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Using Olympus omd 10 ii with kits lens 14-42. My question is mode set in A, therefore shutter speed adjusts accordingly , I hope. Trying to photograph late afternoon/ dusk and iso is blinking. I have set Aperture to 4.5 or 5 and it still blinks. ISO is at 6400 blinking. ISO is set to auto. What settings should I change if any, or is the lens not strong enough .

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Can you take a photograph of the same scene with your phone, and examine the exposure settings that the phone uses - just for comparison. You say that ISO is blinking, but are you actually able to take a photo with the Olympus camera or not? \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Commented Apr 10 at 7:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes I was able to take a photo. Steven has given an understanding of the situation. Thank you for the phone camera idea. \$\endgroup\$
    – Willow
    Commented Apr 14 at 23:09

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It's telling you that it doesn't think the exposure is correct and it cannot adjust the ISO any farther.

In aperture priority mode with auto ISO, as the light level drops the camera will reduce the shutter speed initially while keeping the ISO at a minimum. When the shutter speed starts getting too low (based on focal length probably) it will start increasing the ISO. When the ISO reaches the limit it will flash. And when the exposure becomes too far underexposed the SS will also flash.

But none of that means the scene is actually underexposed in relation to the image you want to make... what settings the camera chooses and what exposure it tells you is heavily influenced by the metering mode selected.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm not familiar with this camera or this method of shooting, but if the scene is dark, why doesn't the camera just use a long shutter speed, instead of refusing to take the photo? Sure, it might be too long to hand-hold, but that's a different issue. If the user wants Aperture-priority autoexposure, then that's what the camera should perform. I mean, even a scene metering EV 0, at ISO 6400 and f/4.5 should only need a shutter speed around 1/4 to 1/2 second, and late afternoon or even dusk should not even be this dark. \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Commented Apr 10 at 14:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ @osullic, it could be that bulb mode needs to be used (longer than 60sec); but the camera will/should otherwise still take the picture. I also think this is probably more of a metering error (mode/location). \$\endgroup\$
    – Steven Kersting
    Commented Apr 10 at 15:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thankyou Steven, I shall change the metering mode. I was able to get a photo but was also aware of not achieving a clean image. I am still learning. I didn’t know this with regards to the metering modes. Are you able to explain the different metering modes and their uses with regards to light and exposure? \$\endgroup\$
    – Willow
    Commented Apr 14 at 23:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Willow if you have another question, please ask it as a standalone question. Also, do search around the site first - many basic questions like this have been asked and answered already. Also, do refer to your camera manual - it will help you a lot. \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Commented Apr 15 at 10:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you Osullic for your suggestions and the camera manual, which I did not have but looks really helpful. \$\endgroup\$
    – Willow
    Commented Apr 17 at 11:01

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