Best camera settings for low-light photography

Low light is a balancing act between three levers: open the aperture, slow the shutter as far as you safely can, then raise ISO for the rest. Shoot RAW to recover the most.

Recommended settings

Mode: Aperture Priority or Manual + Auto ISO

keep the aperture wide and the shutter from dropping too low

Aperture: Widest your lens allows (f/1.4–f/2.8)

gathers the most light

Shutter floor: 1/100s (still scenes), 1/160s (people)

the slowest you can go without blur

ISO: Auto, raise as needed

fills the remaining exposure gap

File type: RAW

maximum room to brighten and denoise cleanly

These are starting points. Want them dialed in for your exact camera and lens?Ask the coach →

Why these settings

There's simply less light to work with, so you spend your aperture and a safe slow shutter first, and only then accept higher ISO. Underexposing to keep ISO low backfires — lifting a dark file adds more noise than the higher ISO would have.

Beginner tip

A cheap fast prime (50mm f/1.8) gathers several times more light than a kit lens — the easiest low-light upgrade.

Going further

Brace against a wall or use stabilization to push the shutter slower for static scenes, keeping ISO down.

Common mistakes

Underexposing to protect ISO, then brightening later and amplifying noise.
Letting the shutter fall below 1/60s handheld and getting shake.

FAQ

What ISO for low light?

Whatever it takes after you've opened the aperture and reached your slowest safe shutter. A correctly exposed high-ISO shot beats an underexposed low-ISO one.

How do I avoid blur in low light?

Open the aperture and keep the shutter above your handheld floor (around 1/60–1/160s). Add light or stabilization rather than dropping the shutter further.

Learn more

aperture iso shutter speed noise reduction