Iso .. how high is too high for you?

veato · 10-06-2019, 06:24 AM

Really as low as possible but, when the situation demands or even for artistic effect, I don't mind pushing it up. I used to love a bit of Neopan 1600 in my pre-digital days.

Kozlok · 10-06-2019, 06:27 AM

My KS-2 is more than fine up to 3200. Above that I’m usually doing it deliberately to keep shutter speed up.

MetalUndivided · 10-06-2019, 06:34 AM

K-70 here. I have my Auto ISO limiter set to 6400, however I prefer not to go beyond 3200 if I can help it.

MikeyBugs95 · 10-06-2019, 06:36 AM

Personally, with my K-3II, I don't like going above 2400 ISO. I get too much noise and lose more detail than I like.

If I'm photographing aircraft I rarely go above ISO1000 because I'm usually shooting in bright daylight. For outdoor macro, though, I'm around 1200-2000.

Marktax · 10-06-2019, 06:56 AM

3200 on K-3. 6400 on K-S2. Does anyone have tips for using Topaz denoise 6?

tvdtvdtvd · 10-06-2019, 07:37 AM

On my K-3 I use 3200 for fluorescent photography but rarely go above that. The irony is I used to love the look of grainy B&W in the right circumstance
but noisy digital doesn't have quite the same charm.

**microlight** · 10-06-2019, 08:01 AM - **1 Like**

I agree with photoptimist about TAv; I got some keepers at dusk in New Zealand last year using the 55-300PLM that I wouldn't have got otherwise. In TAv the camera was setting up to 10,000, but careful processing in ACR and Photoshop gave a very much more than passable result. Otherwise I'll typically go up to 6400 if I have to, but of course try to keep it as low as practicable.

ChatMechant · 10-06-2019, 08:19 AM

On the K-1 the noise doesn't look too bad. Looks almost more like film grain. 12k is about as high as I've needed to go.

This was at 12k, jpeg using in camera auto nr.

tuco · 10-06-2019, 08:25 AM

When 50% of your picture has R=G=B = 0 ( or nearly so), I'd say the high ISO has decreased the dynamic range too much. But everybody has different acceptance levels.

Kingman · 10-06-2019, 08:51 AM

With my K3, I rarely go above ISO800, but with the K1 it opened up a new world where one is able to routinely go to ISO 3600 and 6400 routinely.

**othar** · 10-06-2019, 08:59 AM

Originally posted by beachgardener

On the K-3 I rarely go past 3200, mainly stay below 800

Me too. In emergencies I go as far as 6400 with my K-3. But higher than that is only usable as evidence photo, nothing to put in a photobook or diashow.

Newer sensors will push the limit further up, in the future.

brewmaster15 · 10-06-2019, 09:09 AM

Interesting thread so far. Hope more jump into the discussion.Im seeing alot of people using Tav. I have to admit I usually stick to AV or manual. Maybe I should play around a bit in Tav on the k3 and see how it works out.
Al

**pres589** · 10-06-2019, 09:19 AM

K5 II shooter here and I only recently started to embrace 3200 as needed. Or I just go manual, select a shutter speed that I know will allow for me to hand-hold for the focal length and situation, run the lens as wide as allows and fix whatever comes out of the scene in post. The camera and the sensor's ISO invariance makes up for a lot of sins when I get the files loaded into Lightroom.

**jatrax** · 10-06-2019, 09:22 AM - **1 Like**

For the K-3II I consider 400 to be the max, 800 is usable but not ideal. For the K-1II I am comfortable at 800 and occasionally will use 1600. Obviously the lower the better than default for me is 100 on the K-3II and 200 on the K-1II.

biz-engineer · 10-06-2019, 09:26 AM

Theoretically, ISO 1600 is the max for 8bits per channel color depth for full resolution. Above ISO 1600 colors 24bits color definition still is achieved by natural noise dithering accross pixels and downsizing, depending how large we display the image.

10-06-2019, 09:26 AM	#30
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,246	Theoretically, ISO 1600 is the max for 8bits per channel color depth for full resolution. Above ISO 1600 colors 24bits color definition still is achieved by natural noise dithering accross pixels and downsizing, depending how large we display the image. Last edited by biz-engineer; 10-07-2019 at 12:36 AM.

