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EOS 1D X Mark II Support
FAQ and troubleshooting

Setting the ISO Speed (EOS-1D X Mark II)

Content Id: 8202817900


Set the ISO speed (image sensor's sensitivity to light) to suit the ambient light level.

Setting the ISO Speed

1. Set the camera's power switch to ⋖ ON ⋗.

2. Press the ⋖ ISO ⋗ button.

3. While looking at the top LCD panel or in the viewfinder, turn the ⋖ ⋗ or ⋖ ⋗ dial.

ISO Speed Guide

ISO SpeedShooting Scene
(No flash)
Flash Range
L (50), ISO 100 - ISO 400Sunny outdoorsThe higher the ISO speed, the farther the effective flash range will extend.
ISO 400 - ISO 1600Overcast skies, or evening time
ISO 1600 - ISO 51200, H1 (102400), H2 (204800), H3 (409600)Dark indoors or night
* High ISO speeds will result in grainier images.

Caution

ISO speed can be set within ISO 100 - ISO 51200 in 1/3-stop increments.
"A" indicates ISO Auto. The ISO speed will be set automatically.

Caution

As H1 (equivalent to ISO 102400), H2 (equivalent to ISO 204800), and H3 (equivalent to ISO 409600) are expanded ISO speed settings, noise (dots of light, banding, etc.) and irregular colors will be more noticeable and the resolution lower compared with the standard setting.
As L (equivalent to ISO 50) is an expanded ISO speed setting, the dynamic range will be somewhat narrower compared with the standard setting.
If [ : Highlight tone priority ] is set to [Enable], L (equivalent to ISO 50), ISO 100/125/160, H1 (equivalent to ISO 102400), H2 (equivalent to ISO 204800), and H3 (equivalent to ISO 409600) cannot be selected.
When shooting with a high ISO speed, high temperature, long exposure, or multiple exposure, image noise (rough grain, dots of light, banding, etc.) and irregular colors may become noticeable
When shooting in conditions that produce an extreme amount of noise, such as a combination of high ISO speed, high temperature, and long exposure, images may not be recorded properly.
If you use a high ISO speed and flash to shoot a close subject, overexposure may result.
If H1 (equivalent to ISO 102400) or higher (ISO 32000 or higher if the camera's internal temperature is low) has been set, the maximum continuous shooting speed during high-speed continuous shooting will be no faster than approx. 10.0 fps during viewfinder shooting or approx. 14.0 fps during Live View shooting.

Caution

Under [ : ISO speed settings ], you can use [ Range for stills ] to expand the settable ISO speed range from L (equivalent to ISO 50) to H1 (equivalent to ISO 102400), H2 (equivalent to ISO 204800), and H3 (equivalent to ISO 409600).
Depending on the ISO speed setting, the shutter sound at the end of shooting may differ.

ISO Auto

If the ISO speed is set to [ A ] (Auto), the actual ISO speed setting will be displayed when you press the shutter button halfway.

As indicated below, the ISO speed will be set automatically to suit the shooting mode.

Shooting ModeISO Speed Setting
No FlashWith Flash
P/Tv/Av/MISO 100 - ISO 51200 *1ISO 400 *1 *2 *3
bulbISO 400 *1

*1: The actual ISO speed range depends on the [ Minimum ] and [ Maximum ] settings set in [ Auto range ].

*2: If fill-in flash will cause overexposure, ISO 100 or a higher ISO will be set. (Except in the ⋖ M ⋗ and ⋖ bulb ⋗ modes.)

*3: In the ⋖ P ⋗ mode, if you use bounce flash with an external Speedlite, ISO 400 - ISO 1600 will be set automatically.

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