Is ISO 400 better than 200?
ISO 400 is twice as sensitive as ISO 200 and just as with shutter speed and aperture, when we double the light to the sensor, we refer to this as one 'stop' of light. ISO 400 is one stop brighter than ISO 200 and that means it would take half as much time to record the same amount of light at the sensor.
The difference is the sensitivity of the film to light. 400 speed is twice as sensitive as 200 speed film. As for contrast/exposure latitude/whatnot it depends on the individual film. In general lower speed films tend to be/appear sharper, have less grain, and smoother gradients.
400 ISO film set at 800 on your camera is 1 Stop (+1) underexposure because it's doubled. But if you put 400 ISO film as 200 on your camera—that would be a 1 Stop (-1) overexposure because you halved it.
A low ISO value (e.g. 100 or 200) means low sensitivity to light. This is exactly what's needed in bright conditions in order to avoid overly-exposed photos. A high ISO value (e.g. 800, 1600 or higher) means a high sensitivity to light.
On a sunny day with ISO 200 film / setting and aperture at f/16, set shutter speed to 1/200 or 1/250. On a sunny day with ISO 400 film / setting and aperture at f/16, set shutter speed to 1/400 or 1/500.
Each camera has a base ISO, which has the best image quality. This is generally ISO 100. As you increase your ISO, your camera becomes more sensitive to light.
ISO 100 or 200 film speeds are best for bright lighting conditions and outdoor photography. As this is a slower film, more light will be required for exposures. If there is not enough light available, slow film may result in dark or blurry photographs.
When you use low ISO values such as 300 and lower, generally the result is a higher quality photo. Bright conditions — like shooting outdoors on a sunny day — benefit from lower values. Landscape photography, for example, is very well-suited to low ISO values. They keep photos from looking overly-exposed or washed out.
- ISO 100-200: Best for bright daylight.
- ISO 200-400: Slightly less ambient light, such as indoors during the daytime or outdoors in the shade.
- ISO 400-800: Indoors, with a flash.
- ISO 800-1600: Low light indoors or at night when you can't use a flash.
ISO 400 film is perfect for low light, or if you just don't know what sort of light you'll have. ISO 400 film is great for shooting indoors without flash, and it still has a clean, clear image for use in daylight.
What's the difference between 400 and 200 film?
At 400 ISO it is a flexible speed to cover most situations, from sunny days to overcast evenings. Kodak Gold 200 is slower and has finer grain, as well as warmer colours. Kodak Ultramax 400 is faster than gold, with more grain, and a more neutral tone.
So for the best possible image quality when shooting at night, keep the ISO as low as you can. If you can get a fast-enough shutter speed at ISO 400, use that. Dial in the lowest possible ISO setting that will give you a fast-enough shutter speed to avoid camera shake.
This is a great choice for most point-and-shoot cameras where flash is used indoors. ISO 400--This film is a great film for those who want to shoot outdoors and then move indoors without a flash. This film should be used for sports because you can use a fast shutter speed and get considerable depth of field.
Low ISO. Choosing a low ISO setting, say less than 400, is best when there's a lot of light or when you have a tripod and the style of photograph you want to make allows you to use a long exposure.
Anything brightly lit: Inside when a flash is needed, or outside when there's bright sunlight. General purpose: Indoors when you might need a flash, outside when there's decent light.
Generally speaking, if shooting in bright sunlight with a digital camera, it is best to choose the lowest native ISO setting on your camera which is normally ISO100 or ISO200 depending on camera model.
If you plan to shoot indoors in low light conditions, film ISOs of 400, 800, or even 1600 are preferred. If you are shooting outside and you have lots of sunlight, try to use ISO 100 film, or even slower (you can find films with ISO 50 or 25).
High-speed or fast, films range from 400 to 3200 ISO. These films give you a lot more flexibility on overcast days and in low light situations. Also, they are a good choice if you're shooting fast-moving subjects.
Best ISO camera settings
ISO values from ISO 100-ISO 400 are considered low ISOs. However, in those situations where there's not much light available or you need to increase the shutter speed, you'll most likely have to set a high ISO setting, usually between ISO 800 and ISO 6400. You should set the max.
Lower number = Lower sensitivity = Finer quality photos
The photos have ISO in the following order: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200. As you can see, the higher the number, the stronger the noise becomes. For this reason, I advise keeping your ISO levels as low as possible, but without impacting the image in other ways.
What is the most popular ISO?
The ISO 9000 family is the world's best-known quality management standard for companies and organizations of any size.
