Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

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Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

RobDickinson
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p.3 #1 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Even as a landscaper I want cleaner high ISO, it always gives other options, especially with night shooting.

Feb 11, 2013 at 12:41 AM

Rickuz
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p.3 #2 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

runamuck wrote:
Just because you *can* do something does not mean you should.
My thoughts exactly.

And personally, I couldn't care less about high ISO. No matter how "clean" high ISO has become, it will never be better than shooting ISO 100 - 800 on a tripod with cable release. If you want maximum IQ, highest dynamic range, and truly rich files for post-processing, ISO 100 is the way to go.

I rarely go above ISO 800, not even with new cameras like the 5D3 / 1DX / D800.

Oh, did I mention the tripod? Get married to your tripod and never leave home without it!

On occasions when shooting handheld and light is not good enough, use your speedlite. If speedlite is not enough, use strobes.

Feb 11, 2013 at 12:46 AM

Monito
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p.3 #3 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Rickuz wrote: Oh, did I mention the tripod? Get married to your tripod and never leave home without it!

On occasions when shooting handheld and light is not good enough, use your speedlite. If speedlite is not enough, use strobes.

Another poor lost soul thinks that his way of doing things is the only way and is not conversant with large swathes of photographic history or practice.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:26 AM

RobDickinson
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p.3 #4 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

An awful waste of space by robjdickinson, on Flickr

Quail Island Nightscape by robjdickinson, on Flickr

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:28 AM

PhilDrinkwater
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p.3 #5 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Rickuz wrote:
runamuck wrote:
Just because you *can* do something does not mean you should.
My thoughts exactly.

And personally, I couldn't care less about high ISO. No matter how "clean" high ISO has become, it will never be better than shooting ISO 100 - 800 on a tripod with cable release. If you want maximum IQ, highest dynamic range, and truly rich files for post-processing, ISO 100 is the way to go.

I rarely go above ISO 800, not even with new cameras like the 5D3 / 1DX / D800.

Oh, did I mention the tripod? Get married to your tripod and never leave home without it!

On occasions when shooting handheld and light is not good enough, use your speedlite. If speedlite is not enough, use strobes.

It also doesn't mean you shouldn't. One of those phrases that are thrown around which are essentially meaningless...

I would be your worst nightmare. I own a tripod but seldom use it. My weddings work requires me to work faster than a tripod would allow.

I'm pleased to say we all see something different in photos and there's room for all approaches

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:28 AM

RogerC11
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p.3 #6 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

I'm really digging that shot of the tree with the stars!

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:35 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.3 #7 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

High ISO performance is important for all types of photography including night landscape photography using a tripod as Rob pointed out.
Here is an example of a picture that made "Thread of the week". Steve exposed the sky for 4 minutes at ISO 1600...
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1187903

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:39 AM

RobDickinson
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p.3 #8 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Cheers, ISO 3200 on a 6d if my memory serves. Give me all the sensitivity you can lol.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:40 AM

Paul Mo
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p.3 #9 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

My take on the OP's statement is that when light is so low that there's an absence of anything worth imaging - no contrast, colour, or form. And with that I agree, in theory.

However, most of us are, at times, presented with less than ideal light. And at those times, we'll gladly take all the advantages our cameras can give us.

I've been enjoying 25,600 iso and the 'texture' of the gain; it's a small price to pay for the ability to record a precious moment.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:50 AM

Imagemaster
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p.3 #10 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Rickuz wrote:
Oh, did I mention the tripod? Get married to your tripod and never leave home without it!

On occasions when shooting handheld and light is not good enough, use your speedlite. If speedlite is not enough, use strobes.

And on occasions where that is not possible or practicable, use high ISO.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:53 AM

RobDickinson
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p.3 #11 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

High ISO, tripods, IS. They are all tools to make use of to produce what we want when we stepped out the door.

