I know I talked about difficulties with focusing in “live view” mode, however – there are some tricks. For example, do your focusing as you normally would, set the switch on the lens to manual, then click to go into live view and do your shot. If you want to confirm focus, or really want to get it exactly right – then while still in live view hit the magnify button and do a manual focus.
It’s one of those things that takes longer to explain than to do. And in fact, even when I was shooting normally, where the focus wasn’t going to change, I would often auto-focus, and then flip the lens to manual since I knew that the distance wasn’t going to change (i.e. all those shots I did with the infrared camera from the Circle Line Cruise) were done with that method. Here you can do the same thing – but also have the benefit of the nice bright detailed LCD with the grid. Not bad.
And of course, it’s always easier to compose on a good grid screen than through the viewfinder (think view camera ground glass).
500D / ASA 1600 / 28mm f1.8 / Live View! / One 75 watt bulb, overhead on a gooseneck lamp.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great shot.
My cat won’t stand still for one like this.
Catnip helps!
My cat’s favorite is fresh turkey roll. Thats when you have his attention.
Dave – I’m enjoying your posts about Live View – I have a 450D, and I’ve never thought to use Live View with it – you’re inspiring me to try it.
Now here’s a question for Canon… since they have a grid available in Live View, why the heck don’t they put one (as an option) in the viewfinder for normal shooting? The last 2 Canon digicams I’ve owned both have the option of putting up a grid on the LCD. Nikon DSLRs have been doing this for years.
.-= Steve Rosenbach´s last blog ..The New Times Square =-.
Damn Dave you’ll go to any lengths to get a photo – even catnip. Drugging human subjects can’t be far off. Personally I believe Buddy is quietly working out a plan to do you in, likely in your sleep, empty your bank account and make off for the fair islands in the Caribbean.
Steve – Agreed! What Live View gives you – at least in the cat example, is the ability to lie on the floor with the camera vertical, and really see when you’ve got “the moment.” Believe me – my cat is just as Frisky as the other critters out there.
I once decided, appropos of nothing, that I wanted to sell a portrait of a favorite cat to a cat magazine. It may have been Cat Fancy.
Much patience and a lot of cheese later — this cat loved cheese more than life itself — I captured some feline essence that they actually bought and published.
Since then I have not felt the urge to do formal cat portraits. But this one is quite nice.
BK
.-= Bob Keefer´s last blog ..Life in the slow lane =-.