I feel like such an idiot!

[cmosdos]

So I finally got around to having a look at my photos from a beach trip a week ago. I'm looking through the first hundred or so and there's a few good ones that I like. Then I get to the next set. I remember these pictures very well because it was such a beautiful day and the lighting was great. I also remember making sure several times that I was shooting in ISO 100. Well, I'm looking through these pictures and I notice some are a bit grainy. Certainly more than I'm used to from ISO 100. As I continued looking it became very obvious that the photos were grainy. Why? Did the salty air affect the censor? Did I get something inside the camera when switching lenses? I know it can't be the ISO. Cause I checked it several times.... hell, it was so bright outside, anything other than ISO 100 would be nuts. Then it hit me.

I remember using f11 because I wanted to have a greater depth of field. I also remember having to use a shutter speed of 1/4000. Hrm... it *was* really bright that day... but I wasn't shooting the sun as the main subject. Uh-oh. Click, Info. !@#$(!%(#!$!@(!%$&^@#

ISO 1600. How? Why? Argh! I remember checking a couple times. <turns camera on> Sure enough, still in ISO 1600. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't hit the SET button for some reason. I will have to check again tonight to see if the setting stayed on ISO 100 or if it automatically revert back to 1600. If so, I have a serious problem. If not, I still have a serious problem... me.

<sigh> At least the photos were not for money. But there were some great shots I would have loved to get crisp and sharp. I'm going to spend a good deal of time in photoshop and I'm sure I can get them better... but knowing that 200 out of 400 photos could be 5 times sharper without any editing to begin with is disheartening.

You live, you learn... I won't be making that mistake again.

[pdrow]

Download the free noiseware software. You can use the better version free for 15 days I think. That will batch process them for you. It will save time and help you rescue your photos. I think this happens to a lot of us. I accidentally left teh wb on flour. - the wedding scenes I shot until I realized it were all blue. Thankfully, I realized it farily quickly, but it happens.
Good luck
Pam

[Steve Parr]

I did the same thing one morning when I went to shoot out in the desert. I attribute it to waking up at 4:00am and having only seven cups of coffee, but I was shooting at an ISO of 1600 instead of an intended ISO of 200.

Like you, I won't make that mistake again. I have a note on the insude of my gear bag, which I see every time I open the bag. It says, quite simply, "ISO!!!"

Steve

[michapma]

Hasn't happened to me yet in such a remarkable way, but I'm sure it will, even though I double check my ISO on a regular basis. Recently I even slipped up and accidentally adjusted the ISO by subtly slipping on the thumb wheel when I was checking the ISO. (With all the info they can pack into the LED display, I wonder my camera doesn't show the ISO setting so I don't always have to check it.)

Btw, never say never again. ;)

Edit: Never say, "Never again."

[cmosdos]

Download the free noiseware software. You can use the better version free for 15 days I think. That will batch process them for you. It will save time and help you rescue your photos. I think this happens to a lot of us. I accidentally left teh wb on flour. - the wedding scenes I shot until I realized it were all blue. Thankfully, I realized it farily quickly, but it happens.
Good luck
Pam

I assume noiseware can only work with TIFF/JPEG? I've never used any other software other than photoshop for the past 7 years.

[MTalley]

I feel your pain. I shot an entire fireworks show last night at ISO-800 and with my lens at zoom instead of wide. The first error was due to forgetfulness, the second was due to mild dyslexia.

At least there wasn't any noise (which impressed me running ISO-800 on a 300D).

[txdude35]

I, too, feel your pain. A couple days ago I shot a great car fire before realizing that my one and only memory card was in my pocket.

[tim]

Noise reduction will (as the same says) reduce the noise, but it won't bring back lost detail. I use noise ninja as a plugin to Photoshop CS2, it's not free but it's good.. See reviews on products here (http://www.michaelalmond.com/Articles/noise.htm).

You can look at the ISO of your images on the LCD after you take one, maybe it's worth doing. Alternately set your ISO, half press the shutter, then hit ISO again to check it's set as you wanted.

[symes]

I wish ISO was in the same bar so that I could see it on every shot without have to look for it.

On thing I would say is that you may be able to some creatively with these grainy images...I am sure a couple of them would look really good in grainy black and white...

Cheers,

[kenyc]

Hey I did that at a softball game last weekend after shooting the night before. Forgot to check the iso....thought something didn't seem right....

KAC

[cerveza4lu]

I've had the same problems w'the iso settings. Why in the blue hell didn't Canon have the iso show up in the viewfinder or the info screen on the 300D?!

[Danny Boy]

Been there... Done that.... I always check it now. :)

[cmosdos]

At least a I feel a little better now that I'm not alone. Having the ISO displayed in the viewfinder or the status bar would be a nice feature. I can't remember if my old D70 had that. Pretty sure I remember seeing it in the viewfinder.

[lost]

I say again, Canon PLEASE put the ISO in the viewfinder!

[dandan]

aaah... thankfuly i chimp.. so i dont realy have the iso 1600 problem.. and if i do use iso 1600 for a night my cam automaticly turns it to 400 if i keep it off for an hr.

but i have done more stupid things..... like had it on MF when i thot it was AF....


once i had a batch of blury photos cause i was only getting like 1/15... the whole time i was wishing i had a tripod.. then when i was done i realised that i just receltly got a tripod.. felt like al morono..