Nikon D300/D300S Live View Mode
Contents
1. 1 Select Live view mode from the Shooting Menu and then scroll to the right 2 Select either Hand held or Tripod mode 3 Press the OK button to lock in the mode Auto verses Manual focus in Live View or D Movie modes You can also use the Focus mode selector switch on the front of the camera to choose Manual mode M and then focus manually Or you can set the M A M A M M or A M switch on the lens varies with the lens type to M for manual focus in Live View or D Movie modes Setting any of the manual focus switches on the lens or camera to M immediately disables the autofocus system for Live View or D Movie modes Most people can hear three distinct clicks when taking a picture in either Hand held or Tripod modes Two of them are made by mirror movement and the final by the shutter firing If you are inexperienced with Live View and are using Hand held mode it is very easy to mistake the sound of the mirror slapping as the camera auto focuses to be the shutter firing If you hold the Shutter release button down half way in Hand held mode the screen will go dark as the mirror moves and autofocus happens You can re autofocus at any time in Hand held mode by holding the Shutter release button down half way You must press the Shutter release button all the way down and wait a second for the image to take In order to get a picture in either of the Live View modes listen for three distinct clicks as you hold down the Shutter release bu2. light that is too low to get a good exposure L This symbol shows you the current aperture setting F number This will vary with the minimum and maximum aperture for the lens mounted on the camera For instance my camera s AF S Nikkor 16 85mm F 3 5 5 6G ED lens has a maximum aperture of F 3 5 which is shown in this symbol as 3 5 The minimum aperture is F 22 shown as F22 The aperture is controlled with the front Sub command dial e M This symbol is the camera s current ISO sensitivity setting This can vary from L 1 0 100 ISO to H 1 0 6400 ISO The camera s normal ISO range is 200 to 3200 with the extended Lo and Hi settings If you have Custom Setting b1 gt ISO sensitivity step value set to 1 3 step you will see this symbol change in 1 3 EV steps or 1 2 or 1 EV step if selected You adjust the value this symbol reflects by holding down the ISO button on the camera s top above the Release mode dial while rotating the rear Main command dial N This final symbol shows the number of remaining images you can fit on the camera s memory card If you are shooting in JPEG or compressed NEF RAW this number often does not reflect reality Look at it as a minimum number of images left In reality the actual count is often double this number The camera estimates the value based on current image compression levels and is very conservative to protect you
3. is only seen when you press the Playback button in Live View mode To access the setting if the microphone volume control is selected instead on the D300S only see D you ll hold down the Playback button and scroll right on the Multi selector The D300 has no microphone volume control so pressing the Playback button when in Live View mode simply gives you the Monitor screen brightness bar F Once the frame surrounding the vertical bar turns yellow it is selected You can now move the little yellow square in the bar up or down by holding down the Playback button and pressing up or down on the Multi selector Each increment 3 on the bar increases or decreases the Monitor screen s brightness Up for bright down for dark This does not change the brightness level of the image or video just the Monitor screen s brightness G This symbol lets you autofocus the camera and is different between the Hand held and Tripod modes In Hand held mode the AF point will be smaller than shown in FIG 1F which shows Tripod mode s contrast detect autofocus symbol You can move the contrast detect autofocus square to any point on the screen and even zoom in for extremely accurate autofocus with the Playback zoom in button In Hand held mode you can move the smaller AF point among the 51 points in the normal phase detection autofocus grid H This line of symbols vary according to whether you are using a D300S or D300 In the D300S shown in FIG 1F t
4. Nikon D300 D300S Live View Mode Copyright 2010 Darrell Young All Rights Reserved This is a short excerpt from the 416 page book Mastering the Nikon D300 D300S available on Amazon com in print and Kindle format at following web address Print edition http amzn to efgGh6 Kindle edition http amzn to h1nuGo Live View is one of the new features that many old timers love to hate New DSLR users generally like to use it initially since they are accustomed to composing on the LCD screen of a point and shoot camera Both types of users should reconsider Live View An old timer who s used to using only the Viewfinder to compose images might find that some types of shooting are easier with Live View Point and shoot graduates may want to see if they can improve image sharpness by using the Viewfinder I ve been using SLR DSLR rangefinder and point and shoot cameras for over 40 years When Live View first came out my initial thought was gimmick However after shooting macro shots with Live View the ease of use has changed my thinking When need extreme focusing accuracy ve found that the Tripod mode of Live View is superior to using the Viewfinder If you re an experienced DSLR photographer try shooting some macros with Live View think you ll find that your work improves and your back feels much better too If you ve come over from the point and shoot world with your new D300 S then use Live View if it makes you comfor
