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Auto ISO a good or bad thing?


1 month 2 weeks ago #762318 by CanonKid
We had our monthly photography meetup yesterday and the topic was on 'Auto ISO' and I was surprised on how torn down  the middle peoples views on using this were.  Some swore by it as the best thing to be offered in their cameras, and something that they use all the time.  Others cringe at using anything 'auto' on their cameras and had nothing good to say about it.  

I'm curious what sort of opinions will surface here on the same topic.  Are you Pro  'Auto ISO' or against it? 
Canon 7D, 15-85mm, 18-55mm, 70-200mm, 100mm Macro, Sigma 120-300mm, Speedlite 430EX II

A bad day at the race track is better than a good day in the office
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1 month 2 weeks ago #762321 by TCav
Within limits, yes, it's a good thing, much like anything "auto" with regard to exposure.

I shoot in A (Aperture Priority) mode, in an attempt to keep the depth of field shallow, so the camera picks the shutter speed. But if the light is bad and the shutter speed gets too low, "Auto ISO" allows the camera to increase the ISO, so I can avoid motion blur due to subject movement.
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1 month 2 weeks ago #762324 by Street Shark
Auto white balance and ISO I have such mix feelings about.  When they work, they work great.  But if you leave them, there are times when the camera botches it's recommendations and white balance is off in left field or ISO is just the same.  Which is why for the most part, I don't use Auto anything. 
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1 month 1 week ago #762380 by Photo Junky
Diving into the 'Auto ISO' debate, I'm leaning towards the camp that sees it as a powerful tool, especially when you're out in the wild, capturing moments on the fly. It's like jiu-jitsu for photography; you're using the situation's energy to your advantage, adapting to light conditions seamlessly. But, I totally get the purists too—it's about mastery over your craft, knowing your settings like the back of your hand. Both sides have their merits, it's all about how you want to roll.
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1 month 1 week ago #762400 by EOS_Fan
Unless it's dark out or low light rather, I keep my ISO at 200.  No AUTO game here.  
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1 month 1 week ago #762407 by TCav
There are three settings that affect exposure: aperture (f-number), shutter speed, and ISO (sensitivity). Each has specific effects on the image. For aperture, it's depth of field. For shutter speed, it's image blur. For ISO, it's image noise. Trusting the camera to adjust any of these in order to compensate for the one you specify is a tool that you can use (and even master), should you so choose.

In the days of film, ISO was fixed, but cameras could automatically adjust the shutter speed to accommodate your choice of aperture, and vice versa. With digital photography, ISO is no longer fixed, so allowing the camera to adjust it along with the other exposure settings, is something that you can choose to do or not. After all, there are still people who shoot in M (Manual) mode.
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1 month 1 week ago #762408 by Shadowfixer1
The answer is simple. Auto ISO for fast action or highly variable light. That would be birds, street photography, sports and wildlife. No auto ISO for static subjects like landscapes, still life or when using flash. It's a tool, not a crutch.
www.betterphoto.com/?ramshots
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1 month 1 week ago #762468 by Marin Chi
Agree, for street photography, all day long. 
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1 month 1 week ago #762510 by Don Granger
I wouldn't see Auto ISO is BAD, it's just just a tool in your camera that you can use or not use.  For many starting out or moving around quickly, Auto features can be helpful. 
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3 weeks 4 days ago #762952 by Fitch
It has its good and bad attributes. When its needed, it's a godsend, when people use it as a crutch, problem.  
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3 weeks 4 days ago #762967 by Esseff
I use it seldom. My camera typically over-exposes when using auto ISO. Sometimes with wildlife photography it makes things a lot easier though. Use it sparingly, is my opinion.
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3 weeks 2 days ago #763050 by CanonKid
What's funny is many of the views here are the same as that meetup.  Should I be surprised?  ha ha ha
Canon 7D, 15-85mm, 18-55mm, 70-200mm, 100mm Macro, Sigma 120-300mm, Speedlite 430EX II

A bad day at the race track is better than a good day in the office
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