■ Introduction

Many photographers believe that keeping ISO as low as possible is essential for achieving clean and beautiful images. This mindset comes from the film era, when “low ISO = high image quality” was an unshakable rule.

However, in the digital age, using a higher ISO can actually reduce the number of failed shots, especially when shooting handheld. With modern noise-reduction technology, high ISO has become a powerful tool rather than something to avoid.

In this article, I share an experiment I conducted in the Sagano Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, comparing low ISO (125) and high ISO (1000) images taken handheld. Through this test, I explain why embracing high ISO can improve your success rate in handheld photography.

■ What Low ISO Meant in the Film Era

During the film era, photographers relied on low-ISO films such as ISO 50 or ISO 100 to minimize grain. Once grain appeared on film, it couldn’t be removed during development, so avoiding noise meant choosing low sensitivity from the start.

But low ISO had a major drawback:

• It forced slower shutter speeds

• Slow shutter speeds often caused camera shake

• And camera shake cannot be corrected afterward

For landscape photography, where deep focus and a stopped-down aperture are often required, shutter speeds become even slower. As a result, heavy tripods were essential to prevent blur. Carrying a tripod required physical effort, and many locations—especially temples and tourist sites—prohibited tripod use altogether.

■ How Digital Technology Changed the Game

Digital cameras introduced powerful noise-reduction processing. Early versions were far from perfect—noise was reduced, but image detail often looked smoothed out or “plasticky”.

Recent advances, especially with AI-based processing, have changed the situation dramatically. Noise can now be reduced while preserving fine detail, making high-ISO images far more usable than before.

This improvement allows photographers to shoot handheld at higher ISOs, maintaining fast shutter speeds without sacrificing overall image quality.

■ The Experiment: ISO 125 vs ISO 1000 in a Dark Bamboo Forest

● Shooting conditions

• Location: Sagano Bamboo Forest, Kyoto (a dark environment)

• Camera: SONY A900 (older model, weaker noise performance)

• Lens: 70mm

• Processing: Capture One Pro 23 / DXO PureRaw 5

• Comparison points:

  • Area A: dark section of the bamboo grove

  • Area B: brighter part

Tripods were not allowed, and the area was crowded with tourists, so handheld shooting was the only option.

● ISO 125 (Low ISO) — Too Slow to Avoid Blur

At ISO 125, the shutter speed dropped to 1/6 second.

This is far below the handheld limit for a 70mm lens and nearly guarantees camera shake.

Image results:

• Noise: minimal

• But the entire image appeared soft and blurry due to camera shake

• No amount of editing or sharpening could restore the lost detail

In both dark (A) and bright (B) areas, the blur made the image unusable.

● ISO 1000 (High ISO) — Fast Enough to Freeze the Scene

At ISO 1000, the shutter speed increased to 1/80 second, comfortably above the handheld limit.

Before noise reduction:

• Dark area (A): visible noise

• Bright area (B): minimal noise

• But image sharpness and edges were preserved, thanks to the faster shutter speed

After noise reduction:

Both Capture One Pro and PureRaw5 removed noise effectively, especially in the dark areas.

While not as perfectly smooth as low-ISO images, the high-ISO results were more than acceptable for normal viewing or printing.

Crucially:

A sharp high-ISO photo is vastly better than a blurry low-ISO photo.

■ Key Takeaways

⭐

Camera shake is fatal — noise is not.

• Blur cannot be fixed, unless you intentionally want that effect

• Noise can be reduced with modern software while keeping detail intact

⭐

Therefore, raising ISO is often the correct choice for handheld shooting.

When shutter speed drops below the handheld limit—or when you need to stop down the aperture for depth of field—raising ISO is far more important than keeping noise low.

■ Conclusion

When shooting handheld and your shutter speed becomes too slow, do not hesitate to raise your ISO. This applies especially to landscape photography, where sharpness is essential.

Modern noise-reduction software focuses noise mainly in the shadows, allowing you to clean up high-ISO files very effectively during post-processing. On the other hand, a blurry image remains a failure unless blur is part of your creative intent.

■ Additional Note

Nearly all of my handheld images taken at Tofuku-ji in Kyoto were shot at ISO 400, f/7–10 with the SONY A900.

After processing with Capture One Pro and DXO PureRaw 5, the final results showed virtually no visible noise—proving how capable modern software has become.