Time for a New Metering Mode

[Lisa Nikodym]

The Nikon D70 aleady has something along those lines.  There is a custom function you can set to tell it to automatically increase the ISO if the shutter speed would otherwise drop below some user-defined value.

Lisa

[boku]

It would be a start to actually show the ISO in the viewfinder. What are they thinking to omit that feature?

[Ray]

Total confusion in this thread! What are we talking about; P&S or DSLRs?

[Ray]

No confusion at all! We are allowed to talk about both in the same thread aren't we?

Yes, of course you are   . It's just that the feature of automatic adjustment of ISO is common in P&S cameras. In basic models with limited or no manual adjustment it's a real pain because one has no option. If the light is moderate to poor, the ISO gets bumped up and there's nothing you can do about it, which of course, makes a noisy image even noisier.

A feature I would prefer to CJD's suggestion is ISO/shutter speed autobracketing in aperture priority mode. When selecting aperture for DoF purposes, sometimes one is not sure about the trades-off between shutter speed (extra sharpness) and noise. Which is going to be best; 1/60th at ISO 400; 1/125th at ISO 800 or 1/250th at ISO 1600?

[CJD]

I think that digital camera designers are missing a very useful trick.

We all know that lenses have a sweet spot in relation to aperture and image quality.  And we now have cameras capable of low noise at higher ISO.

Following Michaels lead, I've been using Av mode and then adjusting shutter speed and ISO accordingly.

So why can't we have a metering mode that does this automatically.  This would help us not miss that shot....

Here's how it could work:

Dial in the Aperture, dial in your miniumum shutter speed, have a custom function that sets your personal ISO range you can live with.  The mode will then optimises the use of shutter speed and ISO.

If the light is still too low at the preffered max ISO to get the minimum sutter speed, then could have another custom function to decide whether to then reduce aperture or reduce shutter speed.

I reckon this could be a valuable addition to the exposure modes already availalbe (especially if you are all fingers and thumb, like me, when trying to adjust ISO on the Canon 1D series cameras).

[BJL]

Many compact digicams have a "three way auto" exposure mode, choosing shutter speed, aperture and ISO speed, and some DSLR's have a bit if this. For example the E-1 has an auto mode which adjusts ISO up from 100, but only when flash is in use and it detects that the subject is out of flash range for ISO 100.

I can imagine a use for what you describe. Maybe it could allow us to dial in a rule like "shutter speed at least twice focal length". Or "three times focal length" for heavy coffee drinkers, or "one half" for expert marksmen and yoga practitioners.

I wonder if allowing the user to fully control aperture so that the camera is only deciding "speed" would make it more acceptable than current program modes where the camera also choses aperture?

[Jonathan Wienke]

The Canon 1-series cameras allow ISO display in the viewfinder...

[BJL]

Total confusion in this thread! What are we talking about; P&S or DSLRs?

No confusion at all! We are allowed to talk about both in the same thread aren't we?

According to my scorecard, the OP is about all digital cameras; Lisa (nniko) and I are talking about existing and desired features for DSLRs, BoKu seems to be referring to the fact that the E-1 does not displaying the selected ISO in the VF.

On the last point, once the ISO speed starts getting adjusted automatically by the body, VF display is definitely important. for now, I am satisifed than the ISO speed is visible on the LCD when I am setting it, and just slightly bothered by the need to press a button to check the current setting.