An ISO between 400–800 works great on an overcast day. Exposure — Lower your shutter speed to let more light reach the cell, making your photos brighter.
ISO 100 may be impractical for night photography, but ISO 400, 800, or even ISO 1600 should be enough in most situations.
For most full-frame cameras, ISO 3200 or 6400 are great for night photography. For most crop-sensor cameras, ISO 1600-3200 are great if it's a relatively new camera, or ISO 1600 if it's a much older camera.
It's an excellent choice for taking portraits indoors with natural lighting. ISO 400 film can also be used outdoors in cloudy or overcast conditions. It's a great film to have on hand if you don't know what your plans are, and you think you'll be shooting both inside and outside.
The ISO setting is how light sensetive the sensor is. This emulates how you could use films with different sensetivity. You should set the ISO as low as possible, as long as there is sufficient light to take a good picture. In low light situations you can raise the ISO to reduce the need for light.
Since ISO plays a vital role within the exposure triangle (how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO interact with each other to make each exposure), your “proper” ISO setting will change based upon many factors. However, one thing is certain, the higher the ISO number, the more grainy your photos will become.
If your ISO is too high, the image will be overexposed. The key here is to balance the ISO with the aperture. Use the base ISO value and use the shutter speed that provides the best exposure. This is more ideal when shooting with natural light, in well lit places or where there is plenty of sunshine.
- Keep ISO as low as possible (around 100)
- Use an aperture of f/4 or lower for portraits and f/11 for wide shots.
- Select the white balance preset or use a custom setting for the specific lighting conditions.
- Shoot in RAW photo format for better editing.
Just to second Ron's comments, images at ISO 400 are grainy, just like when shooting ISO 400 film is grainier than with ISO 50 or ISO 100. See any digital camera review at this site, and look at the pages about image quality when shot at ISO 400. This is to be expected.
Is 200 or 400 film better for outside?
400 speed for indoors, or outdoors on cloudy days and action subjects. 200 speed if you can't make up your mind between 100 and 400.
The best tip for picking the right ISO setting remains the same as it did for film speed: use the lowest ISO you can and still get a properly exposed photo, with a fast-enough shutter speed to stop motion and cancel out camera shake, and an F-Stop large or small enough to accomplish the depth of field desired.
It's personal preference. If you like washed out soft colours then overexpose. If you like a gritty, muddy look then underexpose. But keep in mind that negative film holds more information in overexposure than underexposure hence manages to do better when overexposed.
ISO 100 -> ISO 200 is one stop. ISO 200-> ISO 400 is one stop. So far so good. Let's move onto Shutter Speed stops.
The "normal" range of camera ISO is about 200 to 1600. With today's digital cameras you can sometimes go as low as 50 or as high as over three million, depending upon the camera model. The number chosen has two important qualities associated with it. First, it sets the amount of light needed for a good exposure.
When shooting indoors, it would be recommended to shoot on shutter priority mode (Tv for Canon, S for Nikon) with a shutter speed no slower than 1/60 to 1/200. Anything higher than 1/200 may gain interference from any artificial lighting source you may have.
200 ISO: Slow Film Speed
The Kodak Gold is a 200 ISO film, which means that it captures images with a slow film speed. 200 ISO cameras are suitable for bright daylight and well-lit indoor shots. Without a doubt, the Kodak Gold 200 is one of the best 35mm films in the 200 ISO range.
With ISO 400 film, you can take photos indoors using light from doorways or windows. It's an excellent choice for taking portraits indoors with natural lighting. ISO 400 film can also be used outdoors in cloudy or overcast conditions.
ISO 100 or 200 film speeds are best for bright lighting conditions and outdoor photography. As this is a slower film, more light will be required for exposures. If there is not enough light available, slow film may result in dark or blurry photographs.
(There are many good reasons to upgrade, ISO performance just isn't the main factor to me.) The bottom line is that I still wouldn't go much higher than ISO 1600-3200 for important photos, although unlike most predecessors I might consider using these cameras as high as 6400-12800 for professional journalism / action.
Can you shoot 200 ISO at night?
At ISO 200, around f2 and 1/30 should let you get highlight detail under reasonably good street lights IME - that's my standard for shooting at night in brightly lit shopping streets. You might want to experiment with results at higher and lower speeds to see how slow you can shoot handheld.
So for the best possible image quality when shooting at night, keep the ISO as low as you can. If you can get a fast-enough shutter speed at ISO 400, use that. Dial in the lowest possible ISO setting that will give you a fast-enough shutter speed to avoid camera shake.