5. can see the autofocus type according to the Live View mode you have selected Hand held mode FIG 1D image 2 shows the central 51 point autofocus area in big rounded brackets with a tiny red AF point that can be moved around within the 51 point area only Tripod mode FIG 1E image 2 shows a bigger red focus square that can be moved to any point on the screen for autofocus The black informational line at the bottom is described in FIG 1F 9 Lv Screen 3 FIG 1D or 1E image 3 This screen is similar to the previous screen except that grid lines are added Hand held mode FIG 1D image 3 only shows the grid lines outside the 51 point AF area while Tripod mode FIG 1E image 2 shows the full set of grid lines across the entire screen Use these gridlines to line up the camera with straight lines in your pictures such as leveling a horizon or making a pole stand up straight Again the black informational line at the bottom is described in FIG 1F 9 Lv Screen 4 FIG 1D or 1E image 4 The final screen D300S only displays the new Virtual Horizon that allows you to level the camera in a single axis horizontal direction If you area private or commercial pilot you ll feel right at home with this new tool since it resembles the artificial horizon you use to keep the wings level All the other symbols are also displayed in this screen as described in FIG 1F Now let s take a look at the various symbols found on some of the Live View scree
6. ending in Hand held mode Old timers give it a try Live View s Four Screens Live view mode has four screens available in each of its two modes You move between these screens by pressing the Info button repeatedly Try it Here s a look at each of these screens and an explanation of their features see FIG 1D and 1E RAW AUTO m20m00s O PHS O40 BHO gt GOE A lo Fl t 8299 A Lo Fil AE N RAW AUTO EPUL EHO X OED 1 L Loess FIG 1D Live View Hand held Mode RAW AUTO m20m00s 1 B G 0 B O HO Re A to Fld NEL ES Lo Fl amp 101099 RAW AUTO 208005 3 BHO BOE A to ae L10299 A to Fli FIG 1E Live View Tripod Mode Ue99 Using FIG 1D Hand held mode and 1E Tripod mode as a guide notice each of these screens and what they do 9 LvScreen 1 FIG 1D or 1E image 1 This screen shows several extra and maybe confusing symbols that allow you to control various features like Monitor screen brightness D300S and D300 along with microphone volume level and movie recording D300S only To simplify the symbols shown I ve broken this screen out into a separate figure so that we can look more closely at the various symbols see FIG 1F Lv Screen 2 FIG 1D or 1E image 2 This is a much cleaner screen with an almost blank area at the top and a single line of information along the bottom You
7. he symbols are a somewhat confusing description of how to execute D mic volume and F monitor brightness in our list At the end of the line of symbols in the D300S is a reminder that you can press the Multi selector center button to record a video In the D300 the first symbols represents the monitor brightness F The next shows that when you press the MENU button the camera will exit the Live View mode This symbol reflects the current light meter mode you have selected matrix center weighted or spot The same three symbols are on the camera s back next to the Viewfinder s eyepiece When you use the Metering mode selector dial Surrounding the AE L AF L button it will change the symbol shown on the Live View Monitor screen If you change meter modes while a Live View session is active you ll notice that the symbol does not change immediately It is not updated until you start a new Live View session J This symbol shows what exposure metering mode you are using P S A or M You can change this value with the MODE button near the camera s Shutter release button K This symbol informs you of the camera s currently selected shutter speed It can vary between 30 seconds and 1 8000 of a second Some examples the symbol will show 30 for 30 seconds 2 for 2s 160 for 1 160s and 8000 for 1 8000s You control the shutter speed with the rear Main command dial By the way Lo as shown in FIG 1F position K stands for ambient
8. ns Many of these symbols will also show in the D300S D Movie mode see FIG 1F photographed these screens with the lens cap on in order to allow you to better see the symbols on the screens without the distraction of a picture in the background Your screens won t be black RAW AUTO 208005 Ered ie A to Fld MEEL FIG 1F Live View Understanding the Symbols On the screen shown in FIG 1F you ll see the small red letters A through N that inserted to give you a guide Refer to those letters in the upcoming discussion of the symbol next to the letter amp This symbol varies between a small hand holding a camera which represents Hand held mode and a tiny camera with three legs sticking out below it to represent Tripod mode 8 This symbol shows the current Image quality setting such as RAW TIFF FINE NORM and BASIC plus the three RAW JPEG fine normal or basic modes RAW F RAW N RAW B You can change between these Image quality modes by holding down the QUAL button on top of the camera and rotating the rear Main command dial C By holding down the WB button and turning the rear Main command dial you can scroll through the nine White balance settings Various White balance symbols will display representing each of the WB settings You can see the effect of each setting as you turn the Main command dial The Monitor screen will change its color cast as the camera moves through
9. ound so that you could easily see all the features Normally you d see a subject behind all the symbols on the Monitor screen see FIG 1B AUTO RAW AUTO 208005 m20m00s BHO SO E 60 0 Ol Cth Bem E 0 0 OE A to Fl L10299 A to F L10299 FIG 18 Hand held and Tripod mode screens Hand held see FIG 1B image 1 This mode is for those wanting to use the Monitor screen to compose general images This is sort of like a point and shoot image composition mode for the D300 S since this is how point and shoot camera users are accustomed to taking pictures Hand held mode works best for moving subjects or framing angles that make it difficult to use the Viewfinder It uses phase detection autofocus just like the Viewfinder which requires the mirror to go down to get good focus When you take a picture the Monitor screen will black out briefly as the reflex mirror drops to get autofocus and take the picture Then the image will appear on the Monitor screen for your review You can move the AF point around the central 51 point area just like when you use the Viewfinder while shooting in Single point or Dynamic area autofocus modes If you use Auto area AF then the central 51 point area is blank since the camera decides which focus points to use You can zoom in up to three times 3x magnification with the Playback zoom in button before starting autofocus Tripod see FIG 1B image 2 This mode use
