How to use auto ISO?

[erl]

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No. Leica Camera AG missed it. The feature is useful only in a camera that runs exclusively in 'P-mode', i.e. with both aperture and shutter completely programmed and interdependent. That is, in a simple compact. Don't use the feature. If you need it, then a M8 is completely wasted.

 

The old man from the Age of Do It Yourself

 

Lars, I appreciate that you have accumulated a lot of wisdom over the years (I think I remember most, if not all the same years ), but I believe you got it wrong this time. 'Auto iso' is useful in the M8 with several variant options on how to best use it. The options are chosen to suit the user's preferred style of using the M8. The method of changing the iso in the M8, ie. in whole 'stop' steps is better than the P&S system where infinite variations are electronically controlled, giving rise to excess noise, or so I am told.

 

The practical benefit of 'auto iso' in the M8 is the greatly enhanced speed of use of the M8 in rapidly changing lighting scenarios, which occur frequently for many photographers.

 

All this from another old fud who refuses to admit it, mostly.

[grober]

No. It's just an additional choice available to you. If you prefer iso160, set that and it will stay that way.

 

See, now why didn't Leica itself disclose this very useful comment rather than forcing us to rely on the random luck of finding it on this forum?

 

SOME manufacturers actually inform their customers about the functionality of new software/firmware releases. Get a clue, Leica.

 

-g

[chris_tribble]

For information - I've been running a workshop today In Bucharest and documenting parts of the process. I decided to use Auto ISO with limits: 1/60th shutter speed / !SO 1250. I have to say it's worked like a dream.

 

Benefits:

All shots were sharp - no blur from low shutter speed

All shots were good from a noise perspective

As the daylight went (we finished in the late afternoon) the camera made the adjustment very effectively.

 

I was shooting with 28 Cron / 75 Cron most of the day and depending on the light sources / positioning the camera was giving anything between 160 and 1250. Very happy. Evidence below. First shot at 160, second at 640, third at 1250. A touch of luminance noise reduction in the last one.

 

VERY good enough for the client - and for me.

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[Barstys]

An interesting discussion about "lens dependent" and how that feature relates to the old rule of thumb that suggests selecting a shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens on your camera:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/63890-auto-iso-latest-firmware.html (particularly responses 12-13-14).

 

I wasn't sure how to work with auto ISO, but I found that discussion quite helpful.

[robertwright]

I am liking the auto ISO/A mode combination. I have it set to 1/60, 1250. I didn't pick lens dependent because my 35 and 50 are not coded.

 

What I have found is that because I tend to shoot wide open often, the camera keeps me more on ISO 160 than I would have been had I been setting ISO for myself. IOW, I tend to go out to work with the camera set on 320 and leave it there. So this was an unexpected bonus when I get home and see that when possible, I got the "downshift" advantage when I didn't expect it.

 

Overall, the camera seems to expose better in this "idiot" mode than before...who'd a 'thunk?

[Shootist]

See, now why didn't Leica itself disclose this very useful comment rather than forcing us to rely on the random luck of finding it on this forum?

 

SOME manufacturers actually inform their customers about the functionality of new software/firmware releases. Get a clue, Leica.

 

-g

You have to be kidding, right. All you had to do was LOOK at the SET menu to figure that out. What do you think Leica would of implemented Auto ISO and taken away all other choices.

Get real.

[SJP]

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the camera keeps me more on ISO 160 than I would have been had I been setting ISO for myself

Yes I think that sums it up nicely. You get the benifits of the 160 ISO lack of noise more often than you would tend to get with manual ISO setting.

 

Also I agree with your comment about accuracy of exposure. I have set my profiles to ±0EV while before I was tending to set at -2/3 EV. The new firmware has cleared up a lot of former issues.

 

Based on that experience, yesterday for fun I also tried a file transfer via the USB port (remember the M8 has one:o ). I was hoping that the DNG files would show up as such but to no avail they are still listed as TIFF. I find it a bit weird that that was never sorted out. It would mean you could keep the baseplate on for longer until the battery runs out. NOTE: this is for Windows XP, not sure what Vista, Mac & Linux would do.

[Shootist]

I am liking the auto ISO/A mode combination. I have it set to 1/60, 1250. I didn't pick lens dependent because my 35 and 50 are not coded.

 

What I have found is that because I tend to shoot wide open often, the camera keeps me more on ISO 160 than I would have been had I been setting ISO for myself. IOW, I tend to go out to work with the camera set on 320 and leave it there. So this was an unexpected bonus when I get home and see that when possible, I got the "downshift" advantage when I didn't expect it.

 

Overall, the camera seems to expose better in this "idiot" mode than before...who'd a 'thunk?

Yes for me also Robert. 320 is my normal working ISO and then IF I'm out in the sun I need to lower it to 160 but then if I get into shade or indoors, even with good light, I need to raise it again.

Auto ISO hasd stopped that and it gets set to 160 more then I would manually. I do have my lowest shutter speed set to 1/30 but I might raise that to 1/60 or even 1/90 dependiing on what and where I'm shooting.

[Shootist]

Based on that experience, yesterday for fun I also tried a file transfer via the USB port (remember the M8 has one:o ). I was hoping that the DNG files would show up as such but to no avail they are still listed as TIFF. I find it a bit weird that that was never sorted out. It would mean you could keep the baseplate on for longer until the battery runs out. NOTE: this is for Windows XP, not sure what Vista, Mac & Linux would do.

