Camera Labs

It may be a bit early for this but with the most recent range of DSLR's coming with Live View I am interested if this is going to change the habits of DSLR users re how they compose photo's. Are people going to change from a viewfinder to Live View to compose photos. I'm particularly interested in the opinions of those who have been using DSLR's for a long time & whether they may find this a better method for composing photos.

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Dale
Nikon D600, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, NIKON AF NIKKOR 28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 D, NIKON AF NIKKOR 85mm F1.8 D, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4G, Nikon AF 16mm f2.8D FISHEYE, HP Pro 9180, Adobe CS5 Master Collection, Lightroom 4, Capture NX2, DxO Optics Pro v 7, Elite Edition

I’m a short-term user, but used live-view P&S for over a year. When I got my E510, I was disappointed with LiveView because the LCD was stationary. That meant that I had to crouch down to see it, which made it just as easy to use the viewfinder. LiveView with an articulating LCD is wonderful (especially when the viewfinder is dim). Of course, some LCDs are dim in bright sunlight, which forces you back to the viewfinder again. There are also issues of the delayed shutter opening with LiveView, which can screw up action shots big time. Panasonic is trying to address this with alternative focusing methods, which helps. Sorry I’m not a pro – that’s my 2c.

Hi Brian, I think you've made a very important point. It seems such a shame to include Live View facilities, then not see it through to its ultimate conclusion with a flip-out screen - but then I'd also like to see flip-out screens on every superzoom too!

This is one of the reasons Panasonic's L10 DSLR looks interesting - not just for the contrast based AF, but also the flip-out screen. See:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panas ... x_DMC-L10/

Also, if the sensor is capable of delivering a 30fps live video feed, why not also fit a movie mode? Another question for another time...

Gordon

Thanks Gordon. If you were satisfied with a Live View format in a DSLR, do you think you would end up using it most of the time instead of using the viewfinder

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Dale
Nikon D600, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, NIKON AF NIKKOR 28-105mm F/3.5-4.5 D, NIKON AF NIKKOR 85mm F1.8 D, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4G, Nikon AF 16mm f2.8D FISHEYE, HP Pro 9180, Adobe CS5 Master Collection, Lightroom 4, Capture NX2, DxO Optics Pro v 7, Elite Edition

I think a lot depends on what system you're coming from and what you're used to. I was brought up on film SLRs, so am very comfortable with optical viewfinders.

Non-DSLR owners may prefer screens for composition, but the optical SLR viewfinder is in fact one of the highlights of owning a DSLR. They're really quick and easy to use in all light conditions, give an accurate indication of focus and also a better impression of depth of field. They're also easier to use with a big or heavy lens - it's not as easy to hold a DSLR out in front of you as it is a compact!

So for most shots I would personally always use the optical viewfinder. BUT I do enjoy composing using the screen on non-DSLRs and the Live View facility on DSLRs - even if it's a bit clunky at times.

Ultimately I'd only use Live View when it offers a unique advantage over the optical v/f, such as working at unusual angles, delivering 100% coverage (this can be done on optical v/fs, but only on v pricey DSLRs), or for overlaying graphics like an alignment grid or live histogram. So I'd say, maybe 5 or 10% of the time.

I do think it's interesting though to see how many people upgrading from a P&S to a DSLR with Live View end up using the screen for composition, or if they switch to the v/f...

I'm very happy with the optical viewfinder of my DSLR. I had screen only on my Sony T1 and LCD+viewfinder on my Sony P200. Plus I had an "optical screen-finder" with my two-eyed 6x6 Yashica.
With modern P&S I find it mostly crazy to hold out the cam in front of you like a pest and were using the optical viewfinder on the P200 a lot, also because the contrast of the P200-LCD under bright light was bad.
Apart from projecting all the (more or less) useful information on a LCD-screen, there is only one real benefit of using a screen vs. the optival v/f: The picture takes on a certain abstract quality which helps to optimize the composition. E.g. most people don't realize that the sides of a building are no longer rectangular when you point the camera up, when they look through an optical v/f. With a screen they immediately recognize this effect of perspective.

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses