M240 - what ISO do you normally use for daytime outdoors and why?

[Jon Warwick]

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.... That might seem like an odd question. But for daylight, I'm thinking ISO 640'ish images on the M240 gave me a more pleasing image (for my eyes) than base/low ISOs. I thought the slightly added noise at around ISO 640 gave the image some "texture" and got rid of any plastic look that CMOS sensors can sometimes have ...... at around ISO 640, it seemed more film like because of this "texture" that got rid of a lot of the squeaky-clean-plastic-look of digital that I dislike.

 

Anyone else shoot at higher ISO for this same reason, or am I late to this game?

[kdriceman]

It depends. I don't shoot the higher ISO for the noise however. If I'm shooting a moving object and want some depth of field (eg to help keep focus as the subject moves) so I'm at a smaller aperture, it is not unusual for me to shoot > 1000 even in daylight. But whatever suits your tastes. Usually I will try to keep it at 200 in daylight, but I do subscribe to the notion that it's easier to fix noise than motion blur, so I don't hesitate to bump the ISO.

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[LocalHero1953]

I keep ISO as low as I can, as long as I can choose an appropriate speed and aperture. Higher ISO also reduces dynamic range, so images may gain a punchier and more contrasty look. Do you think this contributes to the look you prefer? I'm sure it accounts for a good deal of the difference seen between the M9 and the M240 images. I know I was at first rather unsettled by what I saw as the rather bland appearance of M240 images, compared to my M9, until I realised that I could emulate the M9 look in my M240 images in post by compressing the range (at the expense of the extreme tones).

 

Now, I prefer to control contrast, noise, grain and colour saturation in post - I would view choosing a higher ISO than necessary as limiting your options rather than improving the image. But I'm interested in the counter-argument.

[fotofool]

If you like the look of film grain you might like the effect of the "grain" slider in lightroom more than the digital noise you get by increasing ISO. Film grain, as I understand it, is random in size and distribution where digital noise from a CMOS sensor is a more uniform pattern.

 

To answer your question I always shoot at the lowest ISO I can for the exposure I want. I reserve "effects" like grain and compressed tones for post processing. I do this because it gives me the most control over the final result.

[ananda]

200 works for me.

[Maksarti]

What is Leica native ISO?

[Berth]

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What is Leica native ISO?

 

The CCD sensor in the M9 & M-E is 160. Dunno the M240.

[Chito]

The CCD sensor in the M9 & M-E is 160. Dunno the M240.

 

ISO 200 for the M240

[bocaburger]

200. I'm going to have to invest in a couple ND filters or dig out my polarizer I think. I like shooting my Leica lenses in the f/4-5.6 range outdoors as a rule so I rarely bump into the 1/4000 speed, but if for some reason I need to open up for less DOF, it's a problem.

[jip]

For me usually 200 or 400, depends on the day and if it's overcast or not etc etc.

 

ISO 200 is the native ISO for the M (Typ 240) and ISO 160 is the base for the M8/M9/M-E ISO 320 is the base for MM

[250swb]

I do like the texture that grain gives, it holds the eye and provides the 'bite' simple areas of tone often lack to balance the photograph. But I would add grain in post processing unless a higher than base ISO is technically needed.

 

Steve

[viramati]

base iso (200) and as the previous poster said grain can always be added in post if you use Lr5, Silverefex pro or colorefex pro. You will have the best DR at base iso

[HeinzX]

I keep the ISO 200 if this is possible, and try to avoid more than ISO 1600. Limiting factor for me is (without using a tripod, which can be useful in some situations) the shutter speed for which I try not to use a slower one as 1/focal length x 2 or at a minimum 1/focal length. But if I missed a important picture for me - I forget about all that.

[tobey bilek]

I do family pics, travel, and landscapes in bright light.

 

Native iso is how the camera is supposed to work. Higher iso is an amplified signal from the native and more noise is the result.

 

If I were to encounter opportunities in low light or had to stop fast action, I would increase iso to that required by a fast enough shutter and small enough lens opening. Auto ISO will do this for you. I do not use it, but my son does.

 

There are nice programs to minimize noise. M8 & 9 sensors create much color noise and my favorite programs do not clean it up as much as I desire. I resort to Adobe ACR and do manual color noise first until the speckles go, then I do the luminosity noise. I better method is to do nothing, open the image as a smart object, create a new layer, return the new layer to ACR and do noise reduction, then create an edge mask which blocks the noise reduction from softening the edges in the image that are supposed to stay sharp like eyes in a portrait. This works extremely well if done properly..

 

My Nikons are the opposite and little color noise is evident, but there is luminosity noise..

[jdlaing]

200.

[Fgcm]

+1

I think in terms of 100 ASA film.

[digitalfx]

as low as possible (iso 200). Remember you are exposing a negative (digital negative) not a print. If you want grain or effects add them when you print, not when you shoot. Always create the cleanest negative possible, with the most dynamic range. The higher the iso, the lower DR.

[Rick]

I try and use 200. But, I am not adverse to using any higher ISO to stop motion blur as others have pointed out.

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I use Auto while out shooting on the street as I tend to venture down dark alleyways and need the high ISO if I see something interesting

If I am shooting landscape I use 200

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[swamiji]

I don't have a "normal" ISO. I decide what Aperture and Shutter speed I wish to obtain what I want, and adjust the ISO accordingly. I don't tend to use Auto ISO, as I want some consistency. On the other hand, if I have chosen Aperture priority, I will adjust my ISO to give me the range of shutter speed I wish.

 

This is all a balancing act, the goal is to give us "good" exposure while providing us some amount of artistic expression in the final image.

 

So... Somewhere between 200 and 3200 (rarely outside of that), depending on brightness of the day, etc.