Using Live View - Help Needed

[Brownbear]

Mike has kindly suggested on more than one occasion that I try using the Live View mode on my camera to help me along with photography skills, advising that it would be a handy thing to use and serve me well in my learning landscape project.

My understanding from Mike his response on another thread to one of my questions is that...

If I were taking this shot on a tripod, I would begin with a middle f-stop, I would manually focus on an abject about one-third to one-half of the distance from the camera, and I would then check the front and rear parts of the image magnified in Live View. If they weren't in focus, I would gradually stop down until they were. The beauty of using Live View is that you don't need to know what the precise depth of field is for a given focal length and distance from subject.

To which I replied...

Thank you for sharing. I purchased a handbook on my camera, and I was reading about live view, once again to try and understand how to use it, but so far it is not sinking in.

I tried taking pictures of my tv screen (and other things) (no tripod) using the settings I chose and manual focus, and by moving that focus point around to the chosen spot... When I zoom in I am not seeing anything that lets me know that the subject is in focus, at least not any more than photographing things in a normal way... And then if I see that I have to change my chosen camera settings for the exposure I have to turn my camera off, and turn it on again to change the settings... (seems very slow and in real life the light would change by the time I figured it out) Is this normal or am I not understanding something or missing something about how to use live view... The handbook I purchased has just one page on live view...There seems to be something wrong with the manner in which I am trying to use it or I'm simply dense.

If you could enlighten me and/or direct me to a link where I could read more about using live view that would be appreciated.

Thank you.


Honestly, I'm finding that trying to use Live View with all the new gadgets (tripod, mirror-up, and remote release) along with looking at the view finder instead of the scene at hand seems to be one too, many electronically things to think about when trying to take a photograph of a landscape scene.

Perhaps I'm just making things more complicated then they are?

Thank you.

[Mike Buckley]

Everything in this post assumes you're using a tripod.

Using Live View isn't something additional and I'll explain why. After you capture an image, you should examine it highly magnified in the LCD to ensure that everything that you want in focus is indeed in focus. (You could ignore doing so but only if you are absolutely confident that you have correctly estimated the distance of the focus point, nearest point and farthest point from your camera and then combined that with details about your focal length and f-stop to look up a table to determine the depth of field.)

Instead of determining whether everything is in focus after you capture your image, determine it before you capture the image. You have to determine it sometime, so it's nothing additional to determine it using Live View; instead of looking at a magnified image in your LCD after you capture the image, you would be looking at it before you capture the image.

So, try this:

1) Put your camera on a tripod either indoors or outdoors.
2) Select a subject that you are absolutely positive is well beyond the minimum focusing distance of your lens. (It's imperative to know the minimum focusing distance of every lens that you own.)
3) Turn on Live View.
4) Press the OK button to position the focus point in the center.
5) Use the button on your camera with a magnifying glass and a plus sign to increase the magnification all the way. Then press the button with the magnifying glass and the negative sign twice to reduce the magnification to about 100%.
6) Set your camera (and lens if necessary) to manual focus.
7) Turn the focus ring until whatever is displayed in the LCD is perfectly in focus. To ensure that, rotate the focus ring back and forth so the object goes out of focus in one direction, becomes in focus, goes out of focus in the other direction, and then returns to being in focus.

Once you've done that, you've learned how to focus using Live View. Get back to me with any concerns or successes before we move on to the next lesson.

[Polar01]

Christina: you have a problem you are thinking too much, setup, relax and take the picture.

Cheers: Allan

[Mike Buckley]

Christina: you have a problem you are thinking too much, setup, relax and take the picture.

I commiserate with her about that, Allan. There are so many controls on a digital camera that it's easy to feel inundated, especially when you're new to digital photography as she is. Keep in mind that Christina only recently purchased her current camera and understandably had it awhile before she even realized that it has Live View. It's her first camera with Live View.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Christina,

A couple of days ago Shane posted a few landscapes, I opened these up and was very impressed with the sharpness throughout the depth of the scene, f16. I wonder what method of focusing Shane used?

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

Grahame,

Frank's thread that got this discussion going is not about a landscape scene. It's an interior shot. If I were shooting a typical landscape, I would simply use auto focus and I would know intuitively that everything would be in focus probably using f/5.6 to f/8 for ideal sharpness.

