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I've been using Manual with auto-iso as my standard setting for quite some time now regardless of what I'm shooting. So long as you keep an eye on the ISO you can adjust shutter speed and aperture without taking your eye from the viewfinder and for everyday outdoor photography where you're not doing much more than taking ''snapshots' it's brilliant and a kind of 'super-auto'.

Awesome tip steve. One thing which people normally overlook in the auto iso menu is that min. shutter speed is a preferred setting and not a locked setting i.e. when the camera meters to the max. iso set and still cannot achieve desired exposure, it reduces the shutter speed to attain proper exposure.

Funny thing, I remember going back 20 years with the first digital cameras I actually said "why don't they have auto iso" as a variable. I remember getting weird looks but it always made sense. When I got back into photography a few years ago I was delighted to see modern cameras now embrace this, it's really just "gain" like we have in video but it works out really well. On another note now some cameras offer custom shoot settings so at a button press you can get a whole new set of shutter speed, aperture, iso, focus mode, etc at the press of a button making those surprise bird moments where they fly off appropriate settings instantly at your fingertips. I have a lot of respect for photographers who captured images in the days of 35mm film and generally a max iso of 1000, manual focus, etc.. We sure have come a long since then making excellent wildlife images attainable for the masses.

Steve-- a friend of mine told me today that he shoots this way and it's all the rage in his photo club (largely because he's a board member and people listen to him). It's Aug 2023 and when doing a KZfaq search found this video (and by the way I've subscribed to your channel for a while and love your content). You do caveat that this method isn't for everyone, and I would say it's not for me, and I think there's a compelling reason why. First of all, I think we can all agree that the primary result of settings choice is proper exposure. Beyond that, the specific choices of the exposure triangle are a function of creative/technical choices...i.e. shutter speed--motion control, aperture--depth of field control, and ISO--noise control. I'm a BIG fan of shooting in Auto ISO, so we agree on that much. But rather than shoot in Manual, I think it's wiser to shoot in Aperture priority or Shutter priority depending on the creative choice you're prioritizing for the particular shot. Why? In your method, if you happened to have taken a shot of a stationary subject and used a small aperture, say f/11. And then you're getting ready to take another shot where you're concerned about freezing motion (e.g. a bird getting ready to take flight), your first instinct will be to adjust your shutter speed to a faster setting....but if you forget, are inattentive, or simply don't have time to also adjust your aperture, you'll end up with a much higher ISO than you likely need because your aperture is still at f/11. If however you're shooting in Shutter priority, and you do the same thing (dial in a fast shutter speed), the camera will automatically give you a proper exposure with the LOWEST possible ISO (achieved by opening the lens aperture automatically). And if you were to suggest that you also wanted to control the depth of field, you would notice while you're dialing in shutter speed what the corresponding aperture being chosen by the camera is--and if you're being intentional, attentive, and have time, you can fiddle with the shutter speed until you're satisfied with both settings...by focusing on just choosing the shutter speed. Bottom line, I think your method is prone to error in a faster-paced shooting scenario where you either have limited time to dial in all the settings, and/or your attention is consumed either by the subject/scene or by the intentional creative control you're trying to affect. Great respect, and a great fan Steve, so I'm not throwing shade. And by the way for those familiar with Nikon (which I know you're intimately familiar with), if you choose the Program automatic mode, you can see what shutter speed AND aperture the camera is deciding to use for a shot...and if you don't like it, you simply pivot the command dial to affect the shutter/aperture combination...in some ways it's the best of both world between Aperture priority and Shutter priority. (and of course using Auto ISO the whole time)

Your videos are excellent. You do a really great job of breaking concepts down and applying them to practical situations. Thank-you!

Steve; I know this video was done in 2014 but just a note to let you know it is still helping people. I have a new Panasonic G9 and the suggestion you made worked well for shooting videos in manual mode with the ISO controlled by the camera. The G9 also has the exposure reading in the EVF so if necessary the exposure setting can also be adjusted while under Auto ISO control. I could not find any other information on this and its possible to more experienced users how this can be done but your video addressed it directly. Thanks again.

I figuered this one out myself shortly after buying my first DSLR 3100 and when I explained this in forums I got laughed at and people didn't fully understand how it works and questioned this method. I still use this all the time!

