ISO for Digital Cameras..

[Scurvy Pirate]

Can anyone explain what this means in English?

I'm pretty much a newbie and was wondering the best way to use this feature. I have a plain $100 camera. Kodak EasyShare C813 8.2 Megapix.

Is there any way to get some cool night shots of, like say the tree at DL? The last time I tried all I got were blurry pics.

Any info would be great! Thanks in advance.

[alphabassetgrrl]

ISO is the film speed- how much light is required to take a picture. Higher ISO, lower light required, lower quality of picture.

Best way to use it- experiment. Get a little tripod, set the timer feature (so that when you punch the button the camera will wait to take the picture and by then you're not touching the camera anymore and it will hold still), and try different settings. I got my tripod at Frys for $5. It's teeny, but I usually set it on top of a trash can or something. Alternately you could use a beanie-baby for a camera stand. But you will need an extended exposure for night shots, and that's not possible to hold it still enough.

Try the different styles of picture- party, night shot, fireworks, see what turns out. Take notes on what you did.

[Sambo]

Maybe automatic mode isn't your friend for this kind of shot. Try some manual settings. The lowest f-stop number (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0, whatever for your camera) and then the highest ISO setting (800, 1600, 3200, whatever for your camera) should be your starting point.

At a f/1.8 and ISO 1600 you should have the shutter open for no more than 1/15th or 1/30th of a second. If the exposure is too bright - either drop to 1/60th of a second or take the ISO to 800 and try again. If too dark - decrease to 1/8 or 1/4 second or ISO to 1600+.

You can practice this outside at night where there is some light source - porch light, streetlight, etc - before going to DL to get the feel of the settings.

Here are some resources to help explain:
digital SLR camera settings automatic manual iso av mode tv shutter
Digital Camera Settings Explained
Camera Settings Explained ArielImaging
Photography 101.org - Camera Settings Explained
Camera Shutter Speed and Exposure Settings Explained i Digital Photo

[alphabassetgrrl]

On my camera, I set it for "night" and then change the ISO on top of that, depending on the situation. I've got a button that changes the ISO setting, and it shows me on the screen what it's set to.

Mostly- just play with it. See what works. Most low-end cameras don't have that much adjustability, and the ISO is the only thing you'll have control over. I would suggest a tripod, though, and using the timer function.

[SCUBAbe]

the above advice is very good...one other thing, low ISO makes clearer pictures, the higher iso can cause grain to show, but it also depends on other factors. My cheap pint and shoot shows a lot of grain, my dslr...not so much.

[alphabassetgrrl]

I've got a relatively cheap point-and-shoot digital. Depending on the settings and the shot, I can get decent pictures even at night. I'm going to bring my tripod and see what I can get on my next trip to Disney. I want fireworks pics and Main St. at night. Maybe Small World at night.

One other thing to remember- even if the picture comes out dark, sometimesi it can be lightened using photo edit software. The trick is getting the camera to do a fast-enough shutter speed to make it clear. Sometimes forcing it to use a flash can do that- it'll force it to use a shutter of 1/60th, which will be clear but dark.

[Mac Daddy]

Originally Posted by alphabassetgrrl

I've got a relatively cheap point-and-shoot digital. Depending on the settings and the shot, I can get decent pictures even at night. I'm going to bring my tripod and see what I can get on my next trip to Disney. I want fireworks pics and Main St. at night. Maybe Small World at night.

One other thing to remember- even if the picture comes out dark, sometimesi it can be lightened using photo edit software. The trick is getting the camera to do a fast-enough shutter speed to make it clear. Sometimes forcing it to use a flash can do that- it'll force it to use a shutter of 1/60th, which will be clear but dark.

If you are shooting with a high ISO, say...800 or above at night, and you try to lighten the shot, I can almost guarantee that you will have considerable noise if you try and lighten it.

Scurvy - I've gotten some shots of the tree at night without a tripod, but my best ones are usually done WITH the tripod or at least bracing against something or setting the camera on top of a trash can and using the timer, as alphabassetgirrl mentioned above. If you don't want to haul a tripod around, you might consider a Gorillapod which you can wrap around almost anything or set on a trash can, etc. The advantage of the tripod is that you can still shoot with lower ISO, but leave the shutter open longer, resulting in lower noise. You'll definitely want to experiment, as others have said, so that you have a good idea what you'll get before your trip to the park.

Good luck with your shots. We'll be looking forward to your trip report.

[SummerInFL]

Originally Posted by Sambo

Maybe automatic mode isn't your friend for this kind of shot. Try some manual settings. The lowest f-stop number (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0, whatever for your camera) and then the highest ISO setting (800, 1600, 3200, whatever for your camera) should be your starting point.

At a f/1.8 and ISO 1600 you should have the shutter open for no more than 1/15th or 1/30th of a second. If the exposure is too bright - either drop to 1/60th of a second or take the ISO to 800 and try again. If too dark - decrease to 1/8 or 1/4 second or ISO to 1600+.

You can practice this outside at night where there is some light source - porch light, streetlight, etc - before going to DL to get the feel of the settings.

Here are some resources to help explain:
digital SLR camera settings automatic manual iso av mode tv shutter
Digital Camera Settings Explained
Camera Settings Explained ArielImaging
Photography 101.org - Camera Settings Explained
Camera Shutter Speed and Exposure Settings Explained i Digital Photo

Bless you...

[SCUBAbe]

Originally Posted by Mac Daddy

If you are shooting with a high ISO, say...800 or above at night, and you try to lighten the shot, I can almost guarantee that you will have considerable noise if you try and lighten it.

exactly and sometimes there will be noise regardless depending on lighting conditions and the higher iso's.

[aimster]

I have a Kodak EasyShare as well, but mine comes with lots of different setting for various circumstances... I have setting for Fireworks, Snow, closeups in natural light, candlelight... you get the idea. It's fun to experiment to see what works and what doesn't.

[Scurvy Pirate]

Thanks for the tip everyone. I'm gonna use them and tinker around a bit. I'll post a report when I am able to.