ISO 3200 and Low Light
What is ISO?
• In very basic terms, ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light .
• The l ower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera.
• The component within your camera that can change sensitivity is called “image sensor” or simply “sensor”. It is the most important (and most expensive) part of a camera and it is responsible for gathering light and transforming it into an image.
• With increased sensitivity, your camera sensor can capture images in low-light environments without having to use a flash .
• But higher sensitivity comes at an expense – it adds grain or “noise” to the pictures.
You can see the grain in my photo below … but the trade off in going to a lower ISO number would have been a darker, likely blurred image.
As in life, in photography, we must sometimes compromise or come up empty.
Cardinal Female
© A. Mac/A.G.
Downy Woodpecker Female
© A. Mac/A.G.
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As in life, in photography, we must sometimes compromise or come up empty.
The ambient light in both shots was much darker than it appears in the photo; the 3200 ISO compensated for it, but the graininess is the price for that compensation. The Downy shot was taken at a slightly different angle and the lighter background colors did not suffer as much graininess.
Although the tail of the Cardinal is slightly out of focus, the rest of both birds do not indicated graininess unless you are going to enlarge them to 16 X 20. I can detect graininess in the background but it is nether obtrusive nor important. Do you PAY these birds to pose for you? LOL
Do you PAY these birds to pose for you? LOL
Yes; but being non-union birds, I pay them chicken feed wages.
They BILL me for their services.
I guess not being Canadian you can't pay in Loonies.
Great photos Mac.
I have a female cardinal that sits on a bush next to the man cave winder and peeks in for hours at a time. She will also peck on the window as if to say, ''are you a Cardinals fan?''
After watching the Cardinals game through the window, I heard a gasp and found her hanging upside down from a branch...Much like the Cardinals played today, upside down.
They look very nice to me AMac. I bet the originals on you site are even better. Would hate to be the bug that had those claws reaching for me.
Wow on those birds. Just wow!. Truly amazing shots.
Wonder what is going on in those bird brains? Looks like they are thinking of something. Probably wondering who and what is that fellow other there doing? If they knew they would probably smile, knowing they were going to be on The News Talkers.