This is an excellent tip Steve! Thank you for sharing, all your videos are very informative and have opened my eyes to things I never thought to do.

Great idea. I never thought about this...setting AUTO ISO, and MANUAL mode.

I first used this Auto ISO feature in manual mode with my Canon EOS 6D camera. I was photographing vintage automobiles in an indoor car museum. The lighting in the museum was all over the place. Some type of commercial lighting, like the lights used in a warehouse. The chrome, the different color paint on the vehicles, and the auto glass were either in the dark, or they were blowing up with reflected light from the ceiling lights. 90 out of 100 shots were spot on for a proper exposure. It's an incredible and little known camera function.

thanks out of 100 videos i could watch this one means something

I just picked up Sigma's new 150-600. I had started playing with auto-iso for wildlife, thanks for the full explanation on this method. Helps a lot! And thanks Nikon Rumors for linking it!

Your training videos are number 1. For passionate photographers you are the main man! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

This technique is perfect for using my 40 year old film SLR Contax 139 Vintage lenses with my new Sony A7 full frame that I just bought the body only. I set the shutter speed and the F-stop and the camera sets the ISO. I can watch and if the ISO goes too high I can also adjust my shutter speed or F-stop. It worked tonight taking light trails of cars on the street and on the highway. It also worked indoors. I bought a $40 lens adapter C/Y to E-mount. It takes more adjusting however I get to use my 4 old lenses and teleconverters and filters and hoods instead of spending $2,000 to buy new ones.

I found this video last night, tried it today and was amazed with the simplicity of it and how well it works. I am also amazed, if disappointed that I hadn't thought of it!!!! Thank you so much Steve!!!

I have long been a fan of using the camera's meter to set the exposure, and of using exp comp to darken or lighten an image, but with this new trick, I'll be saving time by not having to set and reset the ISO! Thanks a lot! I've just read the comment by Steve Mason. Well said! I'll test it out tomorrow! I'll let you know how I got on. Limitations aside; I absolutely love shooting film! I'm subscribing to your channel now!

This tip has been extremely helpful. I have used it for several weeks now, and it has allowed me to be in changing lighting situations and still capture the shot! Thanks Steve

What a great tuition video. This changed my photography overnight. I have been struggling with manual for months on my Nikon, particularly with poor exposure where I wanted faster shutter. I still have lots to learn but, my results today are really encouraging. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing. This is so helpful for a newbie like myself. I understand how the ISO works, but I don’t want to constantly have to adjust it. All of your videos are great and to the point. Thank you for not making us watch you frolic through the woods for 12 minutes before teaching us something.

2:13 thank you for this perspective! legend!

Thank u Steve U have heavily influenced and changed my photography style which is far better than what I was doing - your understanding is phenomenal and u make it so easy for simple people like me -

Steve, Great Great video. I've been struggling with Auto iso for years on my Nikon. I finally feel I'm in command of my camera. Love the examples. Not just theory but actual hands on way to use your camera. Thanks again.

Thanks very much, good video. Manual with Auto ISO has been my go to setting since taking digital photography seriously. Im mostly street and city based in Hong Kong, one minute your in a very sunny environment, next in a shaded alley, so this is perfect.. To be honest I dont really understand why this setting is not promoted more on KZfaq. Once again, great video.

I love this for action/sports/wildlife photography for the exact reasons you mention. I get to set my shutter and aperture as I want for my creative vision, but the camera makes sure my exposure is spot on (assuming light allows with my max ISO setting). Some people give you funny looks when you say you shoot with auto-iso, but I love it. It is the only "auto" mode I use on a consistent basis.

Very lucid and informative. Every time I watch your videos I get better grasp of the subject. Thank you so much.

This is very helpful for me. Thank you. I'm an amature who just upgraded from an old Nikon D40x to a Z50. This Auto ISO appears to be standard now and I love it, but it was totally new to me. The old D40 didn't have this. One thing that I think it worth noting is something that took me a really long time to figure out (the manual didn't help) is the function of the ISO button when in Manual Mode. When in manual mode with Auto iso turned OFF, holding the ISO button and rotating the dial turns the ISO value yellow and changes the ISO as you would expect. When Auto ISO is turned ON, holding the ISO button and rotating the back dial changes the max allowable ISO (instead of just changing the ISO like in a priority mode). Note that the manual ISO value and the max Auto ISO value are two completely independent values. For example, let's say you have Auto ISO turned ON. If you are in P mode and the ISO is set to 200, you can then switch to M mode, and the iso will change automatically up to the max Auto ISO setting (let's say 4000). Let's say you then hold the ISO button and rotate the dial, this changes the max Auto ISO from 4000 to, let's say 3200. If you then switch back to P mode, the ISO will go back to 200 where you left it. This is kind of a funky behavior if you switch between modes and expect the iso setting to persist between them.

