90 would work similarly to my Canon 300D, but I'd imagine auto mode would be similar.

When my Canon is set to Auto it sets the exposure metering to Evaluative Metering which meters across the whole image instead of center-weighted or partial metering (which only meters for the center or a certain part of the image). There's a chance that a large portion of the images were darker and caused the camera to bump up the ISO to properly expose those portions of the picture that would have been too dark otherwise.

I could be wrong, I don't know if the Nikon D90 would do this, but it's a possibility so I thought I'd throw the idea out.

 

[My2Girls66]

Try using 'P' mode rather than full auto. You get all the benefits of full auto only the flash won't pop up unless you pop it up. The F-- error is one I got on my D80- it means the camera isn't picking up the lens. If it does it often send it in for repairs- otherwise just adjust the lens and that should fix it. My prob was in the kit lens not the camera. My camera read/s all my other lenses fine. It still isn't perfect after 2 trips to Nikon- I occasionally get the
F-- error- I just give the lens a little twist and its fine.

 

[fitzperry]

If I remember correctly, you should be able to specify the maximum ISO the D90 will use in auto mode. You could try that next time. I usually avoid auto ISO altogether because that is something I want to control.

As far as your images are concerned, at that size, it's difficult to analyze them in detail, but it looks to me like the dynamic range was pretty broad, so it's not surprising that you would have some blown highlights on a white t-shirt. You could always switch to spot metering if you're concerned about that, but in that case the background would have been underexposed.

 

[Experiment_626]

Were you shooting in full auto mode or just using auto ISO in another mode (I don't use auto ISO, so I'm a little fuzzy on when it will or will not work)? I ask because both of the shots seems to have limitless depth of field and a fairly high shutter speed. If you (or the camera) selected a very small f-stop or a fast shutter speed -- or both -- the auto ISO could easily bump up to 800 to compensate.

Of course, the depth of field appears expansive in these small images -- it is possible it wasn't quite so extreme in the originals.

SSB

 

[ajwomic]

SSB, It was full auto mode when the ISO was 800.
Thanks!

 

[Chikabowa]

What you were asking your camera to do (high contrast situation on matrix metering) is essentially what fooled it - which is why you have the blown highlights and the ISO of 800. I hate hate hate any automatic or semi-automatic modes simply for that reason. (yes yes yes, I know you can use exposure compensation, but I personally hate it - just a personal preference)

In your menus, you will be able to go in and turn off the Auto ISO feature. That will save you in the future.

But essentially, in matrix metering, your camera was looking at the ENTIRE lighting situation in the frame. Since you had dark dark in the shadows and bright bright highlights in the full-sun whites, there was too much of a contrast for the camera and it had to come to a 'middle ground' in your frame. So it ended up overexposing your shadows your highlights in order to come to that middle ground. The reason it saw ISO 800 is because the dark dark shadows indicated to the camera that it needed a higher ISO - so it compensated.

Someone already said it, but in the future, switching your camera to partial or even spot metering (does the D90 have spot? I don't know the answer?) will assist you in creating a better exposure. In these high contrast situations, you'll want to expose for the brightest part of your picture and then let the shadows fall in dark. It's easier to clip your blacks and bring them back in photoshop than it is to loose all the info in the highlights because that is not recoverable.

(Oh and the price of the camera doesn't matter in these terms... you can have the $8K Nikon and it will do the exact same thing. Sorry to say it is user error - and I say that with total tongue in cheek! )

 

[Twigs]

I have the D80 and I have used the "plain english" guide from Ken Rockwells site and Magic Lanterns Nikon D80 book which have helped me tremendously in using my camera. They give suggestions on what settings to keep your camera at etc. Magic Lantern makes a D90 book and the link to Ken Rockwell's D90 guide is: http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90/users-guide/index.htm
Maybe there is something in there to help you.

 

[frugal_mar]

In those similar shooting situations, I have successfully used the "P" mode with no other compensations. If find that I don't like the way the "AUTO" mode does the focus points. I much prefer to set my own focus points.

I wonder if with the multiple focus points, the exposure is set differently...

I have found these sites to be useful:


www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d90/index.shtml

www.dtowntv.com/

 

[ColleenG]

On a bright sunny day, what ISO do you typically shoot in? I've been using 400 based on what I learned in a photography class I took. But it seem like the colors come out some what muted. Would a lower ISO give me brighter colors? Here's an example of a shot I took yesterday in the late afternoon using my 50 mm lens.

ISO 400, f/1.8, 1/500

I shot it in aperature priority. DS just seems a little washed out . His shirt is a brighter blue. Or am I just being nit picky? I did have the WB set to shade. If you need any other EXIF data let me know. Thanks.

 

[ukcatfan]

I could be wrong, but I suspect that it could be the wide open aperture. The lens is never going to be performing at its best wide open. I believe the shutter could have been slower without a problem. I do not believe that it was a problem with ISO 400 on a DSLR. That ISO should be pretty clean.

 

[ColleenG]

So if I set the aperature higher (smaller opening) would that give me brighter colors? Or would a slower shutter speed make it brighter? My guess would be up the f-stop to let in less light so as to not over expose.

 

[ukcatfan]

Again, this is just my guess but I believe the exposure was correct. With the smaller aperture, the lens becomes sharper and typically has better contrast, saturation, etc. Basically it just works better when stopped down by a couple stops. With it stopped down you would have to use a slower shutter to keep the exposure correct. Just a guess, but I would have gone with around f/3.5.