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Photography vocabulary · Exposure

ISO

Meaning in photography, with examples

/ˌaɪ es ˈoʊ/abbreviationCore term

In photography, ISO means: The setting that controls how strongly the camera amplifies the signal from its sensor. A higher ISO makes the image brighter in low light but adds noise.

In Turkish: ISO, ISO değeri, ışık duyarlılığı

How it is used

Named after the International Organization for Standardization, which publishes the standard. Values double in steps: 100, 200, 400, 800, each one stop brighter. You raise, push, bump up or lower the ISO; “high-ISO performance” is a common phrase in camera reviews.

Example sentences

  1. It was dark in the church, so I had to push the ISO to 6400.

  2. Keep the ISO at 100 in the studio; we have plenty of light.

Common collocations

  • high ISO
  • low ISO
  • base ISO
  • raise the ISO
  • auto ISO
  • noiseRandom specks of color or brightness that make a photo look grainy, especially at high ISO or in shadows that have been brightened.
  • exposure triangleA simple model showing how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together to control exposure; changing one usually means adjusting another.
  • apertureThe adjustable opening inside a lens that lets light through. A wider opening lets in more light and gives a shallower depth of field.
  • shutter speedThe length of time the shutter stays open to let light reach the sensor, such as 1/1000 of a second or two seconds.
  • stopA unit for changes in exposure. One stop more doubles the light and one stop less halves it, whether you change the aperture, shutter speed or ISO.

More terms: Exposure

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