Do you know these advantages of the Live View Mode of your camera?

The Live View or live shooting vision was a novelty a few years ago in the SLRs, while in the compact ones it was usual to frame the photo through the screen, in the SLRs it was even exotic. However, currently, most models of digital SLR cameras have it. In today’s article I’m going to dive right in to tell you what its advantages are, but also its drawbacks and, incidentally, we’ll see for what occasions it’s very helpful and when it’s better to avoid it.

What is Live View Mode?

The Live View mode, live preview or live view shooting, is a camera option that allows you to shoot while you are seeing the live image on the screen and check how it will look with the chosen parameters.

When you shoot using this Live View mode, instead of with the optical viewfinder, the mirror flips up (and we can no longer see through the viewfinder) and the camera captures the image that the sensor picks up electronically. Or what is the same, it would be working as an electronic viewfinder, like the one used by EVIL or mirrorless cameras.

To better understand what we are talking about, I recommend this article in which Mario explains the difference between an optical viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder.

Advantages of Live View Mode

Here are the benefits of shooting in Live View shooting mode:

  1. It allows you to see the result in real time and how the image changes as we modify the parameters. When you look through the viewfinder of your DSLR, you see the scene as it is, but when you look through Live View you see what the image will look like once you press the shutter button. If you change a parameter, you see in real time how it affects the shot. From depth of field to white balance to exposure.
  2. Variety of angles. Especially with foldable or articulated screens, it allows you to see what you are going to photograph at impossible angles that would otherwise involve shooting by intuition or performing poses worthy of the photographic kamasutra itself. With Live View you can take control. The same to take a selfie and go out with your eyes focused 😉 .
  1. 100% coverage. The viewfinder does not guarantee full coverage of the scene. Depending on the range of the camera, it will have more or less coverage, but in normal SLRs it does not reach 100%, with Live View mode, what you see on the screen is what is captured.
  2. Focus precision. There are nuances here. The first thing is that the autofocus is faster and more accurate with the viewfinder, but in some situations, with a tripod, with time and with static elements, you can enlarge the image on the screen and ensure manual focus with greater precision. More than anything because you can greatly enlarge the image and thus select which area you want to focus on more precisely. Of course, as long as the camera is on a tripod and it does not move or zoom afterwards, otherwise using Live view becomes a disadvantage rather than an advantage.
  3. Aid. The Live View mode offers us some help such as the live display of the histogram or the straight horizon signal.
  4. Discretion. It allows you to take photos without others noticing. As you are not looking through the viewfinder, but your eyes are on the camera screen, you can hide when taking your street photos, for example. Or that your children forget that you are taking photos and achieve more spontaneous captures.

Disadvantages of Live View Mode

Not all are advantages with the live preview mode, these are the disadvantages that it presents:

  1. It consumes a lot of battery. Having Live View mode activated is like putting a battery vampire in your camera. Spend a lot more.
  2. Risk of trepidations. Unless you’re shooting with a tripod, the way you shoot looking through the viewfinder is very different than when looking through the screen. The posture is more unstable and carries a higher risk of shake, which translates into less sharpness.
  3. Delay time. There is a time delay both between what happens and when it is displayed on the screen and between when you press the button and the image is captured. The delay time depends on the camera’s processor. If it is a moving object, you may not capture exactly what you want or at the right time because there is a time delay that does not occur with the optical viewfinder. This delay is greater when there is a shortage of light.
  4. Lower image quality. When you use the optical viewfinder, the image you capture is the one reflected by the mirror and is more faithful to reality, however, when you use the Live View, you are capturing the interpretation that the camera makes through the lens.
  5. The screen sometimes deceives. Has it ever happened to you that in bright light you couldn’t read a message on your mobile? Light affects the way we see information on a screen, so under certain conditions, the scene can appear to be much darker than it actually is. And this, and I tell you from my own experience, can make you increase the exposure and end up burning the image without realizing it. The viewfinder does not deceive. In his defense I will also say that you can look at the histogram when using Live View mode, which is usually not misleading either.
  6. In the dark you can see less than with the viewfinder. Do the test, in a dark place look through the screen and look through the viewfinder.
  7. Focus is slower. With Live View mode the autofocus is somewhat slower than when you use the focus points looking through the viewfinder.
  8. With slower flash. Using Live View with the flash makes the continuous shooting speed slower.
  9. Heating. Using Live View for a long time can heat up the inside of the camera, resulting in a loss of image quality. You’d better turn it off when you’re not using it.
  10. Limitations. Depending on the camera, Live View shooting does not work with all modes and there are functions that cannot be activated if you are using it.

So… Live view yes or no?

Given the advantages and disadvantages, you may ask yourself, “So… do I use it or not?” Well, like everything in life, it should not be abused, but it is a resource that is there to be used when it can help us. So, forgetting the purists who run away in terror when you name them Live View and see that you don’t look through the optical viewfinder, yes, use it when you see fit. And as I have told you, without abusing, that you don’t have a SLR to shoot out of habit with Live View either.

So the question is not whether to use it or not, but… when? Go for it.

When to use Live View Mode?

Let’s see in which situations it is advisable to use the Live View mode of your camera.

  • macro photography. Macro photography is characterized by a shallow depth of field, so a small focus error can be catastrophic. Using Live View mode allows you to better target the focus.
  • With impossible angles. Before doing a bridge handstand or leaving the result of your photo to chance because you can’t contort your body anymore, use the Live View mode that doesn’t bite.
  • To ensure correct exposure. If you are in doubt as to whether you are exposing correctly, turn Live View on, make sure, and turn it off to shoot through the optical viewfinder if it is not a situation where shooting through the electronic viewfinder would help.
  • Long exposures. As the mirror remains raised, trepidations are avoided. Of course, always on a tripod, of course.
  • To ensure the straight horizon. Activate the option that tells you if the horizon is straight and you will not have to edit it to straighten it.
  • Creative pictures. Imagine that you want to underexpose a photograph but you are not sure if it will look good, activate the Live View mode and that’s it.

When not to use it?

Of course, I will not be the one to tell you what you can or cannot do, but I do want to leave you with some situations in which, for the reasons mentioned above, I would not recommend using this direct vision mode:

  • With very fast moving subjects.
  • With somewhat slow speeds.
  • When you need speed of focus.
  • When you need to save battery.

Conclusions

The Live View mode of your camera is one more tool you have. It is up to you to use it or not depending on the circumstances or your needs. And what others say is superfluous (read with the intonation of the Mecano song 😉 ).

I hope this article has been helpful to you and that you put it into practice, which is the purpose. Do not hesitate to share it if you think it could be useful to someone among your contacts. You are doing us both a favor and you will feel great with this generous gesture 😉 . Until next time!