ISO rule of thumb

I am often asked about ISO. So here is a “rule of thumb” post on that subject.

Michael’s standard starting points:

  • Outdoors: 200 ISO
  • Indoors (even when using flash): 400 ISO
  • “Difficult Light” (eg museums, dark halls): 800 ISO

Michael’s exceptions:

  • Using a tripod: 100 ISO (as long as nothing moves)
  • Hockey, etc: 1600 ISO

In each case, go lower if you can, and go as high as you need to, when you need to.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *