Do the iso settings below 200 compromise the image quality in anyway?

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Greg,

I've experimented with the D700 in Lo 1. It may move the histogram slightly to the right. When I shoot raw images, ETTR is a good thing. Noise at Lo 1 is not more apparent, and may be measurably less than at the native ISO of 200. Unfortunately, I can’t quantify noise results. A fellow Nikonian, Bill Claff (bclaff), has some interesting results at his site, http://home.comcast.net/~nikond70/. Look under “Investigations.” An apt thread that Bill waded in on is at - http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=set_threaded_mode&forum=150&topic_id=229171&prev_page=show_topic&gid=229171#229981.

I've shot a series of twenty D700 Lo 1 images. These are the first images in my Gallery. (Since posting this response, Ive rearranged my images into albums. Many of my Lo 1 photos are in the "Structures" album. Each title begins with "Doe Run.") They are 14 bit raw captures, on a tripod, with the mirror up. I used a remote release on several. “Greens & Whites” is an example.




Click the image for a larger Gallery shot.

wrdpico

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

>Do the iso settings below 200 compromise the image quality in
>anyway?

i almost always use Lo all the time.

here is an example:

D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3355114797_c3ae7ba64d_b.jpg


ISO 125
1/125s, f/4.5 at 14mm
manual exposure mode

I don't think you should worry about using the "Lo" settings if you need to. It seems that more care is required to avoid highlight clipping with these settings, but there aren't really any other downsides.

Having said that, I need a reason to choose Lo-1 (such as needing a long shutter speed to blur movement intentionally), otherwise I don't go below ISO 200. I see little point in using Lo-1 (or any other value) indiscriminately.

We paid for all those ISO settings, why not use them

Brian
Welsh Nikonian
Check out the Nikonians Team pages

Hi Brian
On my cameras when I reduce the ISO to a lower setting the shutter speed gets shorter!
On a more serious note I agree that there is little use for Lo settings (brilliant sunshine - haven`t seen much of that recently, or a studio setting are the only reasons that leap out at me)

Ray Gerke

D800, D700 (sold), D2HS, D7000(sold), CP510, CP520
Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, Nikkor 85mm f/1.4, Nikkor 14-24 F/2.8, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8, Nikkor 24-120VR , Nikkor Micro 60mm f/2.8, Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8 VR Nikkor 10.5 DX,
Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 150-500mm OS

RG_Photographics

>On my cameras when I reduce the ISO to a lower setting the
>shutter speed gets shorter!

You must have a very odd camera, Ray

ISO 200, 1/500th at f/4 is the same EV as ISO 100 (Lo-1), 1/250th at f/4. 1/250th is a longer exposure than 1/500th. Lower ISO, longer exposure.

The last time I used Lo-1 was when I wanted a 1/2 sec shutter speed (to blur running water) in quite dull lighting.

Brian
Welsh Nikonian
Check out the Nikonians Team pages