"lazy" view

beezer123

beezer123

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Peter Mitchell
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I was wondering if anyone else with live view functionality on their camera feels its made them slightly lazier?
Having recently switched from using an A200 I find that I don't need to worry as much about the different settings to take the best picture as I can see all the tweaks on the screen in front of me.

Does anyone else think it takes the hard work and a bit of the sense of achievement you used to get when tweaking things to finally get the shot you really wanted?
 
Nope

I have live view on the Olympus but I can turn it around so that only the back is shown. I only really use it if shooting above my head or very low down. Like wise I don't tend to 'tweak' in the camera and any tweaking I do is in post production when I can see the whole image or any effect on a large monitor.

Like wise rarely chimp
 
Can't say that I ever use live view if I'm honest. Maybe if I were doing macro, had the tripod locked off and wanted to check critical sharpness - but for general photo taking it's not for me :)
 
I bought an E520 purely because it had live view, but it was only any good on a tripod, so I never used it. Technically I'm using live view permanently on my GH1, but I never use the rear screen for composing only the EVF.

I don't see how it can make you lazier as it just displays what yo're pointing the camera at?
 
Only two occasions I use mine and that is close up work and long exposures on a tripod (live view is better when you have a 10 stop ND screwed on the front of your lens)
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
I bought an E520 purely because it had live view, but it was only any good on a tripod, so I never used it. Technically I'm using live view permanently on my GH1, but I never use the rear screen for composing only the EVF.

I don't see how it can make you lazier as it just displays what yo're pointing the camera at?
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I mean that before live view I had to learn the basics of iso, aperture, shutter speed etc. Where now I find that I'm forgetting some of the really basic stuff cos its either a quick turn of the dial left or right to improve the picture you see on the screen.
 
I don't because the D3100's live view is shocking, it may be ok for the ND shots as mentioned above but other that that it's nowt but pain in't arse.
 
I'm in the majority here in rarely using it. Only time I use it is on a tripod, or handholding really low or really high. On a big heavy camera, it's impractical to use live view like you would a compact. Don't worry about being 'lazy' - no one's really bothered about what settings you used to take the picture, only what it looks like:) It's about the result, not the process.
 
beezer123 said:
I mean that before live view I had to learn the basics of iso, aperture, shutter speed etc. Where now I find that I'm forgetting some of the really basic stuff cos its either a quick turn of the dial left or right to improve the picture you see on the screen.
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You still have to choose/know what you're adjusting surely? :thinking:
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
You still have to choose/know what you're adjusting surely? :thinking:
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I would say so but if you can display a live histogram on it as well it can help getting optimum exposure prior to taking the shot rather than shoot/review/re-shoot I guess.
I only use it for night shots and focus / exposure is the only reasons I do.
 
I use Live-view on my Sony a330 only when stuff is higher or lower than can be done well with the OVF. I rarely use it for normal shooting however, I like the OVF far better.
 
I also very rarely use live view, exceptions being when on a tripod and when recording video.
 
Don't use live view because CDAF is painfully slow and holding a DSLR + big lens at away from my body isn't my idea of fun. And it isn't that accurate - the light falling on it and brightnes settings make a huge difference. Will be handy for macro stuff once I start that.
But if I did, I wouldn't think it lazy - gettingto the image you want is getting to it, whichever route you use to get there. I don't think an image becomes better just because someone chooses their exposure by deriving it from the Maxwell and optics equations on a pebble abacus they built on location :) though it would be a feat.
 
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I think I tried it once and didn't see the apeal for what I shoot. Granted I can see it's uses in some situations but it just doesn't suit my shooting style.
 
Live view works really well for long lenses plus tele convertor when they won't autofocus. Switch to live view, 10x zoom for critical focus.
 
Never used the live view or the video functions of my 5d2, in fact I wouldn't know how to turn it on :eek:
 
Byker28i said:
Live view works really well for long lenses plus tele convertor when they won't autofocus. Switch to live view, 10x zoom for critical focus.
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My primary use for it. Got a few good results from this method.
 
If you want a really good one for the kids. Put the camera on a tripod, I used a 100-400 lens with 2x convertor, then 10x zoom at the moon. Pick an edge and see how fast the moon moves across the sky.
 
Byker28i said:
Live view works really well for long lenses plus tele convertor when they won't autofocus. Switch to live view, 10x zoom for critical focus.
Click to expand...

RichardtheSane said:
My primary use for it. Got a few good results from this method.
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Mine too. Most reliable way I've found for nailing manual focus with long non-AF lenses and macro with my M42 or OM with adapter. Focus confirm doesn't quite cut it tbh.
I also found it useful once shooting above a crowd's head: the E620's screen is multi-position :)
 
Used it yesterday to take a landscape shot. Live view allowed me to see roughly what my exposure was going to look like. My idea was to take two exposures and then merge them in photoshop. One exposing for the ground and one exposing the sky such that the beams of light coming down through the clouds were visible. Live view helped a lot.
 
ausemmao said:
Don't use live view because CDAF is painfully slow
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I don't know about other systems but with the Olympus system it's possible to use PDAF on lenses that don't support CDAF. This does involve an annoying mirror up/down/up/where_are_you_now dance but while seriously annoying does serve the purpose of accurate focus.
As my favoured lenses don't support CDAF the whole procedure irritates me somewhat so limits me to using it for night shots only (or a shot I can't see so use the flip out LCD to compose the shot)
 
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