Does anyone here use live view?

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Does anyone else here use live view on your camera? I've had people tell me real photographers don't, but I think that's a bunch of crap. I hold it up with my hands like I would if I were taking a photo through the eyepiece, but instead of looking through the viewfinder, I just look at the back screen (about a foot away from my face).

Its easier to see the image, you can see outside things going on (instead of JUST seeing the shot), and it doesn't dry out my contacts looking at the screen. Lastly, the camera is still just as stable as it would be up to your eyes, so there's no real downside. So I personally have plenty of reasons to prefer it. But what about you? Do you ever use live view? Why or why not?
 
Not ... simply because - erm - :oops: - my camera doesn't HAVE it ;).
 
My DSLR doesn't have it. My Sony P&S does but still refuse only because I like to use the cross-hair in the viewfinder to line up the shot (I don't have steady hands).

However, if the DSLR did have one, I would probably only use it when taking low shots where I can't physically use the viewfinder.
 
Yes, I do use LiveView under certain circumstances, and I think it's great to have the option.

*The biggest advantage to me is using it to digitally zoom and manual focus to assure very sharp images.

*The biggest downside for me is that I will go through the battery more quickly which is something I want to stay away from depending on the circumstance.

I am sure the type of person who says "real photographers do not use LiveView" are just old-schoolers who see that as more of a point & shoot type feature. I say it's there for a reason, use it to your advantage when you can :)
 
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pfft real photographers don't use digital! ;)

Anyway leaving them behind and getting back to the rest of us I know a few good and well used uses of liveview;

1) liveview image magnification is often used by macro shooters to help make sure that their focus is spot on. A great thing since modern viewfinders are not made with manual focusing in mind and can be quite dark and hard to tell on.

2) low angles = especailly with cameras where the LCD flips out and can angle up it allows for lower level shooting without having to get lower yourself.

Those are two common uses I know of - now for some downsides

1) They can be hard/impossible to read in very bright sunlight - a limitation if your using it as your main form of shooting

2) They drain the battery a lot quicker - an important concern since you don't want your battery giving out midshoot!

3) ITs not always suitable for all DSLR setups - that is to say with a nice light 50mm f1.8 lens on a DSLR you can liveview all you want - but you stick a 70-200mm f2.8 lens on the DSLR and your not going to hold that setup at arms length to use the liveview for very long at all! A tripod or a monopod would be essentail to allow such a focusing.

4) Holding the camera further from the body means more handshake can take place - keeping it closer to the body and with the extra bracing of the viewfinder contact is important support to consider.

In the end its a feature that certianly has its uses in specific areas, but for DSLRs in general I consider the weight of what you holding is going to be key - if your always out with the light 50mm lens its not worries, but if your using heavier gear then you have to make sure that if your using liveview that you get the support you need to keep the setup steady whilst shooting.
 
While I'm sure it can have it's uses I never use it on my 40D. I don't agree with the fact it is as stable holding it away from your body as when you are looking through the viewfinder.
I would also find it distracting when I could see external activity.
Glare in sunlight and battery life are other negative points and how do you readily zoom or alter other settings while composing the shot if it is not tight against your body/face to avoid shake?
 
Help!

I've read and re-read my Konica T3 manual from cover to cover and can't find a reference to 'live view'. Does this mean I'm a 'real' photographer?
 
Help!

I've read and re-read my Konica T3 manual from cover to cover and can't find a reference to 'live view'. Does this mean I'm a 'real' photographer?

Nope. Real photographers only shoot 8x10 (or larger) Velvia .;)

To answer the OP's question, I have an Olympus E-420, which has a very basic live view mode. The AF is painfully slow. I tried it when I took the camera out of the box and never used it since. As Overread said, it might be useful for macro but I don't take any macro shots with that camera.
 
About the only time I will use Live View is when the camera is on the tripod and I'm doing macro work. Even then, it's not often.

There's no way possible having the camera sticking out a foot away from your body to see a tiny display screen is as stable as a proper stance with feet at shoulder width, elbows tucked next to your torso and camera in contact with your face as you peer through the viewfinder.
 
About the only time I will use Live View is when the camera is on the tripod and I'm doing macro work. Even then, it's not often.

There's no way possible having the camera sticking out a foot away from your body to see a tiny display screen is as stable as a proper stance with feet at shoulder width, elbows tucked next to your torso and camera in contact with your face as you peer through the viewfinder.

This is kinda the same as me. The only times I've ever used it is when my camera was on a tripod and the tripod was lower than me and I didn't want to crouch down for the viewfinder. I just clicked on live view and covered the viewfinder...framed and shot. It was much easier in that situation than squatting down to see the viewfinder.

I would never want to use it for handheld shots though. That would just feel really awkward with a bulky DSLR (at least to me it would).
 
I do have live view and I use it mainly when the camera is at an odd angle, lower tripod, macro and so on. My settings are usually already done and I'm just working the composition.

I much prefer the view finder over the live view screen.
 
Live view is great for street photography. You can shoot from the waist or sitting down without putting the camera near your eye at all.

skieur
 
how can i see what I am shooting if shooting from the hip in live view? Not being sarcastic, I'm always looking for tips to help me out. My hip shooting is essentially using a wide angle and trying to the best of my ability to aim the camera at the person, snap and pray :)
 
because many liveview viewers on DSLRs now are flipping out - so that you can angle the viewer upwards whilst keeping the camera static - result you can walk around looking down your pants whislt taking photos without anybody noticing

that you taking photos that is
 

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