In a recent discussion, I detailed what Auto ISO is and how it can help you. I gave an example of a low-light situation where Auto ISO can help nail the exposure. In this discussion, I will detail some fast-action situations in which Auto ISO can benefit. This is to convince you to use Auto ISO as much as possible and whenever possible because it can save the day.
I always believe in the simple truth that I cannot dilly-dolly with more than two exposure parameters at one time. I can play with the depth of field and the shutter speed, but if I have also manually set the ISO every time in a difficult situation, I will have issues.
I am more likely to miss the shots while the action happens, and I am busy tinkering with my camera. Instead, I prefer to shoot with Auto ISO, which allows me to go into the shoot straightaway and think less about my shot.
When I am shooting high-speed action like a soccer game or a hockey game, speed matters, I prefer to use a smaller aperture to ensure much of the scene is in focus. If I choose a wider aperture, only a tiny slice of the scene will be in focus, and everything else will be out of focus.
Even then, it’s pertinent to mention that it’s easier to blur out the background with a long lens. This is because of the vast operating distance at which these lenses work. So an f/9 or an f/11 aperture will be my choice when shooting a soccer game, and then I will choose the shutter speed.
Shutter speed will again be high, depending on the action I am shooting. In this case, when I shoot high-speed action photos of a soccer game, I will keep my shutter speed around 1/2000 sec. This will be my exposure value. The third parameter that’s ISO will be auto-dialed by the camera. My threshold for triggering Auto ISO will be pretty high too. Depending on the lens I am using and the action, I will place a shutter speed of 1/1000 or even 1/1250.
Every time I transgress the shutter speed, Auto ISO takes over and dials in a high ISO number to compensate for the lack of light.
This way, I can concentrate on my shoot and not think about the correct shutter speed or ISO number I need to dial.