The (Secret) ISO Trick Every Wildlife Shooter Wish They Knew!
So, you want better ISOs in dim light for your wildlife photos?
At one time or another, every wildlife photographer will face a low-light scene with ISOs that are through the roof.
Wanna know how the pros handle keep the ISOs down and the noise low in their wildlife shots?
In this video, I'll share some techniques I use in that situation to help get lower ISO shots of my targets. Check it out - the techniques in this video have saved the day for me more times than I can count!
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Thanks for the refresher Steve, been doing this for a few years now after watching your videos
Thank you so much for putting this together. Those are great tips, and I can't wait to try them out!
Awesome tips and tricks as always, thanks Steve 👍🎄
Thanks for always having more tips for me - I love learning how to do things better than I have been! Thanks for another great video!
Thanks Steve I really enjoyed it! Awesome tip!!
As always, thanks for sharing your great tips!
Excellent tips. Thank you!
I love hearing the thought process behind camera settings selection, new insights for me.
Thanks Steve. Welcome advise!
Thankyou for this vedio Steve.
You always make checking in with your channel time well spent.
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always, keep up with the awesome content 👍
You introduced me to auto iso but this takes it up another notch! Great video Steve.
Great tip and refreshing reminder. I have been using a slight variation of this technique for years now on my DSLRs (often on willing local owls who’ll hold still), using a handheld remote trigger in Live View with Touch AF/Pin mode. I have often got sharp exposures at 1/2 sec or less. Admittedly, throw aways and failure rates can be high.
Glad you made this video, this is what I have been doing for quite sometime. Insurance shots on static subjects first, then go as low as you can go, then checking your rear screen or EVF for sharpness and detail. I do appreciate the bonus tip.
Thank you so much for this super handy trick!
Thank you for the information !!👍🏼
Great video, Steve. Thanks for the "cull the lower ISO shots first." The whole video was great, beginning to end.
Very useful tips. Thanks Steve 👌👍
Great tips Steve! I used the wireless Sony remote with my A1 and 400 2.8 and managed to get 1/3s shots of a screech owl this past spring. I did start with higher ss as you recommended just in case. I also use the same idea with subjects at a distance - take a few shots as soon as you see it, then as I gradually get within a respectable distance, snap a few on my way in. That way I scrap the ones from further away (usually keeping 1 or 2 'environmental' shots). Have a great weekend.
Excellent advice, thanks
Great instruction🙂
All thanks to you mr Steve Perry, and we wish you health, safety, and more brilliance and information that serve the viewer
Great advice!
Great tips!
Thank you very much dear master.
Some good tips there to add to my technique spec the multi exposure with timer
Great techinuqe that I implement often. One more tip (for Sony) I would add is moving to AF-S magnify view,. This has been invaluable for stationary subject in really bad lighting. I then trigger the shutter from Imaging Edge phone app.
Excellent video Steve. I tend to do this quite a bit, especially if I am sitting in a photo hide with plenty of time on my hands. There seem to have been a lot of adverts over the past few months promoting software tools for correcting images in post. Some of the claims made seem to me, to be a bit optimistic to say the least.
I agree. In practice, I find that although I can make products like Topaz work, the results are always better the lower I can get my ISOs.
Great stuff Steve, I have the advantage of having read your books and it’s a technique I’ve been using for some years now, it’s as you suggest making the most of a less than ideal scenario! For action shots it’s usually worthless persevering if the light levels are that low! I know you also keep your exposures as bright as possible to further reduce noise! 👏👍😀 can’t help wondering if you are still using both Sony and Nikon considering Nikon’s most recent lens releases, it’s an expensive game that’s not easy to keep ahead of! 🤔 👏👍😀
Yup, still using both. Although, it is expensive.
Steve; I've modified my gimbal for smoother operation, and better control of 'drag', by using a 'Belleville washer' between the locking knob and locking 'pin' to provide a short travel with controllable friction, and, i made a brass part for the locking screw, to give it smoother lock, and reduce galling of the locking ring(s) I also tend to hand a bag on the lens, to reduce the resonant frequency, and add 'damping'.
