Personal ISO Limit

Setting a personal ISO limit for our bird-in-flight photography takes some experimentation in the field and in post processing. I’ve found that my personal ISO limit can shift over time as I get more accustomed with my camera gear and how to work with my files in post. This article shares twelve new images from some additional high ISO testing I did this weekend. It also discusses where I’ve currently set my personal ISO limit for my OM-D E-M1X when photographing birds-in-flight.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 218 mm, efov 436 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500, ISO-6400, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3754 pixels on the width, subject distance 3.6 metres

I’ve been shooting with Olympus gear (now OMDS) since June 2019. Right from the outset I used ISO-6400 as my personal ISO limit when photographing birds-in-flight. As long as I didn’t underexpose my images ISO-6400 gave me acceptable results. Obviously it’s a good idea to always shoot at the lowest ISO value possible given lighting conditions, as well as aperture and shutter speed requirements.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 218 mm, efov 436 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500, ISO-6400, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3854 pixels on the width, subject distance 4 metres

I initially did all of my noise reduction with DxO Prime. After Topaz launched DeNoise AI I played around with that software as well. It became apparent that DxO DeepPRIME and Topaz DeNoise AI were both very capable noise reduction functions.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 218 mm, efov 436 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3579 pixels on the width, subject distance 3.9 metres

Rather than assess them on an either/or basis I experimented using both programs in a complimentary fashion. I found that using DxO DeepPRIME at the front end of my process… with a maximum setting of 15… gave my files a good start with noise reduction without losing too much detail. I choose to use DxO PhotoLab as my primary RAW processor as I like the automatic camera/lens corrections as well as features like Microcontrast and the DxO Smart Lighting Spot Adjustment.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 244 mm, efov 488 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3761 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.2 metres

After making my typical adjustments in DxO PhotoLab 4 (usually with one of my custom presets), I export a DNG file into an old copy of PhotoShop CS6. I make some basic adjustments in CS6 and use the Nik Collection as needed. It is set up as a plug-in to CS6. I finish my files using Topaz DeNoise AI which I also have set up as a plug-in to CS6. On occasion I finish my files using Topaz Sharpen AI if the ISO values are not too high, and the noise not too severe.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 285 mm, efov 570 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3754 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.1 metres

If you’ve been checking the EXIF data as you’ve been reading this article you have noticed that the last few images were captured at ISO-16000. Under specific shooting situations, this is my new personal ISO limit when photographing birds-in-flight.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 285 mm, efov 570 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 4032 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.1 metres

Obviously using a M4/3 camera at high ISO values like ISO-16000, presents a few challenges. I do my best not to underexpose my photographs at this ISO level. Results tend to be best when I slightly overexposure my images. The photograph above and the next three that follow are consecutive captures from the same Pro Capture H image run.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 285 mm, efov 570 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3855 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.1 metres

All of the photographs in this article were shot through my kitchen window which overlooks a pond I built about 15 years ago. My wife and I keep it running 7/24 all year round so the birds have access to water throughout all four seasons. The pond, combined with our bird feeders, enables us to attract a good variety of birds into our back yard throughout the year.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 285 mm, efov 570 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3718 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.1 metres

This week my wife hung a couple of suet cages adjacent to our pond. They were immediately mobbed by sparrows and a few other species. We anticipate that the addition of these two suet cages will significantly enhance our back yard birding during colder months. The image above is one of my favourite captures from the weekend. Even though it’s just a sparrow leaping from one branch to another I really love the precision of this moment.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 285 mm, efov 570 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 3618 pixels on the width, subject distance 4.1 metres

Having an ongoing population of small birds in our back yard attracts predatory birds, especially in the late fall. For the past seven or eight years a sharp shinned hawk, as well as a Coopers hawk, visit our back yard in the late fall and early winter. They usually arrive about mid-November and depart in late December. The sharp shinned hawk is especially skittish and I’ve never been able to capture any images of it in flight.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 236 mm, efov 472 mm, f/6.3, 1/5000, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 4132 pixels on the width, subject distance 4 metres

