Same scene equivalent exposures

[picmaker1]

These are pictures of the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC (no I wasn't staying there).
Picture 1 was set at 4 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 100 in manual mode.
Picture 2 was set at .4 of a second, f/8, ISO 1600 in manual mode.
I was surprised to see the name on the building come out clearer on the shorter exposure, higher ISO.
Please leave comments.

[John Mills]

I suspect that the reason the name on the building was clearer in the second exposure is due to a combination of factors.  First, the aperture on the first photo is larger than the second - this will produce a greater depth of field in the second photo.  Next, it appears that the camera may have used the closest light to set its focus.  Since both aperture settings produce relatively shallow depth of field, focusing on the name of the building should minimize the difference you see.

John

[countrygrrl_ak]

Were you using Auto focus or Manual focus for your shots?