Cool modifications. I typically keep a hand on the lens too, but not when using the self-timer :)
Steve,,, I want your cool looking polo shirt mate ! You should get some for your web store. I’d definitely buy 1 or 3 😅 ❤ great video mate, always enjoy your insights and tips✌️🤙
We're working on it :) We have to get the store reprogrammed to do both digital and physical merchandise. Not an easy feat at this point, but doable.
Nice job on the video. Do you mostly shoot in manual, auto ISO? What about Sony’s aperture ISO minimum shutter speed set up? Have you done a video on this and is there an advantage? Thanks Steve !!!!
I did this with a stationary Merlin, rare here in the UK . Result about 60 images and 60 sharp images last at 1/30th hand held amazing ! Sony stabilization I suppose ! 🤔
Nice
Great strategy. With the Z9 and shooting at 800mm (F11) I've found hand held shots sharp as low as 1/25. But mostly just leave it at around 1/100 or a bit faster. I haven't used tripod for ages. Not often I get the time to spend on your idea but will give it a go. I seem to have impatient wildlife in my region LOL.
That's amazing. 1/100 with a 800 hand held.
@@gareth0408 It sure is. The Z9 has very good in body IS.
Дякую. Дуже цікаво і корисно
I must be learning something new from every single video, cause I’m already trying to us this method.
Steve good tips. I', sur you hav
Hi Steve, thanks for the great tips as usual! I presume the fastest workflow (on Nikon Z7 / D500 here) to use this would be to use Shutter priority mode for this with auto ISO, or do you have any advice on what you found to be fastest?
Manual + Auto ISO is what I use for speed, although a number of options will work.
Shocks me very few people know this technique, if you've been shooting a long time you likely know this, was waiting for someone to do a video like this but it took forever, well done !
Every time I mention this tip on a workshop virtually no one has ever heard of it or tried it. I think it's one of those things that seems obvious once you know it but doesn't necessarily occur to people in the heat of the moment.
wha? No-one is chimping when you are getting a brief moment of time with wildlife.
I was taking my almost daily walk in the HOH Rainforest a couple days ago. Took some photos of a Hummingbird which let me stand within 6 feet of him as he went to work making holes. Heavy old growth forest canopy in the rain middle of the day 11:30. Tried to keep my shutter at 500th of a second but the birds jackhammer head was blurry. Went to 1600th and iso 6400 at F2.8. Got the shots with my D850 and 80-200 F2.8 lens. Even when shooting standing Elk I find 125th to slow something is always moving it seems. And here under this dark tree and cloud canopy it can be an issue.
what about using exposure comp as well?
I am shooting this way for years but in Aperture mode, I control ISO to adjust my shutter speed
Works either way :)
Ive seen you talking about this technique in earlyer videos and this information has been really useful. I took really sharp images of red deer after sunset @ 600mm with a shutter of 1/25 not the best situation but i made it work :D
Yeah, the technique has been scattered around my site, books, and as part of other videos :) I thought it was handy enough that it deserved it's own dedicated video :)
@@backcountrygallery Definitely. Every wildlife photographer should have this in their tool kit!
Great tips, but I really like all the Backcountry Gallery logoed garments. When can I buy some of that swag?
Thanks Peggy :) We're working on it :)
Thank goodness for VR and IBIS!
LOL, no kidding!! They save me all the time!
Hi Steve. We have used this technique on occasion (you really need a stationary subject for this). The main problem is that it takes time to make the changes. There is a pretty simple solution for this but it needs to be implemented on the camera manufacturer level. I actually suggested this concept to Sony (if you have seen our interview with them from IBC earlier this year). Basically, the idea is that for cameras with a fast burst such as the A1 you will be able to program in advance (and maybe assign a button as well) a series of exposures that are not identical - so the first can be high ISO, high shutter and the next will be slightly lower ISO and lower shutter etc. (basically you can choose out of the 3 main exposure aspects which to change and how many shots in a burst - so you can do 10 frames at 30fps with different exposures). My request goes further though - I would like Sony to do what smartphone manufacturers do and also provide in-camera combined images although even just a burst of different exposures is still progress over what we have now and is super simple for Sony to implement.
That would be ideal - if anyone would be willing to add it, it would be Sony.
