Dijitaal Ink

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The ISO setting on a camera determines the light sensitivity to “film” or, in our case, the light sensitivity to the G9 sensor. The G9 sensor is essentially the “film” that I am referring to. At a lower ISO setting (the G9 offers ISO 80 as its lowest setting), your photos will avoid any noise that can be found at higher ISO settings. From my personal experience with the G9, I tend to keep the ISO setting at 80 in order to capture clear and crisp photos. The downside to falling in love with the ISO 80 setting is that your shutter speed time will need to increase. The longer the exposure time, the more likely a blur can occur in your photos. This is because the shutter remains open for a longer period of time and captures any and all light that comes in to the camera. Since I am such a fan of the ISO 80 setting, I try adjust the shutter speed and aperture to compensate for the low light sensitivity. Shutter speeds that exceed 1/60 of a second are noticeably more susceptable to blur than those at 1/60 or quicker. During night photography, an ISO 80 setting on the G9 can be a real challenge.

Enter, the tripod.

A tripod is necessary to capture the limited lighting conditions without camera shake. When using a tripod, I have the luxury of keeping ISO setting at 80 and the aperture at 8.0 (improves depth of field). The aperture settings correlate to the depth of field in your photos. The higher the setting, the better your depth of field. I find that keeping the aperture value (f stop) at 8.0 and the ISO at 80, creates intense, crisp pictures. With a tripod, I can keep these settings at there maximum values without sacrificing clarity and crispness in my photos. The shutter speed becomes negligeable thanks to the steady “hand” of the tripod. In summary, when a tripod is available, you should be able to keep your ISO at 80 and your aperture value (f stop) at 8.0 The only variable you need to adjust is the shutter speed.

Tip: When using a tripod to capture your photos, set your G9 to 2 second delay for taking the actual shot. This will give you plenty of time to remove your finger from the shutter button and allow the tripod to stabilize for a crisp, clear photo. This method can be used in stead of a remote shutter cable mechanism.

In the event that a tripod is not at your disposal, I would recommend adjustments to your camera settings in the following priority. If at all possible, try to keep your ISO value at 80. Your shutter speed should not be slower than 1/60 of a second (1/30 is a longer shutter speed and increases the possibility of blur in your photos). Anything slower than 1/60 will create noticeable blur unless your hand is as steady as a sharp shooter. I’ve gotten lucky here and there with shutter speeds slower than 1/60 of a second but, for me, it’s not worth sorting through blurry shots to find that diamond in the rough. So, without a tripod, I suggest keeping the ISO at 80 and the shutter speed at 1/60 or quicker. The aperture value (f stop) would be the first variable I would toy with. If opening your aperture to the max, still does not capture enough light, move your ISO setting to 100, 200 and so forth. Be warned that ISO values of 400 and above do not produce photos that are worthy of print unless, of course, graininess is your intention for your particular photo. In summary, without a tripod, the shutter speed should be set to 1/60 of a second or quicker, the ISO should only be adjusted if the aperture value (f stop) has been set to 2.8 (the widest opening for the aperture setting) and still does not capture enough light.

The more I learn, the less I know. If you feel this way, you are well on your way to delving deep into the potential of your G9. Long live the G9 and its loyal constituants.