NIKON KNOW-HOW
What’s the ISO setting all about?
You can use your camera’s ISO setting to keep shooting in poor light, but what is ISO?
In the days before digital, film came in a variety of speeds. The ‘faster’ the film, the more sensitive it was to light, allowing you to use faster shutter speeds. Using these higher-sensitivity films was useful for moving subjects, particularly in low light. This film speed was measured using the standardized ISO system.
With digital cameras, the same ISO scale is now used to measure the camera’s sensitivity to light. Although the sensor cannot be changed to suit the subject (unlike film), its sensitivity can effectively be boosted by the camera’s circuitry. This is done with the ISO control. The signal from the sensor is simply amplified, and this helps you get the fast enough shutter speed you want in low light.
THE DIGITAL ADVANTAGE
The advantage of digital over film is that the ISO can be altered for