@@backcountrygallery I agree. I can tell you that after the show we have been in touch with the person in Sony Europe who works directly with the engineers in Japan and we sent him 7 pages of suggestions (both software and hardware, improvements and new product ideas). What will become of it I have no idea but I already have quite a few more suggestions that I plan to send their way in 2023.
@@LensVid Hopefully they listen better than Nikon. I sent a long list of ideas Nikon through my contact there for the Z9 that, when I shared them, were enthusiastically embraced by everyone who read them (in fact, someone even sent them to Nikon Europe as well). However, not a single idea was implemented in the latest firmware (the list was sent months ago). Much of it was along the lines of multiple RSF slots, a one-touch button option for turning off subject detection, an option for spot meter hold (like we have in past pro Nikons) - that sort of thing. Instead, we can now shoot DX JPEGs at 60 FPS....
@@backcountrygallery I agree it is super frustrating. We spent a great deal of effort tracking the person in Sony who has a direct connection to the engineers in Japan (in these big companies if you don't get the right person you will not get anywhere), but so far we got no feedback on our very long document and of course, nothing from what we suggested was implemented (to be fair I am not expecting new hardware in a matter of a few months but software/firmware is doable). The fact that Sony didn't release the 2.0 firmware for the A1 is the biggest sign that they are just way too slow in working on software. I had a lot of talks with Japanese from the industry - software development is not considered in high regard in Japan (surely not as much as hardware development). That would be fine if they would be willing to outsource the software/firmware development to the U.S./Europe (or even to here in Israel where software development is thriving) but I don't see this happening sadly...
@@LensVid Honestly, Sony seems to be slipping in that regard. I remember with the a9 they added a ton of features via firmware. I also wonder if there's not worry of unintended consequences / errors. When you add a new feature, it may interfere with other features in unexpected ways. Years ago I did some software development and I know there were more than a few times I'd add a feature only to discover it messed up another one. They may not see the value in spending the time to fully test and vet the software for just a few updates. Still, I'd love to see 2.0 firmware for it.
Hi Steve , thanks for this video and live your wonderful teaching style One question: in low light i use like 1/250 of sec on my 500 with VR on to stabilize my lens Only at SS lower than my focal length i use VR on to add extra stability Is this correct approach ? Please help with your view as i have been debating a lot on this approach though I do get some very sharp ones but are there any cons to this ?
I tell people to use VR whenever you need the assist. If you can hand-hold at 1/500th without it, then turn it off. If you need it, keep it on. No biggie :)
@@backcountrygallery thaks Steve My dilema was that i use VR with slow shutter speed in very low light to get slow shutter. Speed benefit and with VR to knock off any shake to some extent So my thought process was that at 1/2500 with VR on in low light is equivalent to higher SS to freeze motion without shake and with 1/250 i get benefit of slow SS gathering extra light to lower the iso
Nice tip here. I guess this is exposure bracketing? Rather than use the timer and miss a ton of shots I recommend the bluetooth remote for Sony (Sony RMT-P1BT)
It's not really exposure bracketing since you're maintaining the same reciprocal exposure. You're just adding mor eolith by gradually decreasing shutter speed so you can use lower ISOs
Back when I was shooting ISO50 Fujichrome with my 500mm f4.5L a cable release was critical. Additionally, there were shutter speeds you had to avoid because the vibration caused by the mirror (if you didn't have mirror lock up) extended through the entire exposure so you could either shoot faster shutter speeds (hard to do with fixed ISO) or much lower...so that the mirror vibration was only during the early portion of the exposure. Autofocus and VR and variable ISO with "keepers" at ISO400 and above was completely unheard of. Am I dating myself yet?
Thanks. The term for this is called "bracketing."
It's not - it's reciprocity. :) Bracketing is when you adjust the actual exposure value (EV) for an image, typically shooting one shot a little brighter, one normal, and one darker. This technique isn't changing the brightness (EV) of the image, instead it's using reciprocal exposures to increase the signal to noise ratio for the image, allowing us to lower ISO amplification. The exposure value stays the same.
