What is your ISO range?

[Pál_K]

I’m curious about what other photographers use as their working ISO range. I started making photos seriously as a kid in the 1960’s and ASA 25 was normal to me for color (Kodachrome II). With black and white, often I’d use Plus-X at 125 or, in extreme cases, Tri-X at 400. To this day, I mostly use ISO 100 and 200 films. As an extreme, I’ve used Kodak Tech Pan at 12 and Kodak Pro 1000, both in medium format, but that’s less than 1% of my work. Digitally, I’ve set my cameras at ISO 200 and have only once gone up to 800. I’m astonished at the high ISO’s offered by digital cameras and wonder just what type of conditions, apertures, and shutter speeds people use for these high ISO’s.

In the poll below, select each and all ISO ranges that you routinely use for your photography.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I shoot with Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, a Pen-F and an OM-D E-M1 mk II. I shoot nearly everything at ISO 200, but my indoor photos of my cat are usually shot at 1600 or 3200.

 

[boojum]

I have a few Leicas and a Sony A7M III. My ISO's are all over the map and also camera dependent.

 

[Cyriljay]

I did my photography on M6 and shot al my work for 20 years on ASA 400.
Now I have a M body and I am shooting on Digital at AsA 250 or 650 .

 

[raid]

I use mainly ISO 160-200 with occasional use of ISO 400-1000.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I don't mind to use 32000 on digital camera which is able to support this (Canon RP) without too bad results.

ISO 40000:

And I have zero issues with HP5+ @3200



and TMAX 3200 @6400.

I started to get visible and sharp images by using of O.R.W.O. slide film. I didn't care what was the ISO of this film. I used S16 instruction which came with every roll.

 

[Axel]

Best description is my "base ISO" - according to the sixties today is ISO200 or 400.
Most digital cams can´t do less. But there is a lot of situations and technics where more ISO is no problem.
And not always it needs a big sensor. But more and more a clever designed automatic:



ISO 886 - 1/20 at f/2.2
tiny sensor of my small smartphone

 

[AndersG]

On my rangefinders (primarily Canon 7, FED 2 and Zorki 1): Kodak Tri-X 400TX. Measured for ISO 400 +1 stop (if possible).
On my rather old digital camera (a Canon EOS 30D SLR bought new in 2006): ISO 100 - 1600 (rarely) and 3200 (extremely rarely).

 

[Dogman]

I use auto ISO. Base ISO of 400 and maximum ISO varies depending on camera model. Some max out at 3200, some higher.

 

[Nitroplait]

film always 100-400, mostly the latter. On my 2021 digital camera, up to 12800 ISO everything looks better than 400 ISO film, so I just choose an aperture and let the camera decide ISO/Shutter.

 

[Ambro51]

.....some years ago, totally immersed in Wet Plate........ 0.5 ASA was how I worked. I’d try and expose for four seconds, in bright conditions usually a Waterhouse stop taking the lens to f8 was needed. On darker condition, or where I was getting a lot of green tree leaf reflections, I’d go wide open at f 3.6. Four seconds was always a good exposure time for a sitter, and if there was an issue, or I wanted to reshoot, a half second or so either way may improve the second shot. This is a black glass Ambrotype, Quarter plate size shot with a C. C. Harrison radial Drive Daguerreotype lens c. 1855, probably stopped down a bit.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

100–1600. I mostly shoot 35mm film. For black-and-white, I mostly use HP5+ at box speed or Tri-X at EI250, unless I'm going to be shooting exclusively outdoors, in which case I will use FP4+ at box speed. I'm in Florida so most of the time Sunny 16 is more like Sunny 22 for me during the day, and I find myself running out of shutter speed pretty frequently using 400 speed film during the day. For what little color work I do, it's mostly C200 or Superia 400, shot at EI125 and EI250, respectively.

I should probably simplify things by investing in a few ND filters so I could standardize on 400 speed film, but I do love the look of FP4+.

On digital, my newest is over 10 years old now so I try to keep ISO under 1600 as well.

 

[raid]

I used to use Fujichrome 50 as my daily film for normal lenses, and my fast film was Fujichrome 100 which I used with tele lenses and zooms. I always wanted the best possible color rendition in my images, so when I switched to digital cameras, I continued the practice of using low ISO settings. I would have used ISO 1000+ for B&W.

 

[Canyongazer]

Usually ISO 250
sometimes AUTO ISO 200 to 1600
note: I rarely stop down smaller than f5.6
Fuji X Pro2

Usually ISO 125
Usually on a tripod
Usually at f 5.6 or 8
Nikon D800e

 

[Doug A]

I only shoot film, usually FP4 Plus or Tri-X, and develop with Rodinal which works best for me at or slightly below box speed.

 

[css9450]

Film is almost exclusively ASA 100.... Provia, Ektar, Delta 100, Acros, occasional new Ektachrome. I grew up on Kodachrome 64 and then shot Provia for many years (I rated it at 80).

Digital is always 100 or 200 in outdoor sunny weather, 200 for nighttime long exposures (four minutes with the full moon) or occasionally something like 800 or 1600 if situations require it. 12800 for nighttime handheld test shots.

 

[robert blu]

I come from a time when HP4 @ 1600 was a success...and @3200 wow both with a little bit of grain...

With my M10 I got the habit to use 200, 800 and 3200. This works for me for 95% of my photo opportunities. Very rarely I go higher.

When there is no much light I prefer a dark, perhaps a little blurred photo to a view as if it were full day. Of course this is my personal habit which could be wrong ...but it is my way

 

[steveyork]

Usually 100 ISO in the land of perpetual sunshine (and sometimes strong winds) with colored filters.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I once loved 32 and 64 films; those emulsions are no longer made.
My efforts above 400 always left something to be desired.

Today ISO 100-400 films suffice.
EI 200 is ideal most of the time.

Chris

 

[Bill Clark]

Depends.

Mostly 160 cuz that was the speed of the color film I used.

But it can vary because I can vary it with digital. No more one speed film because that’s the film in camera.

Using RAW does have some advantages, like latitude.