Jochen_S Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Its been a while since I shot film so I probably misplaced my favorite handheld meter and have shot my new digitals without one so far.<br>I'm glad to have the auto ISO feature in the MM, but am wondering how others use it and how to predict how far it cranked up.<br>How do you use Auto ISO if at all? - I dialed in the minimum shutter speed - 1/125sec seems a bit daring for my taste with the 90mm but probably just another reminder to get closer with a different lens... and limited ISO to 6400.<br>I'd love to know where it is to sometimes dare stopping down a step further - does the blinking behind the shutter speed in the viewfinder hint something?<br>Or is "auto" just for emergencies and you all use handheld meters to prepare for manual settings?<br>Did things improve on the M (240)? Or same viewfinder info as in the old CCD bodies?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncox Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>I don't have a digital M, but I have auto ISO on my Sony. I set a minimum aperture (and use Aperture priority) and then let the camera choose a shutter speed (The camera sets the shutter speed by changing the ISO). Most of the time I'm using the zone system so I can tell what aperture I'll need, as long as the shutter is above 1/125 I feel like I'm fine. <br> When I upgraded my D700 a few years ago gaining auto ISO was not a feature I was expecting to be a big deal. It turns out it was, it's now almost a deal breaker if the camera doesn't have it.<br> This works well for me because I do mostly B&W, so I do have to worry about colour noise at high ISOs.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen_S Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Thanks for getting back John. - I have Auto ISO on Samsung too and get a viewfinder info what it is selecting. I don't mind sensing my aperture ring while I can read a shutter speed, but not knowing ISO as similar important parameter sucks.<br> I agree on the color noise issue but am still concerned about too much BW noise.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgerraty Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I don't use it, and most dismiss it as 'wrong'. It certainly has a logic and many M9 and Monochrom users have used it with success. I've used it on the Fuji X100. That camera, on which I shoot jpegs, is very resistant to blown highlights. The Monochrom is the opposite. If you don't mind blown highlights and your situation is very variable and you must stop motion in fast moving subjects then it is useful and I would try it. Mostly I shoot manual in more predictable situations and I don't want to lose the highlights. You have no control over that with certain mainly dark subjects when using auto ISO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Never use it. I prefer to set my own ISO [but sometimes I do forget to dial it back from >3200 ISO until later in the day =( ].<br /> I use P (programmed exposure) when it's in the range I want at the ISO I've set. I use aperture- or speed- preferred depending on what I am otherwise doing, and use M on occasion when I need it. The critical thing is to look at the display and be <em>aware</em> of what is happening, no matter what settings you use.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumpton Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>My experience is shooting at the lowest possible ISO (for best quality) consistent with a shake free image (avoiding camera motion blur), which normally means a shutter speed the denominator of which is at least 2X the focal length of the lens and usually much more (cases of a camera not on a tripod). The subject will also tell me what f-stop (depth of field) and what shutter speed (capturing fast action or wanting intentional motion blur) are also best for my purposes.</p> <p>What use is the auto ISO setting if my M9 cannot anticipate my intentions?</p> <p>Whether the auto ISO gives hints or not is at that point irrelevant.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>A friend told me "auto ISO is for sissies...real men choose their ISO". Well, I occasionally use auto ISO but very infrequently. I prefer having contol of aspects of my photography which are available to me. While I don't use the Leica digital bodies, I do have the auto ISO options on my DSLR and m4/3 bodies...in 6 years of ownership, I've never used it on my DSLRs, once in a while on my m4/3 bodies.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Smith Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>I have recently discovered auto ISO (on my Canon DSLR). I too never used to use it, but for sports and action in low light it is very useful as you can set the shutter speed and aperture (usually wide open) needed to freeze action, and the camera sets the ISO. In this case, freezing the action is much more important than low noise images. For general, non-action shooting, however, I never use it as I make the necessary "image quality tradeoff calculation" in my head. So, I think auto ISO can indeed be very useful, however for a digital M, which is rarely used for sports shooting, I can see it may never be used.</p> Robin Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 >>> A friend told me "auto ISO is for sissies...real men choose their ISO". Well, I occasionally use auto ISO but very infrequently. <P> Sissies? Real men? Sounds like someone has some issues. <P> I use auto-iso mode routinely. It has yet to disappoint me, and that's from shooting in a wide range of static and dynamic (fast moving train) situations. I preset the ISO range and minimum shutter speed. Adjust aperture depending on what I'm looking for. Easy-peasy. <a href= "http://citysnaps.net/2014%20Photos/Fuji%20Snaps/">A few snaps here...</a> www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knut_schwinzer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Hallo Jochen, the blinking does give you the hint that the camera has estimated your lowest threshold as non-sufficient. Shutter speed will blink when you are below ISO 6400, 1/125. The camera then uses the shutter speed needed for "correct" exposure. If you notice that stopping down is causing the blinking, count down from the aperture value where it is permanent and you will be able to tell that e.g. 2 stops closed from there on, your camera will induce a 1/30.<br /> And as others mentioned, better using a fixed ISO; because you if you use aperture/time in manual, it makes no sense in most situations to use Auto ISO, as it could spoil your decisions taken beforehand "equilibrating" a shot. Think of incident light, Auto ISO will give you underexposure while you wanted to expose on the shadows.</p> <p>Hey, and anyways, digital cameras & hanging out in P.net is for sure for sissies, too!