One of the reasons that I’ve been experimenting with high ISO values for birds-in-flight with my E-M1X is that I struggled getting images of the sharp shinned hawk with my Nikon 1 kit. The sharp shinned hawk often visits our yard later in the day when the light is rather poor and outside of the practical limitations of my Nikon V2 and V3 bodies.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 200 mm, efov 400 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 4620 pixels on the width, subject distance 7.2 metres

It was very dull and overcast on Sunday. Amazingly while I was doing my high ISO test images the sharp shinned hawk arrived in our back yard. Not only that… it flew in closer to the house than it has ever been in the past… landing on a statue of a great blue heron we have next to the pond.  It was only about 7.2 metres (~23.6 feet) away from my vantage point in my kitchen!

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 200 mm, efov 400 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO-16000, Pro Capture H, cropped to 4153 pixels on the width, subject distance 7.2 metres

I immediately shortened the focal length on my M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom lens to allow for the hawk’s wing movements when it took flight. I acquired focus on the hawk’s head and only had to wait a few seconds before it took flight. I fired off my Pro Capture H image run of 15 photographs in 1/4 of a second… then the sharp shinned hawk was gone.

The photograph above was the last image from that Pro Capture H run. I was absolutely thrilled to have captured this photograph! If I hadn’t been willing to push my E-M1X to ISO-16000 I would not have been able to capture a usable image from this rare photographic opportunity.

There is a good learning point from this experience. Regardless of the camera gear you may own, never accept what someone else tells you is ‘not possible’ with your camera equipment. Test it out yourself. Push your camera, and push yourself in post. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.

Technical Note:

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. All images were captured in my back yard, photographing through my kitchen window. I used my standard Pro Capture H settings: Pre-Shutter Frames and Frame Limiter were both set to 15. A frame rate of 60 frames per second was used, along with a single auto-focusing point. Images were produced from RAW files using my standard approach in post. This is the 1,230 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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2 thoughts on “Personal ISO Limit”

  1. Mr. Stirr

    I have been a long time Olympus user and going back a little further I had a Nikon V2. I originally used Nikon for many years but as time went on the kit became too big and heavy.

    I really appreciate your small format images which I find exceptional. Thank you for the many posts, images and helpful ideas for small format.

    I have one question I have been trying to figure out for some time. The question is where you get the distances you show on your images. I too have had several Olympus bodies since the EM-1 Mark I but never had an EM-1X. Is the distance information just an EM-1X feature or is it hidden somewhere in the EXIF data on all Olympus EM-1’s and now the OM-1.

    Thank you again for a great website!

    Regards,
    Bob West

    1. Hi Bob,

      As far as I can tell the Distance to Subject information is in the EXIF data but is not immediately obvious to see. I use DxO PhotoLab 4 as my main RAW processor. After I complete my processing I store my files in Windows Explorer. When I open up a completed jpeg in Windows Explorer I right click on a jpeg which brings up an information box. I then left click on Details and the Subject Distance is shown. If I only use CS6 without DxO the Subject Distance does not show. So… DxO PhotoLab somehow makes that specific EXIF information visible. That information is also visible with my wife’s E-M1 Mark III.

      Here is some information that was sent to me by another reader and outlines another program that can be used to make additional EXIF information… including Subject distance, visible. I have never used this program so I cannot vouch for it personally.

      “Create a folder anywhere on your system; named, say, “ExifToolGUI”
      Download .ZIP file from here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/78rffzxdoultrnr/AAAeL0FnqZEbaDJYOn2GpU5ha
      … and simply unZIP its contents into your new folder.
      Double-click on ExifToolGUI.exe to start the application – it will open by default to your Users folder.
      1) BEFORE you navigate to a folder containing your images, change the drop-down at the top from “Show ALL Files” to one of the other options (else it will include .dop/sidecar files and will look rather messy)
      2) Navigate to a folder containing your .ORF files … They’ll then be listed in the centre panel.
      3) Select any image/.ORF file and its EXIF data will appear on the RHS.

      Note:
      – You may occasionally see a pop-up with a message something like “List index out of bounds” – – Just click OK and ignore (The app is a bit “flakey” !!)
      – Also, it can get quite busy before it properly shuts-down .. just let it do its thing !”

      Tom

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