Automating some decisions in action / nature photography: auto-iso
30 May 2021[photography]. When digging through the manual I found another setting I could use while in manual mode, auto-ISO. For some reason, I had thought that manual mode meant that you set all the aspects of the ‘exposure triangle’, shutter, aperture, ISO. Well, no.
In manual mode, shutter and aperture are set manually, but ISO you can set, or you can use this auto-ISO mode. In auto-ISO mode, the ISO is adjusted for optimal exposure depending on which metering mode you chose. More details on that from another post here (but I encourage more reading elsewhere, this site will not be it).
Why use auto-ISO at all? Well I am interested in photographing action, and nature photography of moving animals. Constantly adjusting controls while also ensuring that the focus is good and a 500mm lens is still is … a challenge. Using auto-ISO is a way to off-load some of that decision making so that I get more usable shots. Or at least, they are usable in terms of the exposure. There may be other issues! (This wildlife photography is not for the faint of heart.)
Just like in my discussion of metering and the viewfinder, there are situations where the metering isn’t optimal, the lighting is stable, and I adjust the ISO myself. I continue to check the previews on the camera to see what is happening.