Hi Steve, Can you setup the camera to half step overexposed for metering, auto ISO, and shutter priority? There are variances of the light that doing manually comes really painful... moreover that the speed of reaction is biologically constrained!! I have Nikon D750. Thanks!
If you don't want to shoot full manual, just use manual + Auto ISO (see my video on it, look up Steve Perry + Manual With Auto ISO). Set this way, the camera will automatically knock the ISO down as you drop shutter speed. (So you only need to adjust shutter speed).
Thanks for the great technique. Question: With new cameras with great low light ISO capabilities, and great new software to rid our photos of noise, describe the penalty for relying on these camera and software capabilities?
As good as software and ISO are now, they still work better at lower ISO values. I'm actually thinking of doing a video to demonstrate this. However, in short, you'll always get better results at lower ISOs if you can pull them off. You can do noise reduction to higher ISO shots, but you can also do noise reduction - and have much better results - at medium (or even lower) ISO shots.
@@backcountrygallery I think a video on this topic would be great! Thanks for your reply and your diligence for helping others with the photography!
Very useful technique ! But what about VR, even on a tripod ?
VR on a tripod depends on the lens. I use it all the time with a loose gimbal and it allows me to drop my initial "safe" shutter speed to lower than what I used as an example in the video :)
Good Idea, Steve, but need a very patient animal. One question. Is there an option for bracketing with ISO? Maybe this can work faster.
If you use M + Auto ISO, the camera should bracket with ISO. However, the key is to get a better signal to noise ratio, and bracketing is just moving ISO up and down and keeping F/stop and shutter speed the same. However, if you use M + Auto ISO you can just adjust the shutter speed and the camera will drop ISO automatically. Search "Steve Perry + Manual with Auto ISO" for more info.
I would take 1st rough shot: 1/250s & ISO 6400. Then usually follow with better compositions which is the most important factor.
Using this technique and using better composition are not mutually exclusive.
Thanks Steve. Unrelated to Iso, Is there a way to delete entire series during payback review? On occasion i have hit the shutter button accidentally while camera is set for high fps. How do yo easily delete all images in this burst?
It depends on the camera. You can do it with the Z9 using these instructions: While viewing a series, if you decide at some point the entire burst was so embarrassingly bad that you would like to erase all evidence that you were involved, you can! While viewing the burst in Playback Mode, press the “i” Menu and click Manage Series on the resulting screen. At the very bottom, you’ll see an option for Delete. Give it a click, confirm, and the series is banished from your cards, leaving your reputation intact. Note that if you have Delete Pictures From Both Slots turned on under the Playback Menu, this option is not available. In addition, you must has “List series as single thumbnails” turned on under the Playback > Series Playback menu (we saw that menu a few pages back).
@@backcountrygallery Thanks Steve. My problem was the setting To Delete Pictures from Both Slots was turned on.
I’d be interested to know whether anyone has swapped their aperture dial for ISO? As i get more experienced I seem to pre-select my aperture (and quite often fully wide open for super telephoto) so starting to think I should be using the applicable dial for ISO which I change more often and under pressure…
Try shooting Manual + Auto ISO (search Steve Perry Manual + Auto ISO for a tutorial). Set this way, you control the F/stop and shutter speed and the camera floats ISO for a proper brightness level. Makes changes in the field incredibly fast.
👍🏻❤️💯
With DXO and Topaz ISO10000 was no problem with z6ii...
But you lose some details.
