ISO is a camera setting that represents sensitivity to light as a numerical value. It is one of the three pillars of photography, along with shutter speed and aperture, and has a major effect on the images captured. Here are some key points about ISO:
- ISO stands for "International Organization for Standardization".
- A higher ISO number indicates a higher sensitivity to light and a greater ability to capture light.
- As you increase your ISO number, your photos will grow progressively brighter. For that reason, ISO can help you capture images in darker environments or be more flexible about your aperture and shutter speed settings.
- Noise that becomes more noticeable as the ISO Sensitivity is increased can be reduced with the noise reduction function. Depending on the setting, the amount of time it takes to record images may get longer.
- Every camera has a different range of ISO values that you can use. A common set is ISO 100 (low ISO), ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, and ISO 1600 (high ISO) .
- ISO is one of three elements used to control exposure, along with f/stop and shutter speed.
- With film cameras, using a higher ISO film often resulted in noticeable grain. With digital photography, the noise reduction function can help reduce this effect.
In summary, ISO is a camera setting that controls the sensitivity of the cameras sensor to light. It can be used to capture images in darker environments or to be more flexible about aperture and shutter speed settings. However, increasing ISO can also introduce noise into the image, which can be reduced with the noise reduction function.
