[Cerebum]

I was reading an article in Amateur Photographer in which the author referred to native iso. He stated that the native iso wasn't necessarily the base iso, but it was the point at which there is the least detriment to dynamic range. Googling the KP's native/optimum iso only brings up the range. I want to improve my images and always aim for the lowest iso, but is it possible that may not be the sweet spot? So, is there an optimum/native iso on the KP, or for that matter, any other Pentax camera. It is possible the author is being overly picky and 100iso is the gold standard, but I won't know for sure unless I ask the people I trust

[pschlute]

It is possible the author is being overly picky and 100iso is the gold standard, but I won't know for sure unless I ask the people I trust

Trustworthy person to the rescue

Use any ISO near 100 and you will not go wrong.

Having said that, if the lighting requires it you will need to increase the ISO. Better to get an image correctly exposed at high ISO than to underexpose and have no detail in the shadows.

ISO on digital is not the same as ISO on film. On digital, an increase in ISO is an electronic gain (magnification) of the signal. There is an argument that it is better to amplify this gain in PP rather than digital capture, but that is for another discussion.

[Michail_P]

As I get it, it’s a matter of light conditions at the time and place of every shot. Low iso brings less noise. But capturing a wide tonality is another thing. In this time of the year I find most of my shots requiring an iso of 200-800 , even if I try to keep it near 100. The thing is how much noise it costs for bringing up the exposure in pp.

[Cerebum]

Trustworthy person to the rescue

Use any ISO near 100 and you will not go wrong.

Having said that, if the lighting requires it you will need to increase the ISO. Better to get an image correctly exposed at high ISO than to underexpose and have no detail in the shadows.

ISO on digital is not the same as ISO on film. On digital, an increase in ISO is an electronic gain (magnification) of the signal. There is an argument that it is better to amplify this gain in PP rather than digital capture, but that is for another discussion.

I try to stay as low as possible but it occurred to me that base iso of the Fuji is 200, extendable down to 50 or 100, maybe 200 is the true happy place. I have shot higher but the drop in DR was noticeable .... Well, someone noticed it lol.. As for the article, I will continue reading it with 100 being my natural iso thanks

---------- Post added 10-12-21 at 03:33 PM ----------

As I get it, it’s a matter of light conditions at the time and place of every shot. Low iso brings less noise. But capturing a wide tonality is another thing. In this time of the year I find most of my shots requiring an iso of 200-800 , even if I try to keep it near 100. The thing is how much noise it costs for bringing up the exposure in pp.

One other thing the article conveyed was how quickly shadow detail drops of in comparison with highlights, emphasizing the necessity to expose to the right a smidgin, especially in low light, for which you need more sensitivity I admit I have binned decent images where I didn't like the noise. In many cases it wasn't intrusive, but I pixel peep and to me it was unacceptable I can be very picky

[Paul the Sunman]

I admit I have binned decent images where I didn't like the noise. In many cases it wasn't intrusive, but I pixel peep and to me it was unacceptable I can be very picky

There are several very effective noise reduction apps around now that make me much less worried about it.

[Cerebum]

There are several very effective noise reduction apps around now that make me much less worried about it.

I have topaz, but only put my best images through it as it is on an old laptop which takes forever just to boot up

[Paul the Sunman]

I have topaz, but only put my best images through it as it is on an old laptop which takes forever just to boot up

ON1 NoNoise AI is pretty quick, so I use it a lot. It is an intrinsic non-destructive part of the general RAW editing process in ON1 Photo RAW2022, so there are no intermediate or additional files generated, and it does not require sending off to another app. Just another slider or two, or the Auto button.

[texandrews]

There's a couple of ways to approach this. Maximizing the file in an abstract, archival way, and being practical (so, best filed exposure possible; matching DR to the paper; & etc.).

The former is best case for a future, possible condition; the latter has to do with now.

