# Nikon standard base ISO



## TCampbell (Apr 28, 2013)

I'm a Canon shooter (as most of you know), so I'm invading your Nikon forum to ask this.  I was watching a Scott Kelby video on long exposure shooting (with ND filters).  At one point in the video, Scott makes the following comment (and I'll have to paraphrase because I don't recall word for word):

...and you need to shoot at your lowest possible ISO.  For most Nikon owners, that'll be ISO 200.  For Canon owners, that'll be ISO 100.

That's paraphrasing, but it caught me by surprise.  If ANYONE ELSE had made this comment, I'd have assumed they misspoke.  But Scott Kelby is a Nikon shooter and typically not prone to make basic mistakes like this.  I had to back up the video and play it again just to make sure I didn't mis-hear what he said.  He definitely said that.

So then I hopped over to the Nikon website and looked up a sampling of cameras... a D3x, D800, D7000, D5100 I think.  In the "Tech Specs" section of each camera, Nikon consistently said the standard base ISO for all of these bodies was ISO 100.  Ok, so I didn't check every Nikon... A D800 is a brand new body, but I picked the D3x, D7000, and D5100 because they've been out for several years.

Why would he claim Nikon's base ISO is 200?  Is there something about Nikon that makes 200 better than using 100 or did I just get unusually lucky that the four sample cameras I checked all happened to be ISO 100?


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## o hey tyler (Apr 28, 2013)

The D90 had a base ISO of 200 iirc.


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## Mach0 (Apr 28, 2013)

There's a fair share of 200 base ISO nikons out there. The ones you chose have the 100 base ISO. I used to have a d3000 that was base ISO 100 but my d40, d90, and d700 are base 200. The d90 and d700 can go lower than 200 but its not a base iso. A lot of newer ones are coming out with 100 base ISO


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## samm (Apr 28, 2013)

100 iso D-4


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## Benco (Apr 28, 2013)

A quick google shows that this has been discussed quite a bit (mainly in the old Canon vs Nikon argument). It appears that quite a lot of the older model Nikon DSLRs were iso 200, I guess that's what he's talking about in the video.


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## Trever1t (Apr 28, 2013)

D3, D700, D300 are all ISO 200 native.


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## gryffinwings (Apr 28, 2013)

If I recall correctly, he also has shot a D300s as well which has a base ISO of 200, which he mentions that he shoots in the video with the new D7100. The D3, D3S, D300, D300s, D90, and D5000 all have a base ISO of 200, all the others have a base ISO of 100 as far as I know, these cameras could be what he is talking about. What you should take from the man instead of criticize him, because no one is perfect, is that you should be operating at base ISO for this particular technique.


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## o hey tyler (Apr 28, 2013)

gryffinwings said:


> If I recall correctly, he also has shot a D300s as well which has a base ISO of 200, which he mentions that he shoots in the video with the new D7100. The D3, D3S, D300, D300s, D90, and D5000 all have a base ISO of 200, all the others have a base ISO of 100 as far as I know, these cameras could be what he is talking about. What you should take from the man instead of criticize him, because no one is perfect, is that you should be operating at base ISO for this particular technique.



He didn't criticize him.  He even said that Scott knows what he's talking about. Tim was just curious as to which cameras have a different base ISO.


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## TCampbell (Apr 28, 2013)

Ok -- sounds like the bodies that have a base ISO of 200 are all fairly old and no longer marketed.  Only the D90 is still listed on Nikon's page (and they do list it's base ISO at 200).  Everything else looks like it's now 100.

It wasn't meant as a criticism on Scott, nor a Canon vs. Nikon thing.  I had _never_ heard this before about Nikons.  If it's brought up in the context of "my camera is better than your camera" debates then I can totally understand why I'd never seen it.   I tend to just skip over threads that look like they're swirling into a "my dad is better than your dad" -- I'd rather discuss techniques or art than brands.

Since I'd never heard the ISO 200 comment before and all the bodies I checked were listed at 100, I thought perhaps there was a reason he was saying to use 200 even though the camera can handle 100.  Really he was referring to the older bodies (and I'm sure there are a ton of those bodies still in use) but nearly every currently marketed body (and _every_ body released in the last few years) does ISO 100 as it's base.  

His statement made the generalization sound a bit broader than was probably intended.

Thanks for clearing that up.


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## Trever1t (Apr 28, 2013)

I don't think the D3 or D700 or D300 suffer a bit from having a native ISO of 200


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## G Wharton (Sep 12, 2015)

TCampbell said:


> I'm a Canon shooter (as most of you know), so I'm invading your Nikon forum to ask this.  I was watching a Scott Kelby video on long exposure shooting (with ND filters).  At one point in the video, Scott makes the following comment (and I'll have to paraphrase because I don't recall word for word):
> 
> ...and you need to shoot at your lowest possible ISO.  For most Nikon owners, that'll be ISO 200.  For Canon owners, that'll be ISO 100.
> 
> ...





TCampbell said:


> I'm a Canon shooter (as most of you know), so I'm invading your Nikon forum to ask this.  I was watching a Scott Kelby video on long exposure shooting (with ND filters).  At one point in the video, Scott makes the following comment (and I'll have to paraphrase because I don't recall word for word):
> 
> ...and you need to shoot at your lowest possible ISO.  For most Nikon owners, that'll be ISO 200.  For Canon owners, that'll be ISO 100.
> 
> ...





TCampbell said:


> I'm a Canon shooter (as most of you know), so I'm invading your Nikon forum to ask this.  I was watching a Scott Kelby video on long exposure shooting (with ND filters).  At one point in the video, Scott makes the following comment (and I'll have to paraphrase because I don't recall word for word):
> 
> ...and you need to shoot at your lowest possible ISO.  For most Nikon owners, that'll be ISO 200.  For Canon owners, that'll be ISO 100.
> 
> ...


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## G Wharton (Sep 12, 2015)

The D7100 has a base ISO of 100 in camera ,however in tests at DXO it shows to be 69 . This explains why this cameras toshiba sensor is so highly acclaimed , can it handle noise ? yeah sure but this is a personal thing ,the native is 6400 would you want to shoot at this no ,who would , Personally i don't like to go over 1600 ,sure with lightroom and photoshop you can sort out noise , but it's more in your face with dark areas and that's why you have your iso up right ,so you can get the shutter speed and aperture you want , at a push with this camera i'd go to 3200 max, if you need more make a compromise and shoot at a lower f number . I have tried most of the nikon range and will say as far as the best for handling high ISO is without doubt the D750


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## KmH (Sep 12, 2015)

Better late than never.


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## goodguy (Sep 12, 2015)

TCampbell said:


> I'm a Canon shooter (as most of you know)


Yes we know but we love you non the less  you are a proof that there are good people outside Nikon's realm (hard to believe ha ?)


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