[Brownbear]

Alan, that is likely the case but I'm trying to learn all the electrical and mechanical features on my camera, figuring that will serve me well in the long run.

Grahame, I noticed that about Shanes images too. We should ask her.

Mike... Exercise done.

I placed my camera on a tripod and photographed 3 apples in a vertical line, focused on the top of the 2nd one (center point to follow your directions) using the normal way of taking an image.

Then I switched to live view and played with the manual focus until I thought I could see sharper, back to front focus in the apples. Using a tripod does make Live View far more effective and I think I could see sharper apples but not with 100% certainty... I could see, I think, that the DOF was not adequate for the first apple but I could not change the aperture in the Live view mode. (and in the normal view mode I can see that all three apples are in the focus area box)


Thank you.

[Stagecoach]

Mike,

Christina's post No 1 makes reference to 'landscapes' in the first and second to last para and live-view use within her learning landscapes project.

The second to last para also suggests concerns with the use of live-view as an addition to all the other things to think about, so for me one of the obvious things is to consider how others achieve excellent results.

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

I could not change the aperture in the Live view mode

Rotate the sub-command dial (the front dial) to change the aperture. It works whether in Live View or not. EDIT: I'm assuming you haven't changed the default configuration of that dial.

(and in the normal view mode I can see that all three apples are in the focus area box)

I wonder if you're under an incorrect impression. If "normal view mode" means Live View with no magnification, the red box does not indicate that everything within it is in focus. That red box doesn't indicate that anything is in focus regardless of the magnification.

However, if you use Live View and Auto Focus, that box will become green if the camera achieves focus. Even then, that box still does not indicate that everything within it is in focus.

[Mike Buckley]

so for me one of the obvious things is to consider how others achieve excellent results.

I agree, Grahame. I just didn't want Christina to get confused when suddenly we were discussing landscapes even though the initial question about using Live View to focus came up in the context of shooting Frank's indoor scene that had a much smaller camera-to-subject distance than a typical landscape scene.

[Brownbear]

Hi Mike,

I meant to say that when taking the photo by looking through the viewfinder, in either manual or auto focus I feel that I can see if the image is in focus, or not, and that I also have the focus box as a guideline to go by.

I just tried Live View with auto focus and I saw the green box to show that focus was achieved. Then I switched back to manual focus and tried another shot.

Yes, I realize that either way does not mean that everything is in sharp focus...

Obviously I am missing something major, because rotating my subcommand button while in Live View does not let me change the aperture, or exposure compensation or anything... In manual mode or aperture priority mode.

And something reset my camera to the standard camera settings. This also happened last night while I was trying live view.

I will practice with things but not being able to change my camera settings is really odd and not practical.... ?

Rotate the sub-command dial (the front dial) to change the aperture. It works whether in Live View or not.



I wonder if you're under an incorrect impression. If "normal view mode" means Live View with no magnification, the red box does not indicate that everything within it is in focus. That red box doesn't indicate that anything is in focus regardless of the magnification.

However, if you use Live View and Auto Focus, that box will become green if the camera achieves focus. Even then, that box still does not indicate that everything within it is in focus.

[Mike Buckley]

I meant to say that when taking the photo by looking through the viewfinder, in either manual or auto focus I feel that I can see if the image is in focus, or not, and that I also have the focus box as a guideline to go by.

It's impossible to be sure that everything is in focus using the viewfinder. That's because the image is too small. As an example, if you print an out-of-focus image the size of a postage stamp, it could look very sharp. Print at 8 x 10 and you'll probably see that it's out of focus. Your viewfinder is analogous to a postage stamp.

The focus box displayed in the viewfinder does NOT indicate that everything displayed within it is sharp. It only approximates the focus point so you have an approximate idea of the point of focus. For the purpose of shooting a typical landscape, everything displayed within the focus box will most assuredly be in focus. However, when shooting something up close using a macro lens and a large aperture, it's possible that not everything displayed within the focus box will be in focus.

As a practical matter considering the types of photographs you are currently making, those details probably do not matter because everything displayed within that small box will probably be in focus. However, it's important that you understand how your camera works so you aren't confused once you move on to other type of photography.