[GUB]

I was reading an article in Amateur Photographer in which the author referred to native iso. He stated that the native iso wasn't necessarily the base iso, but it was the point at which there is the least detriment to dynamic range. Googling the KP's native/optimum iso only brings up the range. I want to improve my images and always aim for the lowest iso, but is it possible that may not be the sweet spot? So, is there an optimum/native iso on the KP, or for that matter, any other Pentax camera. It is possible the author is being overly picky and 100iso is the gold standard, but I won't know for sure unless I ask the people I trust

Base iso on Pentax is iso 100
Maximum Dynamic Range (DR) is at base iso reducing about 1 stop of DR per stop of iso.
But of course you may need a higher iso to achieve your shot - such is the trade offs in photography.
IF you are using raw you have the opportunity to underexpose your shot (only by reducing iso) and in your editor increasing the image exposure while holding back the highlights. THIS is the way to utilise maximum DR.
It is because of the Sony sensor iso-invariance that this can be done.
(In iso-invariant cameras increasing the exposure value in the raw editor gives identical results to using higher in-camera iso.)
But you have to be saving to Raw to achieve this.
Iso invariance - PentaxForums.com

[RGlasel]

SO on digital is not the same as ISO on film. On digital, an increase in ISO is an electronic gain (magnification) of the signal. There is an argument that it is better to amplify this gain in PP rather than digital capture, but that is for another discussion.

To make it more complicated (and to provide a much wider range of usable ISO settings), digital sensors are not passive devices, the base voltage can be adjusted by the camera's processor to better match the sensitivity of the photosites to the intensity of light they are exposed to. There is only artificial ISO, native ISO is a fiction. Different makes and models of digital cameras are programmed differently to obtain different results in the same conditions; sometimes even with the same sensor.

Generations of photographers have leaned to equate lower ISO values with lower noise and greater dynamic range. To better match those expectations, camera sensors are programmed to get the least amount of noise and the most dynamic range at a specific "base" ISO, typically (but not always) ISO 100. But it is possible to get virtually equivalent results with other base ISO settings, by "tuning" the sensor. Sensors can only be tuned to produce acceptable results within a relatively limited range of ISO values and going outside that range is strictly mathematics and at that point multiplying the ISO means multiplying the inherent noise in the image (and reducing the dynamic range in equal proportion).

[UncleVanya]

Go to this website.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/

You will see the actual measured dynamic range and in that data you will see at which iso the dual iso sensors are best at.

[yucatanPentax]

Go to this website.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/

You will see the actual measured dynamic range and in that data you will see at which iso the dual iso sensors are best at.

Interesting that the K-3iii peak is at 400, with NR. But the K-1 beats all recent Pentax DSLRs at 100 iso.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Pentax%20K-1,Pentax%20K-3%20I...0s,Pentax%20KP

[GUB]

Interesting that the K-3iii peak is at 400, with NR. But the K-1 beats all recent Pentax DSLRs at 100 iso.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Pentax%20K-1,Pentax%20K-3%20I...0s,Pentax%20KP

And the accelerater unit for the KP kicks in for iso 800.
And the K3iii is the only one the the acceleration exceeds the base iso 100

[BarryE]

It's probably true what all (most) have said above, however when faced with this type of question, for me, there is only one way to approach this and that's to test my camera myself. Then I get a better feel/understanding/appreciation of what's happening/possible. Then I push/pull in post. Just a few test shots and a bit of time and I'm generally in a better position.

For me DR is probably the most important characteristic of how a sensor performs and how the manufacturer has programmed it. For most of my photography I will use a tripod, take my time and use 100 ISO to squeeze what I can. Then I use the magic of bracketing the exposure when possible. This way I maximise the DR ...

[Cerebum]

Go to this website.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/

You will see the actual measured dynamic range and in that data you will see at which iso the dual iso sensors are best at.

That's a read for my second coffee, I am still only on my first. Thanks Vanya