What are the best ISO settings for different lighting scenarios?

ISO, or International Standards Organization, is a measure of how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. It can affect the quality and exposure of your product photos, especially in different lighting scenarios. In this article, you'll learn how to choose the best ISO settings for various situations, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as noise and blur.

1 Low-light or indoor shooting

When you're shooting in low-light or indoor conditions, you might be tempted to crank up your ISO to capture more light. However, this can also introduce noise, which is a grainy or pixelated effect that reduces the sharpness and detail of your images. To avoid noise, you should use the lowest ISO possible that still gives you a good exposure. You can also use a tripod, a flash, or a reflector to add more light and stability to your shots. A general rule of thumb is to use an ISO range of 100 to 400 for low-light or indoor shooting.

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Stan Jankowski

Photographer at Label 428
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Different cameras have different ISO noise level tolerances. A full frame sensor camera can handle much higher ISO ranges than a cropped sensor camera.

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2 Bright or outdoor shooting

On the other hand, when you're shooting in bright or outdoor conditions, you might want to lower your ISO to avoid overexposing your images. Overexposure can result in blown-out highlights, loss of contrast, and washed-out colors. To prevent overexposure, you should use the highest ISO possible that still gives you a balanced exposure. You can also use a polarizing filter, a diffuser, or a shade to reduce the glare and harshness of the sun. A general rule of thumb is to use an ISO range of 100 to 200 for bright or outdoor shooting.

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Rubin Eversley

Helping Businesses and Personal Brands Reach Their Full Potential With The Power of Video Content
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When shooting outdoors aim for the lowest ISO possible (100 or lower if your camera allows, 400 at the most). Where needed use neutral density filters such as a ND64 or ND32 when really bright conditions. Lastly avoid shooting during the middle of the day if possible. Golden hour is the prime time to shoot (The first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset).

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3 Mixed or artificial lighting

Sometimes, you might have to deal with mixed or artificial lighting, such as fluorescent, tungsten, or LED lights. These can create different color casts or temperatures that affect the white balance and tone of your images. To adjust for these, you should use the appropriate white balance setting on your camera, or shoot in RAW format and edit later. You should also use a moderate ISO that matches the brightness and quality of the light source. A general rule of thumb is to use an ISO range of 200 to 800 for mixed or artificial lighting.

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4 Creative or artistic effects

Finally, you might want to use ISO to create some creative or artistic effects for your product photos. For example, you can use a high ISO to create a gritty or vintage look, or a low ISO to create a smooth or silky look. You can also use a high ISO to freeze motion or capture fast-moving subjects, or a low ISO to create motion blur or long exposures. However, you should always consider the trade-offs and the purpose of your images before experimenting with ISO. A general rule of thumb is to use an ISO range of 800 to 3200 for creative or artistic effects.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the best ISO settings for different lighting scenarios?

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1 Low-light or indoor shooting

2 Bright or outdoor shooting

3 Mixed or artificial lighting

4 Creative or artistic effects

5 Here’s what else to consider

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