Will DSLR's ever get away from the term ISO?

[VirtualRain]

Clearly ISO (a measure of film sensitivity), although conceptually similar, is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to digital. Wouldn't a more appropriate term be something like "Gain Factor"?

I would think this would be an easier concept to grasp for newcomers to DSLRs, especially when trying to understand the trade-off between gain and noise.

How can you tell I'm bored today...

 

[compuwar]

Clearly ISO (a measure of film sensitivity), although conceptually similar, is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to digital. Wouldn't a more appropriate term be something like "Gain Factor"?

I would think this would be an easier concept to grasp for newcomers to DSLRs, especially when trying to understand the trade-off between gain and noise.

How can you tell I'm bored today...

Actually, the term ISO is just short for the organization that provides standards on film speed (and before it was ISO, it was ASA.) I don't see what value trying to rename it has- you still have to know what that is, and how it applies, and since you can assign that information to the term ISO and not break every photographic instruction ever made or make the remaining film cameras suddenly "different" than digital, I don't see a big gain (pun intended) in going from a three letter abbreviation to a word.

Paul

 

[gkarris]

How can you tell I'm bored today...

Maybe you need to get out (from this forum) more?

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

enjoy...

 

[VirtualRain]

Actually, the term ISO is just short for the organization that provides standards on film speed (and before it was ISO, it was ASA.) I don't see what value trying to rename it has- you still have to know what that is, and how it applies, and since you can assign that information to the term ISO and not break every photographic instruction ever made or make the remaining film cameras suddenly "different" than digital, I don't see a big gain (pun intended) in going from a three letter abbreviation to a word.

Paul

Yeah, agreed... Although, as you point out, it wasn't even a useful term in the first place.

At least the eject button for my CF card is not called "Rewind".

Maybe you need to get out (from this forum) more?

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

enjoy...

LOL! You could have at least linked me to something fun!

 

[Designer Dale]

Yeah, agreed... Although, as you point out, it wasn't even a useful term in the first place.

At least the eject button for my CF card is not called "Rewind".



LOL! You could have at least linked me to something fun!

"Eject" on my VCR is the same as "Eject" on my CD/DVD.
My DVR uses the same symbols for FF and Rewind as my VCR.
Your CF/SD cards are just flash RAM. Flash RAM is just a whole lot of capacitors. Maybe we should call them all "caps".
Is digital camera even a camera? My first digital and my current P&S have the on switch marked "Record".
Words...words...words...

Dale

 

[liquid stereo]

I can tell you're bored.

ISO, Gain Factor, Sensitivity, blah, blah, blah.
Whatever word/phrase one uses, it would still need to be defined.

Or one could put the cam on auto ISO and put a piece of electrical tape over the ISO button

Clearly ISO (a measure of film sensitivity), although conceptually similar, is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to digital. Wouldn't a more appropriate term be something like "Gain Factor"?

I would think this would be an easier concept to grasp for newcomers to DSLRs, especially when trying to understand the trade-off between gain and noise.

How can you tell I'm bored today...

 

[Designer Dale]

ISO, Gain Factor, Sensitivity, blah, blah, blah.
Whatever word/phrase one uses, it would still need to be defined.

Or one could put the cam on auto ISO and put a piece of electrical tape over the ISO button

Shocking!

Dale