It’s good info but I don’t think it’s a pro tip necessarily. It’s pretty beginner info in my opinion but definitely a good video nonetheless! I think a pro tip to this solution to speed things up, would be to know what ISO your camera gets too soft and grainy for your liking and adjust your shutter speed to stay below that ISO. For me, it’s usually 1000 ISO that gets too soft and grainy for me. I adjust my shutter speed to keep my ISO 800 or less but never use less than 1/80 shutter speed. (Hand held) So if I’m at 1/80 and 1250 ISO f6.5, I will usually just put my camera down and enjoy the moment with the animal because I know I won’t like the softness and graininess. (I use a 7D M2 with a Sigma 150-600mm C. So my setup is a bit older and doesn’t handle high ISO as well as the newer cameras so 1000 ISO is high for me) If it’s overcast and low light, I will start with 1/80 shutter speed and if it gives me an ISO of 1000 or higher, then I know to just move on or wait for more light. If I shoot in bursts, I will always get something sharp at 1/80 so a safety shot at a higher ISO isn’t needed or worth it in my opinion because I know I won’t use the photo due to grain and softness. A pro would look out the window and know what their settings would be just by seeing the weather. Haha Looking forward to more tips and videos! 👊😎
See, I'd argue that 1/80th then is your "safe" speed - again, as I stressed in the video, my speed of 1/250th was just an example. So, if your safe speed is 1/80th and you have the shot, why not try 1/40th or even 1/20th? Or, why not try the self-timer tip? Instead of taking a pass on the shot, you might still be able to get it (if the shot is worth getting of course - often when the light is getting that low I too call it a day unless it's something really cool). As for if it's a pro tip or not, who knows? It makes good ad copy :) Although, I have to say, I very seldom see people using this method and almost never see anyone using the self-timer trick.
@@backcountrygallery I appreciate the feedback on that! I have tried all of those speeds hand held and have found 1/60 and 1/80 to be a big difference and almost never got a sharp photo at 1/60. I have been meaning to experiment with the self timer but haven’t given it much of a chance yet honestly. I will play with it the next time I go out to the owls in the forest nearby haha Hope to see more videos soon!
@@ValentineWildlife The self timer trick only works under very specific conditions of course, but I have to say, it's helped quite a few of our workshop participants in Costa Rica over the years. For them, it's often a one-time trip and it has allowed them to get a shot they really wanted in conditions that were just too dark for any other method. Have fun!!
I agree about this not being much of a 'secret' pro level tip..but still good info. Another more advanced tip would be knowing in which range of iso's, changing the iso makes little or no difference in noise, because of how the camera works with gain.
@@maitland1007 Very true. Most of the time I think it's where the duo gain circuit kicks in. The big reason this technique works of course is the longer shutter speeds :)
The problem with this technique is that if you're waiting for action, the whole process takes a lot of time and will result in being in the wrong settings when the action abruptly starts (ie bird taking off, etc). On my z9, I have a lens mount function button set to kick the camera in to "stationary subject mode" which includes a single AF point in afs and a slow shutter speed (which can be bumped slower or faster depending on what the scenario demands). Tapping the button once kicks it in to that mode, tapping it again kicks it back to my main settings which are ready for quick action (afc, fast shutter speed, and whatever af mode I chose). Doing it this way makes sure I spend as little time as possible to get that stationary portrait without risking losing the great takeoff shot. Doing it this way also allows me to toggle quickly so that if the animal or bird changes it's pose and I want a number of different looks, I can simply tap back and forth with the flick of my finger. In the end this gives me more keepers and less risk.
That's not the point of this technique. This is a technique I use when the light is really low and action shutter speeds are out of question since they would require ISO north of 25,600. Think of this as sort of a last-ditch shot attempt :) For your example, I have my a1 set in a similar way - I have an "emergency action button" that I can use to instantly jump to an appropriate AF area, shutter speed, etc. I can't do it on my Z9 since my RSF function is otherwise occupied turning subject detection on and off as needed and Nikon only gives us one RSF...
@@backcountrygallery note I mention this technique is problematic “if you’re waiting for action”. It’s worth mentioning because I’d anticipate some experimenting with this technique in such a scenario. I certainly wasn’t being critical of you. It’s a great tip that also works similarly in landscapes.
@@michaelpaulphotoworks5392 Oh, no offense taken at all :) I hear what you're saying now about someone messing with this when it's not necessary and missing a shot. You do have to exercise caution, that's for sure :)
wha? Most must know this one simple trick
In general, photographers, often coming from the era of film seem far too concerned with keeping low iso, and miss many great action shots because of it. I am much more concerned with keeping a high enough shutter speed to capture more interesting moments than a noise free static subject.....I do use your technique but only in extremely low light.....I can capture interesting action shots at times some other photographers may become overly concerned with iso.... Modern cameras and software allow me to shoot at 10,000 iso (sometimes above) with no problems at all... I still can create noise free images, but ones where a lower shutter speed would mean i missed that once in a lifetime moment.
