Live View - Not getting use to it

Rudi · 11-18-2008, 03:26 PM

Hi guys,

when I started looking for a Camera I was thrilled by that "Live View" thingy.
After I got my Camera now, I have to admit that I hardly use that feature. I've tried it a couple of times but it produces more distraction than thoughtful composition on my part. For me it makes me feel miles away from what i want to shoot. Well that's how I feel about it.

How about you, do you use it? often, when, or not? would love to have know your thoughts on that.

Thanks for your input.
Rudi

Mindflux · 11-18-2008, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by Rudi

Hi guys,

when I started looking for a Camera I was thrilled by that "Live View" thingy.
After I got my Camera now, I have to admit that I hardly use that feature. I've tried it a couple of times but it produces more distraction than thoughtful composition on my part. For me it makes me feel miles away from what i want to shoot. Well that's how I feel about it.

How about you, do you use it? often, when, or not? would love to have know your thoughts on that.

Thanks for your input.
Rudi

I use it for DOF preview, that's about it.

deadpink · 11-18-2008, 03:39 PM

well, my digital zoom ( lumix fx20 ) had it and in 3 years I used it aybe 5 times, and only for tripod based shots mostly of myself when noone was around to shoot me, basically I think it's simply a bone being thrown to the curent digital generation used to p&s camers with it. I have no use for it whatsoever to be honest. I want to see what the camera sees through the vf. And also I've seen posts by younger ppl used to live view and once they started to use a real camera and the viewfinder they quickly ditched the live view function completely heh...

Gooshin · 11-18-2008, 03:43 PM

Live View for normal shooting is rather limited in terms of novelty, you really are better off just doing the old fashioned way

now, when you start getting into more difficult shots, like shooting from ground level, or extending your arms way up in the air, then you will find the feature invaluble.

as i mentioned in another thread, the camera in this picture was on a tripod, upside down, at ground level.

to focus through the view finder i would have had to lay down on the ground, now, and htis was a warm summer day and it wasnt that dirty there (with the exception of rusted rail beams)

now imagine this was in a dusty area, or in the snow, are you going to plump down on the ground and freeze your face off?

k100d · 11-18-2008, 03:43 PM

personally i look forward to a proper live view in a pentax dslr

possibilities of
i. face detection when giving someone else the camera
ii. live histogram
iii. mf magnification
iv. exposure adjusted DOF preview
v. 100% framing
vi. silent shooting capability
vii. contrast detect af which in theory should be more accurate and would be able to use any point on the screen

Arpe · 11-18-2008, 04:29 PM

Never used it, and I'm so unused to it that if I did want to use it I would have to consult the manual on how to.

creampuff · 11-18-2008, 05:04 PM

On our recent Pentax meet up last week, some of us who didn't bring a tripod to shoot at dusk supported the cameras on a railing and used Live View to compose and take the shot.

Frankly its use is limited to your imagination.

Matt Miller · 11-18-2008, 05:14 PM

I've used it a few times, at ground level and over my head. I look forward to a much better version of it someday though.

Arpe · 11-18-2008, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by creampuff

On our recent Pentax meet up last week, some of us who didn't bring a tripod to shoot at dusk supported the cameras on a railing and used Live View to compose and take the shot.

Frankly its use is limited to your imagination.

Good idea.

*Runs to find camera manual*

marcdsgn · 11-18-2008, 06:05 PM

I have my dad's old '50s vintage Beauty large-format reflex camera (It has the old-style milk-glass viewfinder screen on the top). I showed this to my gadget-mad brother-in-law a couple of years ago, and he was totally blown away that cameras had live-view digital viewfinders 50 years ago. I told him of course it wasn't digital. He didn't believe it; how else could it work??!! Couldn't understand the simple physics of milkglass and mirrors.

Maybe we could develop a DSLR with '50s technology, eh?

kenyee · 11-18-2008, 08:27 PM

do you guys like angle finders better?

heliphoto · 11-18-2008, 09:11 PM

Originally posted by k100d

personally i look forward to a proper live view in a pentax dslr

possibilities of
i. face detection when giving someone else the camera
ii. live histogram
iii. mf magnification
iv. exposure adjusted DOF preview
v. 100% framing
vi. silent shooting capability
vii. contrast detect af which in theory should be more accurate and would be able to use any point on the screen

Well, the K20 does allow you to zoom in on the live view, so MF magnification is a real possibility. I've only had my K20 a couple days and haven't really played with the live view for more than 5 min.

soccerjoe5 · 11-18-2008, 09:27 PM

I used live view a lot in my last food shoot. Once the camera settings are set in M and some test shots to make things are properly exposed, I use live view.

Useful for me!

I do wish I could change some settings on the fly though.

I also use it when composing for lanscapes. I just have to set the exposure first then use it while on the tripod.

dylansalt · 11-18-2008, 10:43 PM

For me live view is only really worth its weight in gold if it has a swivel/flip lcd like the Oly 5060 had - for low level/overhead and unusual angles - brilliant.

I can't understand why they can't add this ability to the current live view dslr.

The only one that does is the Oly E3.

d

**Kerrowdown** · 11-19-2008, 01:14 PM

Get a K10D instead, you wont have these probems then.

