# Who uses Safety Shift?



## pwp (Feb 10, 2017)

Canon's Safety Shift function seems to have been around since I bought a 1Ds back in 2002. I've always just skimmed past it in the menus, disinterested in what it was and what it actually did. This morning I dug a little deeper while setting up a recently purchased 1DX.

The 1DX has two modes, one where shutter speed or aperture are adjusted depending on the shooting mode, and a mode where iso gets adjusted. This seems preferable to me to retain chosen aperture and shutter speed.

Does anyone here actually use Safety Shift, and does it have a tangibly useful role?

-pw


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## kaihp (Feb 11, 2017)

pwp said:


> Does anyone here actually use Safety Shift, and does it have a tangibly useful role?



I had to go and read up on what Safety Shift actually does.

I guess it's useful when you'd rather want a badly lit image than no image at all. I don't use it.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 11, 2017)

I think its another one of those settings for users who do not have enough knowledge to set the exposure properly. It is a good choice for those users.

The problem will come if you boost the exposure in post due to noise in the shadows as ISO's rise.


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## Viggo (Feb 11, 2017)

I don't use it, but rather limit my shutterspeed and using auto iso in Av mode.


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## Alex_M (Feb 11, 2017)

Safety Shift feature could be quite useful in AV mode in combination with Auto ISO and minimum shutter speed.

for an instance, if camera is unable to satisfy both minimum ISO and minimum shutter speed requirements due to low light level in the scene, than the camera will either lower the shutter speed or increase ISO based on the safety shift preferences you have set. I usually have Safety Shift set to increase ISO levels as I deem noisy photo is lesser evil than the blury one. I hope it helps.


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## Rocky (Feb 12, 2017)

Alex_M said:


> Safety Shift feature could be quite useful in AV mode in combination with Auto ISO and minimum shutter speed.
> 
> for an instance, if camera is unable to satisfy both minimum ISO and minimum shutter speed requirements due to low light level in the scene, than the camera will either lower the shutter speed or increase ISO based on the safety shift preferences you have set. I usually have Safety Shift set to increase ISO levels as I deem noisy photo is lesser evil than the blury one. I hope it helps.


With AUTO ISO, you do not need safety shift. The ISO will increase to make sure that the exposure is "correct". Unless you are shooting in almost total darkless.


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## rs (Feb 12, 2017)

I have it turned on. When I'm shooting action, I invariably use Tv. And as my 5D mk II has a particularly unusable auto ISO, manual is normal. And as this setup is for run and gun scenarios, I don't always have time to check every last detail for every frame. 

The combination of a fast shutter speed, low ISO and a lens which has an upper limit of how much it can open up, changing light conditions can easily result in under exposure. I'd much rather have the shutter speed drop to maintain exposure than tweak in post.


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## Alex_M (Feb 13, 2017)

that's not what i said. I highlighted my point in red colour down below.

in AV mode, I set my Auto ISO reasonably low at 1600 and minimum shutter speed at around 1/150s.
when shooting events indoors and in low light, these minimum requirements won't be always satisfied for obvious reasons. this situation comes up too frequent for event shooters to ignore.
Safety shift instructs your camera what can be sacrificed in the event of light was too low: Shutter Speed or ISO?

I choose to sacrifice ISO and to keep my minimum shutter speed at around 1/150s. as I said, I prefer grainy images to blury images any day.



Rocky said:


> Alex_M said:
> 
> 
> > Safety Shift feature could be quite useful in AV mode in combination with Auto ISO and minimum shutter speed.
> ...


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## Alex_M (Feb 13, 2017)

safety shift to the rescue and provides the so needed elasticity of the exposure values when shooting in AV mode. 
all values are incremental (1/3 of the stop - my preferences) therefore under/over exposure is reasonably controlled. over under exposure are more so property of the metering mode of your choice. In my experience anyway. when shooting events, light condition of the scene are frequently changed. I found that I am much happier with variable ISO rather than variable aperture that will result in aperture being wide open for low light shots. That's not always ideal due to DoF values when shooting wide open.
Especially when shooting group of people (concerts, dance gigs, drama, celebs). I like my DoF reasonably deep in order to avoid OOF people in the scene - when I need them to stay in focus.



rs said:


> I have it turned on. When I'm shooting action, I invariably use Tv. And as my 5D mk II has a particularly unusable auto ISO, manual is normal. And as this setup is for run and gun scenarios, I don't always have time to check every last detail for every frame.
> 
> The combination of a fast shutter speed, low ISO and a lens which has an upper limit of how much it can open up, changing light conditions can easily result in under exposure. I'd much rather have the shutter speed drop to maintain exposure than tweak in post.