The whole point of these SLR's is they are versatile high performance tools that can get the shot in a range of conditions.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:55 AM

RobDickinson
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p.3 #12 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Of course we probably are paying for the outstanding high ISO abilities somewhere.. Colour accuracy and bit depth/range for one.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:58 AM

RogerC11
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p.3 #13 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Rob, I thought I read somewhere that you returned the 6d? I'm still waiting on my tax return to pick one up myself.

Feb 11, 2013 at 01:59 AM

RobDickinson
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p.3 #14 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Yep , canon loaner for review. ave to see what else comes out but I'm keen to swap the 5d2 for one at some point.

Feb 11, 2013 at 02:01 AM

mcbane
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p.3 #15 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

Dont forget that for night shooting, super high iso can be really handy for doing a quick check shot rather than waiting for a protracted bulb shot to see if it is right.

Feb 11, 2013 at 03:04 AM

goosemang
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p.3 #16 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

“Photography has generally been defended on the ground that it is useful ... It should be added however that some of the very best photography is useful only as juggling, theology, or pure mathematics is useful - that is to say, useless, except as nourishment for the human spirit.”

- John Szarkowski

you wanna shoot cats and coal mines, have at it!

Feb 11, 2013 at 03:13 AM

RogerC11
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p.3 #17 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

I don't really consider ISO 1600 super high these days but here is one that I captured at 1600 and heavily cropped. The quality of light was there, just not the quantity.

Feb 11, 2013 at 03:22 AM

dorian
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p.3 #18 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

high ISO for wildlife is WAY overrated in my (albeit very amateur) eyes. i shoot 99% birds and when there isn't clear sunshine, i usually shut down the camera and break out the scope/binoculars for birding. gas is expensive these days and so really i only venture out (since i have to drive out of the city) for photography when the light is good. i mean, once you see a photo of a beautiful bird in perfect light, ain't no amount of ISO gonna make a that same bird in crappy light look as good as one in great light. i understand the whole high ISO thing if you shoot inside, but as a bird photographer, i'd love to shoot at 400 < ISO < 1600 for eternity. i would much rather spend my money on longer glass.

photo 1 here was taken on jan 1 in crappy light. photo 2 was taken on jan 2 once the storm clouds cleared out. no comparison.

dorian

redhead
Canon EOS 7D 700 mm f/9.0 1/100 sec 400 ISO 0.0 EV

redhead
Canon EOS 7D 400 mm f/5.6 1/2000 sec 320 ISO -0.7 EV

Feb 11, 2013 at 03:45 AM

Lars Johnsson
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p.3 #19 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

^^ @ Dorian,

To be fair here, neither of your two shots are in crappy light. Or low light. I would even say that at least one of those was shot in very good light. And it's ISO 320 & 400 also. Just look at the exif beneth your pics:

Canon EOS 7D 700 mm f/9.0 1/100 sec 400 ISO
Canon EOS 7D 400 mm f/5.6 1/2000 sec 320 ISO

Feb 11, 2013 at 04:15 AM

Access
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p.3 #20 · Appeal of super high ISOs...fallacy?

For me, this argument just comes down to realism or reality.
Personally I will not be happy with usable ISO sensitivity until it is at least as sensitive as the human eye. The same goes for dynamic range and the other things. There have been plenty of times I wished to capture the scene (as it was, right there in front of me) but the camera has not been able to. Too much noise at that ISO, too wide of a range of brightness, etc.

A lot of times as a photographer that is what I am trying to do. Right now, I can take a photo at ISO 102400 or some high number like that, but the noise there means that I have to do one of two things -- hide it in the shadows (very limited dynamic range) or use a heavy noise reducer which tends to add a 'painterly' effect.. think like impressionist paintings of old.

There are many times when as a photographer I don't want to have to be artistic or to try to deal with any kind of limitation of the device. I often just want to show a scene exactly like I see or perceive it.

Feb 11, 2013 at 04:21 AM

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