11-18-2008, 03:26 PM	#1
Rudi Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Cape Town, South Africa Posts: 52	Live View - Not getting use to it Hi guys, when I started looking for a Camera I was thrilled by that "Live View" thingy. After I got my Camera now, I have to admit that I hardly use that feature. I've tried it a couple of times but it produces more distraction than thoughtful composition on my part. For me it makes me feel miles away from what i want to shoot. Well that's how I feel about it. How about you, do you use it? often, when, or not? would love to have know your thoughts on that. Thanks for your input. Rudi

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11-18-2008, 03:39 PM	#2
Mindflux Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 150	Originally posted by Rudi Hi guys, when I started looking for a Camera I was thrilled by that "Live View" thingy. After I got my Camera now, I have to admit that I hardly use that feature. I've tried it a couple of times but it produces more distraction than thoughtful composition on my part. For me it makes me feel miles away from what i want to shoot. Well that's how I feel about it. How about you, do you use it? often, when, or not? would love to have know your thoughts on that. Thanks for your input. Rudi I use it for DOF preview, that's about it.

11-18-2008, 03:39 PM	#3
deadpink Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 19	well, my digital zoom ( lumix fx20 ) had it and in 3 years I used it aybe 5 times, and only for tripod based shots mostly of myself when noone was around to shoot me, basically I think it's simply a bone being thrown to the curent digital generation used to p&s camers with it. I have no use for it whatsoever to be honest. I want to see what the camera sees through the vf. And also I've seen posts by younger ppl used to live view and once they started to use a real camera and the viewfinder they quickly ditched the live view function completely heh...

11-18-2008, 03:43 PM	#4
Gooshin Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, the one in Canada. Posts: 5,610	Live View for normal shooting is rather limited in terms of novelty, you really are better off just doing the old fashioned way now, when you start getting into more difficult shots, like shooting from ground level, or extending your arms way up in the air, then you will find the feature invaluble. as i mentioned in another thread, the camera in this picture was on a tripod, upside down, at ground level. to focus through the view finder i would have had to lay down on the ground, now, and htis was a warm summer day and it wasnt that dirty there (with the exception of rusted rail beams) now imagine this was in a dusty area, or in the snow, are you going to plump down on the ground and freeze your face off?

11-18-2008, 03:43 PM	#5
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	personally i look forward to a proper live view in a pentax dslr possibilities of i. face detection when giving someone else the camera ii. live histogram iii. mf magnification iv. exposure adjusted DOF preview v. 100% framing vi. silent shooting capability vii. contrast detect af which in theory should be more accurate and would be able to use any point on the screen

11-18-2008, 04:29 PM	#6
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	Never used it, and I'm so unused to it that if I did want to use it I would have to consult the manual on how to.

11-18-2008, 05:04 PM	#7
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	On our recent Pentax meet up last week, some of us who didn't bring a tripod to shoot at dusk supported the cameras on a railing and used Live View to compose and take the shot. Frankly its use is limited to your imagination.

11-18-2008, 05:14 PM	#8
Matt Miller Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Cambridge, Iowa Photos: Gallery Posts: 339	I've used it a few times, at ground level and over my head. I look forward to a much better version of it someday though.

11-18-2008, 05:27 PM	#9
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	Originally posted by creampuff On our recent Pentax meet up last week, some of us who didn't bring a tripod to shoot at dusk supported the cameras on a railing and used Live View to compose and take the shot. Frankly its use is limited to your imagination. Good idea. Runs to find camera manual

11-18-2008, 06:05 PM	#10
marcdsgn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery Posts: 265	I have my dad's old '50s vintage Beauty large-format reflex camera (It has the old-style milk-glass viewfinder screen on the top). I showed this to my gadget-mad brother-in-law a couple of years ago, and he was totally blown away that cameras had live-view digital viewfinders 50 years ago. I told him of course it wasn't digital. He didn't believe it; how else could it work??!! Couldn't understand the simple physics of milkglass and mirrors. Maybe we could develop a DSLR with '50s technology, eh?

11-18-2008, 08:27 PM	#11
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	do you guys like angle finders better?

11-18-2008, 09:11 PM	#12
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	Originally posted by k100d personally i look forward to a proper live view in a pentax dslr possibilities of i. face detection when giving someone else the camera ii. live histogram iii. mf magnification iv. exposure adjusted DOF preview v. 100% framing vi. silent shooting capability vii. contrast detect af which in theory should be more accurate and would be able to use any point on the screen Well, the K20 does allow you to zoom in on the live view, so MF magnification is a real possibility. I've only had my K20 a couple days and haven't really played with the live view for more than 5 min.

11-18-2008, 09:27 PM	#13
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343	I used live view a lot in my last food shoot. Once the camera settings are set in M and some test shots to make things are properly exposed, I use live view. Useful for me! I do wish I could change some settings on the fly though. I also use it when composing for lanscapes. I just have to set the exposure first then use it while on the tripod.

11-18-2008, 10:43 PM	#14
dylansalt Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Durban, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,052	For me live view is only really worth its weight in gold if it has a swivel/flip lcd like the Oly 5060 had - for low level/overhead and unusual angles - brilliant. I can't understand why they can't add this ability to the current live view dslr. The only one that does is the Oly E3. d

11-19-2008, 01:14 PM	#15
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,819	Get a K10D instead, you wont have these probems then.