As the name suggests, the Live View feature on your DSLR displays the image in front of your lens before your camera actually captures it.
The mirror, which normally reflects the image into the viewfinder, is flipped out of the way and the picture is relayed directly to your rear LCD.
The main advantage of Live View is that what you see is what you get; Live View gives a full 100% view making it an invaluable composition aid, particularly in landscape photography, whereas on many cameras, the viewfinder only shows around 95% of the scene.
And exposure simulation means that the image you see in the viewfinder will be close to your actual exposure – which is invaluable for shooting in low light where you can't otherwise see what's going on.
Knowing when to press the Live View button – and when to avoid it – will help produce better results, and in this quick guide we've spelled 10 important points every photographer should remember.
SEE MORE: How Live View autofocus works – what your camera manual doesn’t teach you
Do's and Don'ts of using Live View
Do shoot still life
Use Live View to shoot still life photography setups. As you're not against the clock, you have the time to mount your camera to a tripod and use the feature to carefully compose your shot. If shooting by hand, however, it's usually best to use the optical viewfinder.
Do capture movies
Use Live View to shoot movies – well, you have no other option as the camera automatically engages the feature, displaying the image on the screen and blocking the viewfinder from use. It can be tricky in bright light to see the screen, so head into the camera's main setup menu to adjust the LCD screen's brightness.
SEE MORE: 6 pro tips for making DSLR videos you'd actually want to share
Do use the grid
Live View is brilliant for composing precisely. You get a full 100% view of what you're about to capture, plus there are optional overlay grids that can help you adhere to the rule of thirds for better compositions. Head to the main menu and, under the red camera settings, look for 'Grid Display' and select 'Grid 1' from the options.
Do check the exposure
Do use the Live View feature to help you check your exposure. Unlike the viewfinder, Live View will adjust the brightness and darkness of the scene to reflect the exposure settings. You can even view the histogram before the picture is actually taken.
SEE MORE: 10 common exposure problems every photographer faces (and how to avoid them)
Do shoot from tricky angles
Live View is great for shooting from up high, down low, or facing the camera (where it would be impossible to see the image through the viewfinder), particularly if your DSLR has a vari-angle LCD or can display the Live View image on a tablet or smartphone via Wi-Fi.
Do focus manually
Although autofocus is very precise in Live View, you can ensure the important parts of the image are razor-sharp if you focus manually. Switch your lens to the manual focus (MF) setting, move the focus box to an important element, press the zoom button for a 5x and 10x view, and adjust the focus ring until the image becomes sharp.
SEE MORE: How to fine-tune image sharpness in Live View
Do engage in low light
It can be tricky to see anything through the viewfinder when the light drops, and so switching to Live View is a handy way of seeing in the dark, as the picture is boosted to give an approximation of how the image will turn out when the exposure is taken into account.
SEE MORE: What is Live View telling you (free photography cheat sheet)
Don't shoot portraits
For portraits, you'll find you have much more control over your camera if you hold it up to your eye and use the optical viewfinder, this enables you to react to your subject. It's much harder to keep the camera steady when holding it right out in front of you.
SEE MORE: 10 common portrait photography mistakes everyone makes (and how to avoid them)
Don't drain the battery
Avoid using Live View when your battery is low as the feature will drain the life of your camera's battery much quicker that when using the viewfinder. If you plan on using Live View extensively on a shoot, then bring along a spare battery or two.
SEE MORE: 4 ways to extend the life of your camera battery
Don't shoot action
Live View is best avoided when photographing movement. Autofocus in Live View is considerably slower compared to shooting through the viewfinder. Therefore we'd recommend sticking to the viewfinder for high-speed shooting.
READ MORE
Live View – the secret to using it on any camera
Histogram: photography cheat sheets for achieving perfect exposure
How to compose a photograph in Live View
4 simple ways Live View can improve your photography
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