Macro With Canon Live View

pyanez

I'm testing a Canon XSi as a possible body with which to do macro photography. The possibility of having live view option with up to a 10X magnification on the screen was really appealing to me. I've never been really satisfied with the focusing screen, viewfinders on my Canon DSLRs (or the Nikons I've tried).

Traditionally here is how I shoot (90% of the time): 1) find subject 2) prefocus lens on a target distance 3) brace my camera firmly using my body 4) move body back an forth (usually a matter of mms) until I can achieve critical focus in the viewfinder 5) press the shutter. Since I like to travel very lightly I often use the built in flash, and never a tripod or other platform (I know, I know this is deeply wrong, but it's what I do).

Last night I tried a few of shots using the live view and here is what I found:

1. Live view in 1X is no better and most likely worse than using the viewfinder for accuracy

2. Live view allows me to shoot in much more awkward positions which cannot be achieved using the method above (at least at my age or without a deep knowledge of yoga)

3. Live view in 5X and 10X modes significantly improved my focusing hit rate over the method above (for instance in getting the "face" of the spider in critical focus rather then the front legs)

4. I found that since I had to shoot in a P&S position (ie camera well in front of me so I could see the screen) the camera was much less steady than when using my normal method. This probably means it would be best to use LV only in bright light or in conjunction with a flash.

All in all I think this is a great feature for use in macro photography -- certainly better than using the "factory" focusing screens on the DSLRs I've worked with. My real question is if this is significantly better than using an angle finder and or cameras with other better MF focusing screen such as those available on the Canon 40D.

Opinions?

One shot from last night -- you can see a much larger version HERE)






you can see a 100% crop from the center of this image HERE (BTW this was the first one I took using LV and in which the focus was dead on target and in low light)

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Lord Vetinari

Thanks for the review
One big problem I found with liveview is when using flash the mirror comes down when taking the shot and goes up again (to do with the pre-flash Ettl metering) the delay was long enough for me to lose focus with a handheld 40D.

Brian V.

Reeflections

I would agree. I would say the same about the Nikon d300 live view. I could only imagine it being useful for landscape type stuff and I don't use it for that either. It's kinda like going back to the shutter lag of the old compact cameras IMO.

pyanez

I found this to be a problem as well (with flash at least), but workable with subject as calm as this spider (not the norm).

So how about macro using a right angle magnifying finder... anyone have any experience? Does this improve the capability to critically focus on DSLRs with their "weak" focusing screens?

Thanks

Tom

I just did a search of the forum and was surprised at how few threads there were on Live View. Maybe I've just missed them (new forum member here), or maybe no one uses this feature? Either way, this thread seems the most extensive on the subject so I'll add my first impressions of LV.

My first tries with Live View were last night and this morning. I absolutely agree with all the points raised in the original post. This function does have limitations but can allow you to get pics you'd otherwise miss.

- While hunting bugs in the garden last night I was able to enable LV, thrust the camera into some bushes, compose and take a shot. It is tough to get a _good_ photo that way, but possible. Getting my eye in there (or using a longer lens to shoot from a distance) would not have been possible.

- Then this morning I took a close-up portrait of my son as he still slept. I set up a small tripod near the bed and started composing the photo. For various reasons the angle for the photo made it awkward to get my eye to the viewfinder. Also, the light was dim so it was hard to focus well. By switching to live view I was able to stand comfortably, see the whole scene while composing, magnify the view & focus on his eyelashes, and then take the shot.

Disadvantages: The screen refresh seems slow and choppy, especially in changing light or when there's motion of subject or camera. And the instruction manual is filled with caveats about how autofocus and autoexposure can be less than optimal with LV.

Advantages: For me points 2 and 3 in the original post are major and far outweigh the disadvantages.

Conclusion: I had debated whether to get this XSi or to save money by getting an XTi. While Live View isn't all I had hoped it would be, I still think this made it worth the extra money. (Though I wouldn't recommend an XSi as an upgrade if you already own an XTi.)

I think Live View technology is still in its infancy and can't wait to see what the next generation of SLRs can do.

darkdragon

Good informational thread.

I will admit that I was looking at the 20D and the 30D (when they were new) because I wanted a real dSLR camera. However, they just didn't have the feature set I wanted. So, I kept on using my Sony Mavica for 5 years. I had decided I'd save up for a 5D because of the huge sensor.

When the 40D was announced, I was extremely excited about it. When I read about Live View I decided to get one and got mine on release week. Luckily I found one in town, they were in short supply back then.

I have to say that without Live View I would have gone with the aging 5D or maybe even the Nikon d40x (which I actually bought but didn't recieve, long story). I am SO happy with my 40D, most of the time. I am extremely glad I got it.

Live view is definately not perfect - I think a lot to do with the actual LCD itself being fairly large pixel size, so it isn't a very smooth image. I have no idea if I'm saying that right or not. I've taken photos that look horrible on the LCD but look great when I pull them down to the computer, and visa versa.

Here are some of my Live View PROS:

1. The ability of the Live View to use the current camera settings to estimate an exposure can be life saver (well, photo saver).
2. I am only 5'6" tall but some shots need to be taken with the camera high. With other cameras, it's guess and click - with live view I can use the LCD to frame the shot.
3. Same as #2, but down on the ground. Sometimes you just cant get your eye to the viewfinder.
4. Keeping my eye on the game - when taking action shots, sometimes it is safer to keep your eyes peeled and having a nice large LCD to look at is safer (IMHO) than having your eye up to the viewfinder.

I would imagine this thread could be useful for Live View on Canon or Nikon or any other camera that has this new feature. Hopefully some will find it useful.

Skippy

Lord Vetinari wrote:

Thanks for the review
One big problem I found with liveview is when using flash the mirror comes down when taking the shot and goes up again (to do with the pre-flash Ettl metering) the delay was long enough for me to lose focus with a handheld 40D.

Brian V.

I found this same problem Brian, I would assume that if one was in a position to be using a Tripod and use LV when shooting bugs it would be a lot easier, however 99% of the time it is far easier to hand hold and manually focus the camera to get the shot.

The 40D for me, is easier to see if the focus is correct, than my 20D is.
I've messed around with a few candid shots of my computer using live view, with very pleasing results, extreme MACRO's are not as easy to do with the Live View at I have found.

Live View to me would come in more handy for doing early morning, late evening or night shots on a trip. ... Skippy
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