Photography 101: Using Auto ISO

In its simplest terms, ISO is your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. As ISO numbers increase, so does the camera’s ability to capture more light.

In bright, daylight conditions, you can use a low ISO value. For darker scenarios, you can up the ISO to increase the amount of light being recorded in your image. Together with aperture and shutter speed, ISO completes the exposure triangle that all photographers must learn in order to properly expose images.

Drawbacks of high ISO

These days, ISO can be controlled manually on any brand of camera. ISO can range anywhere from ISO 50 to ISO 12,800 or beyond. While it may seem like a simple solution to crank up your ISO in low light situations, it’s good to be aware of the downsides of doing so.