Canon 650D Tip: Adjusting ISO

Here's how to adjust your ISO setting manually.  Get used to doing this so that you can do it quickly whilst looking through the viewfinder.

You need to make sure you aren't in automatic mode first!  Using the function wheel on the top of the camera, set the camera to manual mode (M) or one of the partially manual modes such as Aperture Priority (Av) or Shutter Priority (Tv).

Look through the viewfinder and half press the shutter button.  At the bottom of the view you will see the current settings.  Towards the right hand side it will tell you the current ISO value.  "A" means ISO is set to automatic.

Press the ISO button (1) and all settings except the ISO setting will disappear from the view.
Use the scrolling wheel (2) to adjust the ISO setting.  Note: You need to start adjusting the value within a couple of seconds of pressing (1), otherwise the wheel will end up adjusting another setting instead.

As you should know from the ISO guide linked in a previous post, the higher the ISO speed the brighter the picture will appear.  Be careful, as higher ISO settings introduce graining to the picture.  As a general rule I try to keep the ISO setting as low as possible.