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## rs (Feb 13, 2017)

Alex_M said:


> safety shift to the rescue and provides the so needed elasticity of the exposure values when shooting in AV mode.
> all values are incremental (1/3 of the stop - my preferences) therefore under/over exposure is reasonably controlled. over under exposure are more so property of the metering mode of your choice. In my experience anyway. when shooting events, light condition of the scene are frequently changed. I found that I am much happier with variable ISO rather than variable aperture that will result in aperture being wide open for low light shots. That's not always ideal due to DoF values when shooting wide open.
> Especially when shooting group of people (concerts, dance gigs, drama, celebs). I like my DoF reasonably deep in order to avoid OOF people in the scene - when I need them to stay in focus.
> 
> ...



That's why I'm always watching the Av and adjusting the ISO to keep it in the ball park I'd like. Inevitably it drifts from the ideal setting from time to time. Manual mode with auto ISO and preferably exposure comp would be perfect, but my body does not offer that option...


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## Viggo (Feb 13, 2017)

It seems to me that people use safety shift when they would be much happier shooting with Av and limit your lower shutter instead. 

Shooting kids I just set it to 1/2000s and don't have to watch anything other than my subject.

At 1/160s and you don't get motion blur, wow, I could never go that low, lol. I once spoke with a concert photographer and he said he just shot at 1/60s "because 1/250s doesn't freeze anything any better, so I rather have cleaner shots" I think that sounds about right. If I'm shooting a concert I would lock my minimum speed in Av to 1/500s and auto iso.


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## Alex_M (Feb 13, 2017)

this. Netiher does mine ( Canon 6D).



rs said:


> ... Manual mode with auto ISO and preferably exposure comp would be perfect, *but my body does not offer that option...*


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## Alex_M (Feb 13, 2017)

Viggo said:


> It seems to me that people use safety shift when they would be much happier shooting with Av and limit your lower shutter instead.


that's what iI do as well, but if the shutter speed limit cannot be met at the maximum Auto ISO level, the body will default to Safety Shift be that higher ISO or lower shutter speed. I choose to higher my ISO.


Viggo said:


> Shooting kids I just set it to 1/2000s and don't have to watch anything other than my subject.



not saying shooting fast moving subjects. you can shoot even dance gigs at t=1/150s if you time your shot accordingly... 1/250s even easier. 



Viggo said:


> At 1/160s and you don't get motion blur, wow, I could never go that low, lol.


it is all about timing the shot, my friend. the more you shoot the better your timing skills are.



Viggo said:


> I once spoke with a concert photographer and he said he just shot at 1/60s "because 1/250s doesn't freeze anything any better, so I rather have cleaner shots" I think that sounds about right. If I'm shooting a concert I would lock my minimum speed in Av to 1/500s and auto iso.



I once spoke with photographer that never AFMAed his lenses and belives that that is not a requirement or another studio photographer I spoke with recently was shooting with 18-55 kit lens and was under impression that the widest apperture on his kit lens was F1,35. well it was 1:3.5 but never mind.

a little secret: timing is everything 

https://goo.gl/photos/6gCokZC7YXHZYKsx9


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## Viggo (Feb 13, 2017)

It might work to "time the shots better" in some situation, but what I shoot it's always the things that happen very fast I would like to capture.

And I limit my shutter speed to a given situation, I don't use 1/2000s inside at a birthday party for example, so I always know my iso range is on top of things. And I would rather have a slightly underexposed shot than a blurry one.


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## John Baker (Apr 3, 2017)

I tend to use it a lot for action, particularly when on water and I want to maintain a high shutter speed e.g. 1/8,000".
I then let the ISO safety shift to maintain that speed, the only issue is that you need to watch or possibly restrict your ISO range.


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## mb66energy (Jul 1, 2017)

I have configured my cameras to do safety shift.

Example: While shooting some macro/close up work in Av mode with open aperture, e.g. f/2.8 or f/4.0 I see some interesting clouds. Shooting these clouds spontanously at f/2.8 + 1/8000 (the latter is the limit in shutter speed) is to bright just at ISO 50 - the camera adjusts the aperture to e.g. f/8 + 1/8000.

Shooting with 5D mark i I have not Auto ISO - only shutter speed and aperture can be "safety-shifted".


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## Keith_Reeder (Jul 1, 2017)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I think its another one of those settings for users who do not have enough knowledge to set the exposure properly.



_Sigh..._

It's also useful for those of us who don't have anything to learn about exposing images properly, but who shoot in rapidly-changing light conditions, like wildlife and sports 'togs. 

I used it on every body I owned prior to the 7D Mk II.


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## Rejay14 (Oct 6, 2017)

mb66energy said:


> I have configured my cameras to do safety shift.
> 
> Example: While shooting some macro/close up work in Av mode with open aperture, e.g. f/2.8 or f/4.0 I see some interesting clouds. Shooting these clouds spontanously at f/2.8 + 1/8000 (the latter is the limit in shutter speed) is to bright just at ISO 50 - the camera adjusts the aperture to e.g. f/8 + 1/8000.
> 
> Shooting with 5D mark i I have not Auto ISO - only shutter speed and aperture can be "safety-shifted".



I'm curious why you would do macro work at 2.8/4?


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