<br /> Real men make fire with a flintstone and if that not works out, they eat the deer RAW. <br /> And they have a wet darkroom. Now that makes out of a rainy day a gay day. <br /> No plug-ins needed at all!</p> <p>With the Fujis and in A, S or P mode it makes sense to dial in Auto Iso IMHO.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knut_schwinzer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Nice, Brad! Who is this guy with the button rewind M2? He seems to demonstrate his shooting style...Any pics of him online?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 >>> Nice, Brad! Who is this guy with the button rewind M2? He seems to demonstrate his shooting style...Any pics of him online?<P> That's my friend Vlad. <a href= "http://www.citysnaps.net/blog/tag/vlad/">Here are some photos and stories </a>about him and his eight M2s. An interesting guy... www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knut_schwinzer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Thanks Brad! <br /> I remember having seen something from him years ago, just intriguing! Takin' the chromium off he did for weight issues, if I recall right?!</p> <p>Thinking about the Auto ISO stuff with Leica digital: I don't get why there's no display of it in the finder, when you are shooting manual speed for any reason. I guess that's only because of the classic mindset when ISO was not variable, as the camera knows it's choice...160, 320, etc... Should be a rather easy firmware update,</p> <p>Reminds me of a Nokia cellphone of the early 90's which wasn't made to show the time...although inherently knowing it.</p> <p>In the Fujis, Auto ISO is a great function as it would push up to 800ASA in bright daylight only when needed to cope with high contrast situations.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Smith Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Knut. In my experience, there's not really much point knowing what ISO it's set, as you have already made the decision to give that to the camera. If you don't want to give up that choice then don't pick auto ISO. The Canons do show the ISO, but I never look at it.</p> Robin Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knut_schwinzer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>Robin, you also make the decision to give A mode to the camera, and it still displays the shutter speed. I suspect why you are not looking at your DSLR's ISO-info: Too much data displayed anyways.</p> <p><br /> But in a M9 or MM it would be the ONLY data at your sight, and relevant; as you would know your two manual presets.<br /> I think this sounds strange, but because we grew up with a fixed ISO, even push or pull have been anticipated (or applied) values; maybe we are still not taking in account that we now have a third variable automatic function which determines exposure...</p> <p>Early Leica M8's had, if I recall it right, no AutoISO because the developers considered it unneccesary.<br /> Only after customers intervention they included it in firmware.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenseelig Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 <p>I use auto ISO in certain situations. I have a Sony nex5N and a7R. I usually set the camera in shutter priority, Aperture priority or manual. In shutter priority, I usually set it at 1/100 (not as steady as I use to be). In Aperture priority, I will set as I want. In shutter priority, it appears that in decreasing light, the aperture will fall until the low limit is hit and then ISO begins to rise. Not sure about Aperture priority. In situations where light is changing a fair amount, auto ISO makes shooting easier without really sacrificing image quality. <br> But if the situation needs control over ISO, I set my ISO and then adjust shutter and aperture to match ISO requirement. This sort of situation is when I am shooting images where I need the smallest amount of electronic noise or a slow shutter speed will be ok, such as a still landscape.<br> Guess what I am saying is there is not a single answer, except depends on what you are trying to do.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhooru Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 <p>I do similar to Brad, using a M 4/3, set a maximum ISO with Auto ISO, shoot aperture priority and I can see in the finder what the shutter speed, ISO and f/stop. Its all right there. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen_S Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 <p>Wow! - Can I install a firmware update on my M8 and gain an auto ISO option? - Would be nice to have. <br> Like JDM I can probably do without auto and forget to dial ISO down, when I happen to encounter light. - As far as display watching is concerned: Even that (the rear one) doesn't tell the auto selcted ISO when info button is hit and the MM's meter running, before the chimping starts. - (Anyhow this thread was helpful, I wasn't aware that the display shows metered shutter speed too. And firing it up is needed for the ISO setting.)<br> Knut's idea about the viewfinder display after a desirable firmware update: Keep the digits in mind - I guess Leica will have to leave out the last "0" since they don't have enough digits to display 10000 and aren't the same ones serving for traffic light and shutter speed?<br> Yes, my Fujis and later Pentaxes are on auto ISO too until I need flash or things get demanding.<br> I was / am obviously most curious about folks' Leica specific solutions / warm up rituals people picked for themselves. I never owned a metered film M, always metered first and rigged up according to that or left the camera bagged. - Right now I am trying to find out if and how far the "new" built into Leica digital stuff works for me. And yes, I'm a bit reluctant to adjust my ISO 5 times between 2 pictures I end taking. - In a firing away mood I probably don't need auto ISO that badly anymore.<br> Spotting a "real men..." discussion on the Leica forum was funny. - I'm still considering Leica as one of the lazier options in the photographic field, but that opinion seems planted by the really old books I borrowed to get into the hobby.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhooru Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 <p>Sorry Jochen, I'm not using a digital leica so I don't know exactly what's available to you. But this is all basic stuff on most digital systems now and if Leica doesn't offer that, than you have to consider if the overall pic quality is worth it. There's several great cameras that will take Leica lenses with and adaptor and take killer photos.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knut_schwinzer Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 <p>Yes you can, Jochen! As for the missing digits, the noughts could be easily represented by ''.<br> Like 6400, then 128''. You wouldn't take this for seconds in that mode!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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