10. s contrast detect autofocus activated by the AF ON button to provide extreme focus accuracy You can move a bigger red focus square to any location on the screen and then use the AF ON button to get autofocus Once you have good focus the red square turns green You are not limited to the central 51 point AF area like in Hand held mode The screen does not black out while autofocus is active since the camera is focusing by detecting contrast changes at the pixel level on the image sensor When you fire the shutter the Monitor screen will back out briefly while the picture is taken Use this mode for slower shooting and when you need extreme autofocus accuracy Contrast detect autofocus is rather slow but very accurate You can zoom in to pixel peeping levels 13x magnification with the Playback zoom in button before starting autofocus This is great for macro shooting since you can select very specific sections of the subject for focusing The AF area modes do not apply when you are using Tripod mode They are overridden by the bigger Contrast detect focus square Be careful in this mode because the shutter can be released even if the image is not in focus Here are the screens and steps used to choose a Live View mode see FIG 1C 33 SHOOTING MENU EN LE wy Active D Lighting Ia yy Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings re View Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting FIG 1C Live View Modes
11. table at first However please realize that it is difficult to make sharp images when you are waving a heavy DSLR around at arms length while composing a picture on the Monitor screen The extra weight of the DSLR will tire your arms needlessly Learn to use the Viewfinder for most work and Live View for specialized pictures as needed Both types of image composition tools are useful Live View Mode User s Manual D300S page 47 D300 page 79 Live view mode Lv allows you to use your camera s Monitor screen to compose images instead of the Viewfinder On the D300S you start Live View by pressing the Lv button below the Multi selector see FIG 1A image 1 On the D300 you hold down the Release mode dial lock release button and rotate the Release mode dial to Lv and then press the Shutter release button to start Live View see FIG 1A image 2 FIG 1A Live View Controls for D300S and D300 To stop Live View on the D300S you simply press the Lv button again On the D300 you stop Live View by pressing the MENU button There are two Live View modes available with multiple screen types to customize the Live View on your camera s Monitor screen Live View s Two Modes Live view mode has two distinct types Hand held and Tripod You ll find them under the Shooting Menu gt Live view mode Setting Here are the two modes and descriptions of how they work photographed the screens with the lens cap on black backgr
12. the WB settings Interestingly when you have the PRE White balance selected you can hold down the WB button and turn the front Sub command dial to select one of the five stored PRE measured white balances d 0 to d 4 See the upcoming chapter named White Balance to better understand the PRE method and other WB settings 03005 only This symbol represents the volume control for the built in mono microphone or externally mounted stereo mic To use this setting you hold down the Playback button on the camera s top rear left normally used to view images and press left on the Multi selector This surrounds the symbol with a yellow square letting you know it is selected Once you have it selected you can hold down the Playback button and press up or down on the Multi selector to scroll through the volume levels on the microphone Your choices are A Auto 1 2 3 and Off E D300S only This symbol shows the minutes and seconds when you are recording a video in the D Movie mode of the D300S only It isn t directly related to Live View but since D Movie mode uses the Live View display it is ready for immediate use If you press the Multi selector center button to start a video recording you ll see this symbol start counting down the minutes and seconds When recording a video a big red dot followed by REC will flash in the upper left hand corner of the Monitor screen F This symbol represents the Monitor screen brightness and
13. tton and the picture is taken If you are using Hand held mode and only hear one or two clicks you may not be taking pictures The main clue is whether the camera displays a still image after the clicks Hold the Shutter release button down all the way and wait a moment for the image to take Once you take a picture in Live View mode it appears on the Monitor screen To return to Live View for more pictures just press the Shutter release button half way down admit it can be a little confusing until you get used to the sounds and actions of Live View mode When in doubt hold the Shutter release button down longer Recommendation You can use either of the Live View modes on or off tripod often leave my camera 561 to Tripod mode since like the more flexible focus positioning and accuracy normally use Live View for macro close up images where especially need the extra accuracy and focus positioning capability Tripod mode is not very good for any type of action shots since the autofocus is much slower The only time use Hand held mode is when want to shoot moving objects or around the corner images at arm s length If were shooting images in a war zone think I d use Hand held Live View mode and stick the camera around the edge of the building for my image instead of sticking my head glued to the Viewfinder around the building s edge It is also useful to shoot over the top of a crowd or below waist level without b
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