it makes sense. i thought about this when i first got my Canon 40D and shooting birds in flight and having a tough time choosing whether AV or TV mode with Auto ISO. Been using this Manual Mode with Auto ISO ever since. You explained it beautifully.

I really appreciate the clarity of your explanations. Thanks!

This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for and so clearly explained and understood. Bravo!

Love this video! I have two Nikon DSLR's, and have adjusted them accordingly. You have given me the understanding I lacked and needed. Thank you!

Great explanation, Steve. I was already aware of this trick but in here is very well described and demonstrated. Good job! :)

Just wandered around the house- quickly trying it and it seems like a great setting for my 7100, thank you.

You sir make THE BEST camera related videos there is!!!!! Awesome job!!!!

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this setup, I recently purchased a Nikon D500 and I'm a complete novice at manual photography, I've been using a colony of feral cats that we feed as my practice subjects, for the most part I set my shutter to 1/100 to 1/250 - f2.8 - ISO 100 which provides me with some truly amazing pictures but is less than useless when the kittens break into full out blasting around mode, I found by the time I changed my shutter speed, f-stop for more depth of field then ISO to suit I was way too slow and missing some truly hilarious action, this setup has helped me very much and I really appreciate you providing this information...!

Hey Steve, I just found your page while searching google on why my camera wouldn't fire rapidly while using back button focus and single servo mode. Your video on AF-on and back button focus cleared up all of my problems by switching to continuous servo! Subscribed, and would just like to say thanks for the great videos!! I will definitely continue to watch religiously as I venture to become a respectable photographer!

Nikon users, Set one of the user positions on the top dial up for this and you can switch from manual to manual with auto ISO very quickly.

Thanks, Steve. I've been using Aperture priority with auto-ISO for years and it works well in bright situations. In dark situations, it was a pain to dive into the menus to change my minimum shutter speed for a stationary subject and back again when the subject moved. This manual technique solves that issue. I recently used it when shooting great gray owls in very dark light and during Red Bull Crashed Ice when I needed a fast shutter (high ISO) and needed to quickly shift to a slower shutter for tight shots of faces.

Hi Steve. I am now working with a D850 and looking around quite a bit at the Nikon tips. This auto ISO tip was very useful. Thanks for taking the time to present this.

That was just an amazing tutorial and you covered almost all issues very beautifully!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Very useful tip. I like how you always explain things with practical examples.

Brilliant! Thank you! With my Nikon Z6, higher ISO values still produce great images, so this technique is extremely useful. I am so glad I came across your video.

Superb tutorial, beautifully delivered Steve! I'll be trying this on my next shoot. Cheers!

Using this method now with my D500 and 200-500 combo instead of Aperture settings and transformed my shooting! Thank you for the great tips, reviews and channel! 😃🇬🇧🇺🇸

THIS is awesome. This tip is perfect for today's cameras and, will up your shot percentage. Excellent Steve.

Thanks Steve. How nicely you explained. You made a difference . Hats off. Thank you very much again.

I have said this before and I'll say it again. Steve is "Da Man"! I have both of his books, and love his videos. One day, I'll go on one of his tours.

All of your videos are extremely helpful and informative,thank you so much.

Wow! Worked perfectly for my new D7500... Vivid, Clean, and Crisp! Perfect Exposure. Thanks Steve!

finally someone explained auto ISO where I could understand that setting...Awesome !!

Steve; Great tips as always! Can't wait to try this with my D3. I normally shoot Manual mode and auto ISO, but when in low light now, I just adjust my aperture or shutter speed to work accordingly. You do a great job of explaining the setup and will be ordering your ebook when I get back home on my computer. Thanks again!

I have used this technique with my Nikon D7500 and have noticed that it attracts digital noise more. If the auto iso setting is off there is concern about shutter speed going down but with extra care and keeping the shooter alert, the problem of attracting heavy noise could be manageable.

