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CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / What Gear Is Important

The high ISO and digital noise problem

It’s important to know how much noise is created

when you use higher ISO settings and what you

can do about it. Because this chapter is all about

gear, the first thing to do is to see what range of

ISO settings is available on your camera. The

usual range of ISO settings is between 100 and

6400, and some cameras, like the Nikon D3S, go

all the way to 102,400. Now that doesn’t mean

that the there is low noise at these higher set-

tings; quite the contrary — there is a lot of noise

but not as much as was produced by cameras

manufactured five years ago.

The real question you need to ask yourself about

your camera (or one you are planning to buy) is

what the usable ISO range is; this is the range of

ISO settings that produce images with acceptable

noise. I have found that I can push the ISO to

3200 and higher and still get results that I am

happy with, like the image in Figure 3-2.

skyline, something that couldn’t be done without
a tripod and using the bulb mode because the lon-
gest exposure without the bulb mode on my cam-
era is only 30 seconds.

Understanding the Camera’s Capabilities and Limitations

Any camera can be used for night or low-light
photography, but there are some features that can
make the task easier. The first is the ability to
produce image files that contain low digital noise
at higher ISO settings. In Chapter 2, I explained
that you could increase the ISO to make the cam-
era sensor seem more sensitive to light, which
allows you to photograph in lower-light situa-
tions. The downside to the increased ISO setting
is the increase in digital noise. The good news for
photographers who want to shoot in low light
using high ISOs is that camera manufacturers
have really improved the capabilities of their
cameras, and while there is still noise present, it is
greatly reduced compared to cameras that are
only a few years old.

Boosting the ISO is only one way

that digital noise is created in your

image; the sensor heating up when using very long

shutter speeds can also create digital noise. Although

that cannot be helped, I talk about how you can reduce

exposure times in order to avoid overheating your cam-

era sensor for certain types of long exposure subjects

in Chapter 7.

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For more information on capturing

great shots in these low-light situa-

tions, see Chapters 5 and 6.

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The type of low-light photography that can really

benefit from the advances in the low-noise, high-

ISO capability of newer cameras is when you

need to use higher shutter speeds to freeze the

action in low light. This includes weddings, con-

certs, and indoor or nighttime sporting events.