Obviously I am missing something major, because rotating my subcommand button while in Live View does not let me change the aperture

Maybe there is a configuration or setting that I'm not thinking of that would prevent your subcommand dial from functioning while in Live View but I can't think of what it might be. Hopefully someone can. On my system, using that dial changes the aperture being displayed in the bottom of Live View.

[Mike Buckley]

I just now thought of what the issue may be regarding your sub-command dial:

1) Your camera must be in P, M, A or S mode to change the aperture using the sub-command dial while using Live View. (That's probably true even if you're not using Live View.)

2) If you are using Live View in a magnified view, the aperture setting is not displayed in the LCD on the back of the camera. However, the aperture is being changed using the sub-command dial and the setting is displayed in the LCD on the top of your camera. To view the changing aperture setting on the back of the camera while in Live View, press the OK button to return to the non-magnified view.

[Digital]

Christina, if I am not mistaken Nikon recommends that the Live View mode be used with a camera on a tripod.



Bruce

[Brownbear]

Mike, as always thank you for your help, and for always adding extra details and clarifications. I adore photographing bugs so Live View would come in handy once I figure it out.

If anyone knows why....

When I exit live view I can change all of my camera settings, aperture, shutter speed, iso, exposure compensation, etc. In live view I can see the settings on the bottom but I can't adjust any of them. Also I have the iso set to 100 on my camera which is correct and functions as it should... However in live view the ISO is set to 6400 and I can't change that either, and it is not something I set my camera for...

Thank you.

[Brownbear]

Hi Bruce... Indeed I learned that today, and you've reinforced the fact.

Thank you

Christina, if I am not mistaken Nikon recommends that the Live View mode be used with a camera on a tripod.



Bruce

[Mike Buckley]

Christina, if I am not mistaken Nikon recommends that the Live View mode be used with a camera on a tripod.

That isn't mentioned in my camera manual anywhere in the chapter devoted to the explanation of Live View.

I recommended to Christina the importance of using a tripod when using Live View to fine tune focus, at least at this stage in her learning curve.

[Mike Buckley]

When I exit live view I can change all of my camera settings, aperture, shutter speed, iso, exposure compensation, etc. In live view I can see the settings on the bottom but I can't adjust any of them. Also I have the iso set to 100 on my camera which is correct and functions as it should... However in live view the ISO is set to 6400 and I can't change that either, and it is not something I set my camera for...

I'm stumped. What mode (M, A, S, P, etc.) are you using?

[Brownbear]

Hi Mike,

1. I have only played with live view in Manual and Aperture priority modes. In manual, when in live view, sometimes (not always) I can change the shutter speed but not the aperture, or exp comp or iso. In aperture priority I can't change anything.

2. Yes, I can see that but I still can't change any of the settings in manual or aperture mode. Not even after pressing the ok button and returning to the non-magnified view. I have to turn the camera off, set my settings and then change to live view... once I'm in live view it seems that I am stuck with the settings I chose.

When I was reading up on Live View mode, I was reading along with my camera handbook trying all the settings, so perhaps I set something funny in Live View unwittingly... Later this evening I will refer to my handbook and the live view mode and look and see what I may have done.

Right now I have to attend to a few things, but as soon as I figure out what I have done I will post it here. Likely not until tomorrow.

Thank you.

I just now thought of what the issue may be regarding your sub-command dial:

1) Your camera must be in P, M, A or S mode to change the aperture using the sub-command dial while using Live View. (That's probably true even if you're not using Live View.)

2) If you are using Live View in a magnified view, the aperture setting is not displayed in the LCD on the back of the camera. However, the aperture is being changed using the sub-command dial and the setting is displayed in the LCD on the top of your camera. To view the changing aperture setting on the back of the camera while in Live View, press the OK button to return to the non-magnified view.

[Mike Buckley]

If we don't figure this out, save all your camera settings to a memory card in Slot 1 that has no image files stored on it (Setup Menu >> Save/Load settings). Then revert all of your camera settings to the default settings using the information explained on page 131 of your camera manual. You'll be able to use your memory card in Slot 1 to load your settings that you were using before reverting to the default settings.