Nikon D3200 AutoISO question

[callousparade]

While stumbling around through the menu trying to find a way to limit the minimum shutter speed (just temporarily of course) I found the following. Under ISO sensitivity settings in the shooting menu, if Auto ISO is turned on I can limit the lower end of the shutter speed and the max ISO setting.

1) As long as I'm not using liveview, the camera never changes my ISO setting even though AutoISO is on (which is a good thing!) but it does limit the shutter speed. Is there any drawback to having it setup this way?

2) Seems like a stupid place to put this setting, so am I missing a different way to limit the shutter (or other settings for that matter) somewhere in this blasted menu? I don't normally use liveview, but it seems odd to let me limit the shutter only in viewfinder mode, and only if I'm willing to allow auto ISO.

Basically, I want to shoot in aperture priority but never drop below 1/15 (VR lens). I'd rather have something blinking at me to tell me to pick a different fstop than to get blurred shots from slow shutter.

[Mike Buckley]

1) As long as I'm not using liveview, the camera never changes my ISO setting even though AutoISO is on (which is a good thing!) but it does limit the shutter speed. Is there any drawback to having it setup this way?

Try shooting in Aperture Priority mode. If you use an aperture and/or minimum shutter speed setting that lets too little light into the camera to achieve the configured exposure, the ISO will be automatically increased up to the maximum limit that you have set. The reason you haven't seen this happen is because, so far, there has been no need for the camera to automatically increase the ISO.

When not using a tripod, I use a combination of Auto ISO and Aperture Priority almost all of the time. So, I can definitely vouch that this is an excellent capability provided by your camera.

Seems like a stupid place to put this setting, so am I missing a different way to limit the shutter (or other settings for that matter) somewhere in this blasted menu? I don't normally use liveview, but it seems odd to let me limit the shutter only in viewfinder mode, and only if I'm willing to allow auto ISO.

You're understandably overlooking the menu that makes it possible to configure all details of your Auto ISO settings. Open your camera's manual as a PDF and conduct a search of Auto ISO. You'll be able to quickly determine which menu allows you to configure the settings.

Basically, I want to shoot in aperture priority but never drop below 1/15 (VR lens). I'd rather have something blinking at me to tell me to pick a different fstop than to get blurred shots from slow shutter.

I don't remember whether anything blinks to indicate that you should attend to your f-stop. The whole point of using Auto ISO is that you should not have to attend to anything. If the shutter speed is too slow using the ISO your camera is configured to use (always configure it at the lowest ISO when using Auto ISO), the Auto ISO will automatically increase the ISO to compensate so the shutter speed is the one you configure. NOTE: Keep in mind that there are two relevant ISO settings -- the ISO your camera is configured to use and the maximum ISO configured as part of your Auto ISO settings.

Keep in mind that if you are shooting photos of people not using a flash, you will want to increase that Auto ISO minimum shutter speed to anywhere from 1/200 to 1/1000 depending on the situation.

[callousparade]

the ISO will be automatically increased up to the maximum limit that you have set. The reason you haven't seen this happen is because, so far, there has been no need to increase the ISO.

That's just what I'm saying, it doesn't do that unless I'm using LiveView.

In aperture priority mode
I have the lens cap off right now not in LiveView, ISO is at 100 and shutter 1/200.
I put the lens cap on, still ISO100 with shutterspeed 10sec.
I switch to LiveView, suddenly it's ISO1600 (the limit i set) and 10sec
Still in LiveView i take the cap off and it's ISO200 and shutter 1/100.

So I must be missing something haha

[Shadowman]

I have the Magic Lantern guide for the D3200 and it has specific conditions as to how AUTO ISO works. I'm pretty sure you can find it online as well. But the basics is that in P and A exposure modes, ISO sensitivity will not be altered unless underexposure would occur at the value specified for the [Minimum shutter speed] option. It states that the range for [Minimum shutter speed]extends from 1 second to 1/2000 second. However, if the camera cannot achieve a proper exposure at the value specified for the [Maximum sensitivity] option, which covers the range from ISO 200 to Hi 1, the D3200 will then begin to select slow shutter speeds. If [Auto] is selected for [Minimum shutter speed], the camera will base its choice of shutter speed on the focal length of the lens.

[callousparade]

Haha excuse me for being a complete noob. It's working exactly as intended, but for some reason it only SHOWS the auto iso setting when using liveview, but keeps showing iso100 in regular mode. But looking at the shots after, I can clearly see that they have iso settings other than 100.

My bad guys lol

[Stagecoach]

Haha excuse me for being a complete noob. It's working exactly as intended, but for some reason it only SHOWS the auto iso setting when using liveview, but keeps showing iso100 in regular mode. But looking at the shots after, I can clearly see that they have iso settings other than 100.

My bad guys lol

Paul, are you referring to what you see when looking in the viewfinder?

[Manfred M]

I rarely shoot AutoISO. I prefer to set this manually to match the lighting conditions I am working under.

The only time I go to AutoISO is when shooting under conditions where the lighting varies a lot; other than that, I go as low as I can to maximize colour range and minimize noise. I pay attention to shutter speed to ensure that I can handhold it.

[Mike Buckley]

reason it only SHOWS the auto iso setting when using liveview

As Grahame as already alluded to as I understand his post, you can probably see a pertinent indicator displayed in the viewfinder. If your camera works as mine does (also a Nikon camera), the viewfinder will display that the ISO value to be be used upon capturing the image will be higher than the lowest ISO value you have configured your camera to use. However, it won't indicate the exact value to be used, only that it will be higher than as configured.

Depending on your camera's capabilities, you may be able to custom configure one or two buttons to display the actual ISO the camera will use upon pressing the configured button.

[Mike Buckley]

Manfred,

I realize that you and I have discussed the use or not of Auto ISO, so I am submitting this post for the purpose of others, especially the OP, in understanding the context of your post.

I pay attention to shutter speed to ensure that I can handhold it.

It's all a matter of how each of our minds work. When using Auto ISO, there is no need to pay attention to the shutter speed to ensure that you can handhold the camera.

I go as low as I can [with the ISO value] to maximize colour range and minimize noise

Using Auto ISO in combination with configuring the camera's ISO to its base ISO automates all of that.

[Stagecoach]

As Grahame as already alluded to as I understand his post, you can probably see a pertinent indicator displayed in the viewfinder. If your camera works as mine does (also a Nikon camera), the viewfinder will display that the ISO value to be be used upon capturing the image will be higher than the lowest ISO value you have configured your camera to use. However, it won't indicate the exact value to be used, only that it will be higher than as configured.

Depending on your camera's capabilities, you may be able to custom configure one or two buttons to display the actual ISO the camera will use upon pressing the configured button.

Looking at the D3200 manual it appears the viewfinder field in which the ISO is shown is also used for a number of other indications. It may simply be a quirk of the camera that the camera 'calculated/taken' Auto ISO value is not shown or there is some way of configuring what is indicated by a menu selection.