As a someone coming from the film era, I regularly shoot at higher ISOs (6400-12,88 and sometimes higher) when necessary. :) As explained in the video, the technique is for very specific circumstances. I never advocate using it for action and, in fact, warn against it in the video. Also, I'd add that although I can make an ISO 10,000 shot work with noise reduction, I always get better results if I can shoot that some shot at a lower ISO. When noise truly overwhelms fine detail, no software can get it back.
@@backcountrygallery Understood, I've learnt much of my photographic technique following your youtube channel. I do though talk to a lot of photographers, paricularly those coming from film whos fear of high iso impacts on their ability to capture some of the images they are looking for..My own approach is that I am always expecting a static shot to turn into something with exciting motion , and often it does....so in general i'm setting up for action even when shooting a perched bird for example, thus higher shutter speeds than is needed for the static shot. In general, i have a minimum for action of 1/2000 so as long as the iso is 10,000 or below, i'm happy enough. If i can push shutter speed higher for faster subjects and still be below 10,000 i do. I shoot 12800 at times, but then i start to notice the image takes on a certain crunchy look..This is with a Sony A1 and 600mm f4... I have never found an image of 10,000 or below to ever be overwelmed by so much noise that it makes it unusable. I am happy to sacrifice a small amount of detail in low light if necessary for the mood or excitiment an image can generate.. I'm happier with a sharp and noisier action shot that a blurred clean one....but in extremely low light i do of course forget about action and just drop shutter speed as you suggest....Also if i just want the static image, which is quite rare, i do then drop shutter speed hugely. As an example, I was shooting a European robin perced on a branch, but set up for action as i describe....in very low , sunset light.....I took a burst and it took off and caught a mosquito..... it turned into a great image...sharp because i push shutter speeds and iso higher than most people i talk to......A subtle loss of ultimate detail, if that is the cost, does not effect the impact of the image....its only one factor in what can make an image great.
@@ivorottleymusic I hear ya. Most of the time, this technique is when any hope of action is well in the rear view. Sort of a last-ditch attempt. In general, I tend to think along the same lines as you do - I'm usually using a bit higher shutter speed in anticipation of action, although if I think there's a lull, I'll quickly drop shutter speed to get a cleaner shot and then pop it back up again (this, on occasion, causes missed opportunities, but overall the benefits outweigh the downsides). Still, it depends on the ISO and how well I think the image will take noise reduction (some take it better than others). One trick I do with the a1 is I have my Movie button set to Recall Custom hold 1 which is set to change my AF area to Zone, shutter speed to 1/3200th, open the lens, etc - an emergency action button. That way, I can mess around with slower speeds and if something happens, my thumb is only a centimeter away from putting the camera into full action mode. Not foolproof, but helpful :)
@@backcountrygallery I copied that movie button setup from you....I've found it very helpful, so thank you....it does make a lot of sence... :)
What secret?
Who has time for this with wildlife?
The only way I have found in the real world situations is auto iso? You then just keep an eye on it dropping your shutter speed and opening up the aperture to keep it at its lowest. Is this a secret? no. Click bait.
There are still plenty of people who don't know about this technique, and that's who the video is for. Steve has a ton of great videos with real tips, is one of the most straightforward youtubers who doesn't waste the viewer's time. Pretty much the opposite of clickbait.
@@roribune8162 Oh you must me one of his disciples. I have also followed and seen most if not all of Steves work, including buying many of his books. But this is clickbait. It's sad that someone of his experience and knowledge has to resort to this to work the algarithm.
The fact that you imply that you know something others don't, might backfire. I'm not following you, and this specific video certainly won't change my mind on that subject. Just happy, for once, that KZhead showed me someone that I do not need to pay any attention to. Any "selfmade god" that attempts to know all and everything and just have to burst it out to everyone else as the total truth gets a serious downrank (or a 100% block). Good luck getting revenue...
Nice idea but unless your subject is comatose or asleep not sure how anyone could pull this off.
I show multiple examples in the video where I've used it and have even more on my HD that I didn't have have a place for in the video. It's not a tool you can use every time, and I mentioned that as well.