Iso Sensitivity - Nikon D300 Complete Manual

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* Not possible with matrix metering, as it exceeds the meter's brightness

range; camera reverts to center weighted

Students who've been to my workshops know that I'm not a

fan of Program exposure mode. That's mostly because

Program exposure mode has some hidden liabilities when

using flash, but also because most users don't take the time to

understand exactly how the camera is making its exposure

decisions or even that once they've overridden the "program"

it tends to stay overridden.

Don't be a "lazy" photographer and use Program exposure

mode casually. If you're serious about controlling depth of

field, camera shake, subject motion, and a host of other

factors that come up while making photographs, get out of

Program exposure mode and take more direct control over

what the camera is doing.

ISO Sensitivity

The D300 allows user controllable ISO values from 200 to

3200, in as little as one-third stop steps (you can alter the

settings to half or full stops using Custom Setting #B1 [see

page <536>], but I'd suggest just leaving the camera at the

The D300 also has settings of LO 0.3, LO 0.7, and LO 1.0, HI

0.3, HI 0.7, and HI 1.0, which are approximately equivalent

to ISO 100, 125, 160, 4000, 5000, and 6400 respectively.

These last six values are not labeled with an ISO value

because they have image quality limitations that the

numbered ISO values do not. The non-numbered ISO values

If you set Auto ISO, the camera actually uses 1/6 stop increments.

Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D300