 

That's a Windows XP thing. MS never implemented support for DNG files in the OS or Win Explorer. It really has nothing to do with the M8 or Leica.

They may have in Vista but who wants that bloated POS OS, YMMV and that fine.

[SJP]

But then howcome the DNG files are shown as such in the download folder (and indeed on the card in the cardreader) using XP??? Exploring the files via the USB camera cable seems to make the same files appear with a different file extension.

[Shootist]

But then howcome the DNG files are shown as such in the download folder (and indeed on the card in the cardreader) using XP??? Exploring the files via the USB camera cable seems to make the same files appear with a different file extension.

Are you using Windows Explorer to view the file on the camera or the built in Image & Fax viewer/downloader, or whatever it's called, program.

The first day I had a M8 I didn't have a SD card reader, only CF reader, and connected the camer to my PC and got the TIFF extension. Since then I think I've connected it 1 or 2 time at work to get Jpeg's off the card, work shots and my work PC didn't have any software to read DNG files at those times.

[SJP]

Hmm interesting, I was opening the USB connected camera folder via 'my computer' and in that case it is not shown as a (removable) disk drive but as something in the "scanners and camera's" section. That might explain it, I will experiment some more & report back if anything worthwhile comes out.

[Shootist]

Hmm interesting, I was opening the USB connected camera folder via 'my computer' and in that case it is not shown as a (removable) disk drive but as something in the "scanners and camera's" section. That might explain it, I will experiment some more & report back if anything worthwhile comes out.

Yeah "My Computer" is just Windows Explorer. And yes it is the Scanner and Camera wizard I was thinking of. That to is a extension of Windows Explorer.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Chris, does the auto-ISO change that into a single malt?

[danyves]

Yes for me also Robert. 320 is my normal working ISO and then IF I'm out in the sun I need to lower it to 160 but then if I get into shade or indoors, even with good light, I need to raise it again.

Auto ISO hasd stopped that and it gets set to 160 more then I would manually. I do have my lowest shutter speed set to 1/30 but I might raise that to 1/60 or even 1/90 dependiing on what and where I'm shooting.

 

 

I do confirm that now with 1/30 or even 1/60 I am discovering 160 ISO I never used before, relying on my traditional 320 ISO. A real improvement.

[chris_tribble]

Chris, does the auto-ISO change that into a single malt?

 

Bill - sadly it won't even shift it to Johnnie Walker Black of Glenfiddich ... a good Bruichladdich would have been another story...

 

I do confirm that now with 1/30 or even 1/60 I am discovering 160 ISO I never used before, relying on my traditional 320 ISO. A real improvement.

 

Danyves - I suppose my experience has been a slight contrast as I'm discovering the goodness of 1250 as a way of gaining overall image sharpness.

 

For the record - I'd like to stress that it looks like the AUTO ISO option works really for me well in certain kinds of reportage. If I was doing product photography or landscape I'd get out the tripod or set up a lighting rig so that I could control ISO and aperture to get the effect I want. It's just that when I can't and when things are moving quickly I'm very pleased that the M8 can give me an edge ...

 

And think about it - HBC never printed his own images. He'd shoot away with a set shutter speed and aperture, paying attention to rapport with the subject, framing and getting it in focus. He'd then depend on the huge latitude of B&W negative film + the skills of his print maker to get the image he was after.

 

We're trying to do reportage in COLOUR with "film" that has the latitude of colour slide ... again - thank you Leica for giving us a new resource through this firmware update.

[chris_livsey]

 

And think about it - HBC never printed his own images. .

 

I'm sorry the pedant in me insists I correct that. He did print himself, not well I may add, in his early days but not later in his career. The recent "Scrapbook" exhibition was of his own prints.

Assuming you do mean HCB, maybe that bottle is going down now.

[chris_tribble]

Dear Chris - woops re HBC - it must have been the Grouse speaking...

 

re the principle of things though, the comment still stands. In those halcyon days before I had my first Pentax Spotmatic I was allowed to use my dad's Leica IIIc and a Rolleicord. I'd make a rough aperture / speed setting, knowing that the latitude of HP4 (my film of choice at the time) would get me out of trouble once I got into the darkroom ... HCB worked on the same basis. Framing was all - even more than depth of field for his work - what was it shot at - mostly f5.6 or f8 / 1/125th? And then you MAKE the image in the darkroom.

[Jamie Roberts]

No. Leica Camera AG missed it. The feature is useful only in a camera that runs exclusively in 'P-mode', i.e. with both aperture and shutter completely programmed and interdependent. That is, in a simple compact. Don't use the feature. If you need it, then a M8 is completely wasted.

 

The old man from the Age of Do It Yourself

 

That's the most condescending, unhelpful and ridiculously untrue thing I've heard on this forum in a very long time. I have other words for it, too

 

There's nothing wrong with getting a 1 stop--or two stop--pass on changing "slide" film in a digicam in constantly changing light when you're running from a very dim room to outside and don't want to stop the lens down.

 

Ah well. I guess I don't deserve to shoot an M8, and that it's wasted on me.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[canlogic]

That's the most condescending, unhelpful and ridiculously untrue thing I've heard on this forum in a very long time. I have other words for it, too

.

 

Perhaps remove the "L" from Lars and you will have the right word.