The Field Test.

1. 

   Same lake, same moment — but one half was shot at ISO 3200. Which one, and how can you tell?

   B — the grain is crawling through the sky and the shadowsA — bright colours always mean a high ISONeither — ISO doesn’t change how a photo looksBoth — the camera always adds this much noise

2. 

   A gig, no flash allowed, and the band won’t stand still. The photos come out grainy but sharp. What did the photographer do?

   Raised the ISO high so the shutter could stay fast in the darkLowered the ISO to 100 for maximum qualityUsed a slower shutter speed to gather more lightZoomed in further to collect extra light

3. 

   Bright daylight, mountains, all the light you could ever want. Which ISO does a photographer choose here — and why?

   ISO 100 — heaps of light means the sensor can stay cleanISO 3200 — more sensitivity is always betterISO 6400 — landscapes need the extra brightnessIt makes no difference in daylight

4. 

   Inside this dim lobby with no flash, handheld. Your shot at ISO 100 comes out almost black. What’s the right move?

   Step the ISO up (800–1600) until the exposure is correct, accepting some grainKeep ISO 100 and fix the darkness in editing laterUse a 2-second shutter speed handheldStop the aperture down to f/22 for more quality

5. A classmate shoots the sunny school yard at ISO 6400 “to be safe”. The exposure looks okay. What’s the problem?

   They paid the grain price for nothing — daylight didn’t need the sensitivityNothing — if the exposure is correct, the ISO doesn’t matterISO 6400 makes photos too sharpThe camera will overheat at high ISO

6. In full Manual, you’ve set your shutter and aperture. How do you know your exposure is actually correct before you shoot?

   Half-press and check the exposure level mark sits in the middle of the scaleThe photo will just feel rightThe camera refuses to fire if the exposure is wrongCheck that the ISO number equals the f-number

✓ Mastery check passed — nice work.