Light Guide

Pick the scene and support. The recipe and comparison strip update with brightness and noise trade-offs

Scene Indoor Ambient
Approach Handheld / Auto ISO
Aperture f/2.8
Shutter 1/60
ISO 1600
Exposure 50%
Noise 28%

Same scene at three exposure choices

Too dark 1/60 · ISO 800
Recipe 1/60 · ISO 1600
Over pushed 1/60 · ISO 3200

Selected scene

Indoor Ambient

Open to f/2.8 and let ISO climb. At 1/60s with IS you can handhold static subjects; raise shutter to 1/125s if people move.

Living room: f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 1600–3200. Enable Auto ISO with a ceiling of 6400.

A/Av Auto ISO IS on
Reading the strip

Left: ISO too low, scene stays dark. Center: balanced recipe. Right: ISO pushed two stops higher; brighter but grainier.

ISO by Light Level

Raise ISO last, but do raise it; a noisy sharp frame beats a clean dark blur

ISO 800–1600

Moderate dim

Overcast windows, shaded indoor, blue hour handheld.

Blue hour 1/30s Indoor window light
ISO 3200–6400

Typical low light

Restaurants, home at night, concerts, night street.

Restaurant f/1.8 Concert 1/250s
ISO 6400–12800

Very dark

Candlelit tables, back-stage, unlit streets without flash.

Moving subjects f/1.4 primes
ISO 100–400

Tripod territory

Cityscapes, astro, any static scene on a stable support.

Blue hour 4s Nightscape f/8
Field note

IS/VR/IBIS buys about 3 stops of handholding for static subjects. It does not freeze people in motion. Raise shutter speed first for movement.

Field Workflow

Open aperture, lock shutter floor, then let ISO fill the gap

  1. Open aperture first

    Switch to Aperture Priority. Set the widest usable f-stop: f/1.4–f/2.8 for primes, f/2.8 for zooms. More light beats stopping down for sharpness in the dark.

    Mode: A/Av f/1.8–f/2.8
  2. Set a shutter floor

    Handheld static: reciprocal rule (1/focal length) or 1/60s minimum. People moving: 1/125–1/250s. Tripod: any speed.

    1/60s static 1/250s events IS on
  3. Enable Auto ISO with a ceiling

    Let the camera climb to correct exposure. Cap at 6400 for most bodies; allow 12800 when the alternative is blur.

    Auto ISO Max 6400 Min shutter 1/60s
  4. Stabilize and focus carefully

    Brace against a wall or rest elbows on a table. AF may hunt; use AF assist light, zone AF, or manual focus with Live View zoom in very dim scenes.

    Zone AF Live View MF

Cheat Sheet

Quick answers for the field

Indoor at night? f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 1600–3200
Restaurant table? f/1.8, 1/60s, ISO 3200–6400
Concert / stage? f/2.8, 1/250s, ISO 3200–6400, AF-C
Blue hour city? Tripod: f/8, 4s, ISO 100
Night street handheld? f/2, 1/125s, ISO 3200–6400
Too dark still? Open aperture, raise ISO, do not slow shutter
AF hunting? AF assist, wider AF zone, or manual focus
Noisy but sharp? Keep it; noise reduction in post is easier than deblur

Common Questions

ISO choice, night blur, and when to skip flash.

What ISO should I use indoors?

Start at ISO 1600 with f/2.8 and 1/60s for static subjects. Raise to ISO 3200–6400 for dim restaurants or moving people. Enable Auto ISO with a ceiling of 6400–12800.

Why are my night photos blurry?

Shutter speed is usually too slow for handheld shooting. Use the reciprocal rule (1/focal length), or 1/125s minimum for people. Raise ISO before slowing the shutter. IS helps shake but not subject motion.

Should I use flash in low light?

Flash gives clean light but kills ambient mood. Bounce off a ceiling when allowed. For restaurants and concerts where flash is banned, open aperture, raise ISO, and stabilize your grip.

Keep Learning

ISO control, blur diagnosis, and night scenario presets