Live View on a Nikon DSLR

EDV

EDV

Well-known member
Hey people,
I am new to this DSLR but I grabbed a Nikon D300 and I'm a bit confused about the Live View display. I am only using the D300 to take photographs but I did notice the image on Live View doesn't reflect the aperture changes I do. I can go from F5 to F2 for instance, and the image looks the same in Live View. I am used to the video display getting darker or brighter as I adjust the iris on a video camera. But ... Live View on a DSLR? Is this how it works? Or am I missing something?
 
This only happens on some Nikons. You have to exit LV in order for the aperture change to be reflected.
 
Trouble is, focusing would be very tricky without Live View, especially since the D300 uses 51 focus points. Hmm... so how does one "nail" the right exposure without a reliable display?
 
I don't understand. Set your focus point and click away. As for exposure, you can use your exposure meter or let the camera decide.
 
AAh, okay... well I am using Manual mode actually, so focusing manually on the lens using single point focusing. But I guess focusing is done differently on DSLRs so I should try some of the other modes.
 
Get the exposure right, then focus on focusing...
Can use a lens with an aperture ring if you want to change aperture in live view, otherwise have to exit LV.
 
You'll get much faster focus (for stills) using the viewfinder. Live view (for most Nikons anyway) uses a different kind of AF detection that's pretty painful to watch.
 
EDV said:
Hey people,
I am new to this DSLR but I grabbed a Nikon D300 and I'm a bit confused about the Live View display. I am only using the D300 to take photographs but I did notice the image on Live View doesn't reflect the aperture changes I do. I can go from F5 to F2 for instance, and the image looks the same in Live View. I am used to the video display getting darker or brighter as I adjust the iris on a video camera. But ... Live View on a DSLR? Is this how it works? Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Technically... that's how it would look on any camera with a lens with 'automatic' iris control. There was a button on the side of the lens mount(*), that would allow the iris to close down to the selected fstop to check depth of field. Otherwise the lens was wide open until the shutter was snapped.

These days, one only has to wait for the shot display to 'check' lighting, rather than have to develop the negative at the very least...

What bothers me more about the electronic 'live view' is that when the lighting is low, the LV display is 'bright', giving a false impression of the scene values.

*Since I've not played with the Wife's D600 much... is the DoF preview button still there???
 
On the D7XXX cameras you can change the control of the Iris to the aperture ring (It an A setting I the menu) and then control the aperture with the ring (don't know if you can do this on the D300). "D" type lenses allow you to do this if you want maximum control of video (use the "manual" video mode and aperture control).
 
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