Thanks, i'm just getting started with my nikon D3300 so this is by far the best info that i have come across for learning everything about my new hobby .

Steve, a brilliant video, this is going to help my concert photography as much as my wildlife shots, thanks from a new subscriber.

Thank you for the tip about using manual mode with auto ISO. I just purchased a Nikon D5500 and am using my old Tamron 28-300 macro zoom lens. I know it isn't the best of equipment, but it's what I can afford. Anyway, with the Tamron lens I have to use the manual setting on the camera. I've done very little manual mode shooting, but have played with it some. I just came in from practicing in my neighborhood and fell on this video. How great this is!!! I can get used to setting the shutter and F-stop. I do a lot of hiking and shooting in the Great Smoky Mountains. I know how quickly a shot can be lost when coming across wildlife. Thank you again. This is going to make things so much better for me. Can't wait to view your other videos.

Cool video. 2 things though... 1 if it's too bright the iso won't be able to go low enough and you'll get an over exposed image. 2 you can enable/disable auto iso by holding the iso button and turning the opposite control wheel to that which sets the iso. It's a great function that i use all the time!

Coincidentally, I stumbled across this trick two days ago while out shooting- great explanation in this video and a very cool thing to use.

This is definitely not for everyone but I use it when I need to and it works a charm. It is very useful for bird photography as they move rapidly between light and dark areas in trees, or when the weather is partly cloudy and the light changes rapidly.

This is awesome. I am not sure how I never thought of it but it is perfect for taking pictures of my boys. One minute they can be on a couch indoors and I want a shot of them actually getting along... the next minute we can be outside on scooters or tossing a football. I have often switched between A or S .. but I like this MUCH better as I dial in my tolerance and go. Thank you!!

Thanks Steve, for sharing your expertise, I’ve learned a lot, like your channel!

Wonderful tutorials and tips I am now following you for even more, thanks again.

I just got a D810 for Heli Photography and used this technique! I love it! Thank you!

I have tried this method and fell in love with it. Then I realised that my Canon 7d won't accept exposure compensation in this mode. I believe that the 7d mkII will though. Great video as always Steve, really well explained and entertaining. Keep up the great work

Thanks for the video, now i get how that auto iso works on Nikon. One downside of this method is that on entry level Nikons with only one dial you can't set the exposure comp via button in manual mode and have to go quick settings for that.

Steve this makes so much sense! Thanks for another great video.

thanks very much for this video , I have been in manual mode only because i always wanted control over shutter and aperture and other modes didn't make sense- I always wondered why was there not the mode discussed here !! now i can use it, cheers

I realized this setting by myself when I used the g9x mark ii, and I LOVED this setting. I thought it was so good that I questioned why everyone is talking about that Av is so good. BUT this dont work with my LX5 and my G12 camera which is a REAAAL bummer. Now I need to find a camera that I like that have this "feature"... Great video:)

Watched your video last night and tried it today and realized I’ve been shooting wrong forever. I always used aperture priority and my success rate was not very good. With this method it’s quite clear(pardon the pun) that this is the way to go. Thank you for this video!

Great video and better personality! So many angry know it all photographers out there and you provide useful information and a friendly "hey this may not work for everyone" disclaimer =)

Hi there Steve. Excellent video and tip! Thanks for your time and effort. Much appreciated.

Excellent video, thanks for this setup tip.

Thanks. Very useful and novel technique for using auto ISO in manual mode.

Great video, and refresher course for me. Really like, in manual mode, aperture and shutter speed, and ISO in auto mode. THen for tweaking, you have exposure compensation. Excellent!

Clear information...Subscribed Thanks, Steve!

Wow Steve. I am probably not even an amateur photographer, but I do have a Canon 60D & 80D. I just listened to your concept of applying Automatic ISO and can visualize how it should work. Robwas realized it 20 years back. I have yet to try it on my cameras, but I think I could mimic the system in one of them. Being self-taught in many areas including IT, listening to interesting videos like yours suddenly gives that "eureka" surge of energy and understanding of the concept. I will try it out and hopefully be able to give further feedback. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

Great Video. Never knew about how this feature could be used. I always thought it was a pain, but now I realize I just didn't know its capabilities. New subscriber!