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10-06-2019, 06:24 AM	#16
veato Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Nottingham Posts: 543	Really as low as possible but, when the situation demands or even for artistic effect, I don't mind pushing it up. I used to love a bit of Neopan 1600 in my pre-digital days.

10-06-2019, 06:27 AM	#17
Kozlok Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Albuquerque Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,148	My KS-2 is more than fine up to 3200. Above that I’m usually doing it deliberately to keep shutter speed up.

10-06-2019, 06:34 AM	#18
MetalUndivided Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Irkutsk, Russia Posts: 134	K-70 here. I have my Auto ISO limiter set to 6400, however I prefer not to go beyond 3200 if I can help it.

10-06-2019, 06:36 AM	#19
MikeyBugs95 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,206	Personally, with my K-3II, I don't like going above 2400 ISO. I get too much noise and lose more detail than I like. If I'm photographing aircraft I rarely go above ISO1000 because I'm usually shooting in bright daylight. For outdoor macro, though, I'm around 1200-2000.

10-06-2019, 06:56 AM	#20
Marktax Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Washington DC Photos: Albums Posts: 610	3200 on K-3. 6400 on K-S2. Does anyone have tips for using Topaz denoise 6?

10-06-2019, 07:37 AM	#21
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	On my K-3 I use 3200 for fluorescent photography but rarely go above that. The irony is I used to love the look of grainy B&W in the right circumstance but noisy digital doesn't have quite the same charm.

10-06-2019, 08:01 AM - 1 Like	#22
microlight Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 2,129	I agree with photoptimist about TAv; I got some keepers at dusk in New Zealand last year using the 55-300PLM that I wouldn't have got otherwise. In TAv the camera was setting up to 10,000, but careful processing in ACR and Photoshop gave a very much more than passable result. Otherwise I'll typically go up to 6400 if I have to, but of course try to keep it as low as practicable.

10-06-2019, 08:19 AM	#23
ChatMechant Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Matsuyama Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,284	On the K-1 the noise doesn't look too bad. Looks almost more like film grain. 12k is about as high as I've needed to go. This was at 12k, jpeg using in camera auto nr.

10-06-2019, 08:25 AM	#24
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,029	When 50% of your picture has R=G=B = 0 ( or nearly so), I'd say the high ISO has decreased the dynamic range too much. But everybody has different acceptance levels.

10-06-2019, 08:51 AM	#25
Kingman Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: North Texas Posts: 199	With my K3, I rarely go above ISO800, but with the K1 it opened up a new world where one is able to routinely go to ISO 3600 and 6400 routinely.

10-06-2019, 08:59 AM	#26
othar Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Linz Photos: Albums Posts: 3,098	Originally posted by beachgardener On the K-3 I rarely go past 3200, mainly stay below 800 Me too. In emergencies I go as far as 6400 with my K-3. But higher than that is only usable as evidence photo, nothing to put in a photobook or diashow. Newer sensors will push the limit further up, in the future.

10-06-2019, 09:09 AM	#27
brewmaster15 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: CT Posts: 1,860 Original Poster	Interesting thread so far. Hope more jump into the discussion.Im seeing alot of people using Tav. I have to admit I usually stick to AV or manual. Maybe I should play around a bit in Tav on the k3 and see how it works out. Al

10-06-2019, 09:19 AM	#28
pres589 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Wichita, KS Photos: Albums Posts: 4,533	K5 II shooter here and I only recently started to embrace 3200 as needed. Or I just go manual, select a shutter speed that I know will allow for me to hand-hold for the focal length and situation, run the lens as wide as allows and fix whatever comes out of the scene in post. The camera and the sensor's ISO invariance makes up for a lot of sins when I get the files loaded into Lightroom.

10-06-2019, 09:22 AM - 1 Like	#29
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	For the K-3II I consider 400 to be the max, 800 is usable but not ideal. For the K-1II I am comfortable at 800 and occasionally will use 1600. Obviously the lower the better than default for me is 100 on the K-3II and 200 on the K-1II.