I've only had my D810 for about three months. When I discovered how to set this up I'm almost always in manual mode. I don't think I've had a technically bad photo since then. D810, is my second digital camera and likely the last camera I'll buy. I love this camera! Great video BTW, I've been wondering if anyone else shoots like this.

Really well explained. Thank you.

Hi Steve, I really enjoyed your tutorial's on you tube. I shot with a Nikon D90 & a Nikon D2X , this information helped me a lot . Thanks very much. Dan

Excellent tips, Steve, thank you so much! :)

Hey Steve, I only recently discovered your videos, and they are among the best I've seen on photography. I've been using this Manual/Auto ISO option almost exclusively for years on my Nikons; you're the first reviewer that mentions this as an advantage for having total control over shutter and aperture in combination with the speed of auto exposure. It truly is a fantastic shooting option. Rather than see the advantage, the few other reviewers who mention it will simply criticize it for not being true manual. If folks really want 'true' manual, then all they have to do is turn off auto ISO when they use the Manual mode. What more can we ask of a camera, and it's one of the reasons I originally got hooked on Nikon; but as you say, other cameras have begun offering the feature.

Good teaching Mr. Perry.

Thanks for another great and easy to understand tip Steve! I do use auto-ISO all the time whenever I am birding or shooting animals, but only rarely in full manual mode. I also used to set it to a high of ISO 6400 on the D800E but think I'll back it back down to ISO 3200 as you do because I've only been happy with the ISO 6400 shots a few times. You start getting a lot of noise as it gets dark...

I am using the Auto ISO feature + manual mode in my Sony RX10 IV. The camera only displays, regardless of which screen output, "Auto ISO" and NOT the actual ISO value as I look at a dark and well lighted subject but it does work. I had to check the properties of two sample shots to see that the F-stop and shutter speed remained unchanged but the ISO value did change. It works but not apparent on the view screen as it was in your Nikon example

REALLY helpful. Once again. Much appreciated!

Hi Steve, this video has changed my low light shooting. thanks a ton. Regards- Anjan

Been watching a lurking for a while, best Wildlife Photography channel on KZfaq!

thanks Steve, very helpful info.

Really well explained. Thanks. I’d like to see a video on best ways to approach wildlife photography on a budget.

Thank you! Great explanation. I'm going to try it on my D7500 and see how it goes.

An excellent instructional video. Thank you very much for making it. I plan next time (tonight) to try AUTO ISO on my 810A w/14-24 Nikkor lens for astrophotography. Thank you again!

I really liked this video and your channel as well. Thanks for all the great content.

Great tip Steve... your channel is Awesome !

Fantastic tip, Steve. Thank you.

still relevant. thanks for being one of my go-to nikon folks. i am an appreciative subscriber. thumbs up.

I use it to shoot Handball. The light is not changing this much, but I have full control of aperture and shutter speed!

Thankyou. Perfectly explained. Regards Chris

great and very clear presentation !!!

Hi Steve. I have never used Auto ISO because I thought you had to use it in Program mode. I didn't like the results so I told my friends not to ever use Auto ISO. Thanks for this video seminar. Now I finally realize that I can use Auto ISO in Manual mode. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Thanks for the information.

Hey Steve, thanks for opening my eyes to this technique. Nearly all my amateur photography involves animals, insects or some other non-human creature. I purchased a Nikon D810 about 3 weeks ago after having owned the D7000, D7100, D600, D610, D750 cameras. Incidentally I feel like Goldilocks finding the perfect bed now that I have the D810. Anyway I've always fiddled with the ISO settings rather than going "manual" as many pros have suggested. I figured that since I'm definitely not a pro that I'd muddle through and adjust the ISO as needed to minimize noise until I felt the need _and_ skill to go manual. This video really opened my eyes so I'm going to give it a go in manual mode with auto-ISO. I often find myself wanting to change the shutter speed depending on the situation so having the aperture set and the ISO covered looks to be the answer that was staring at me for years. I recall how many times back in the film days I'd get into a situation with a roll of ASA50 film in my camera and finding that I suddenly needed some ASA400. Using this manual with auto-ISO method is like being able to instantly swap out the partially used ASA50 roll of film in my camera with a new roll of ASA400 without wasting the remaining un-exposed frames on the ASA50 roll during the "old days". And finally last but not least, DOH!