EOS 400D Can't Use LCD as Viewfinder

[Timbo21]

I've just bought a Canon EOS 400D, but I'm somewhat surprised I can't use the LCD monitor instead of the viewfinder when composing the pic. I thought most digi cameras could do this these days. After all, my mobile phone can.

Is this the norm with this level of DSLR?

T.

[lightpainter]

Go on then. Somebody tell him! Lol

[Timbo21]

Originally Posted by lightpainter

Go on then. Somebody tell him! Lol

Yes. Please.

[Yandros]

Yes, that's normal on all but a couple of cameras. Apart from when you're doing very high up or low down shots, I'd never dream of wanting to using the LCD to compose shots.

[inkinoo]

99% of dSLRs can not use the LCD as a viewfinder. This is because of how SLRs work. When you look through the regualr viewfinde, you are looking down at a mirror held at 45 degrees so you can see through the lens.

When you press the shutter button, the mirror flips up, exposes the sensor to the light through the lens and then closes again. For you to be able to use the LCD viewfinder, the mirror would have to be always up and as it stands you could not autofocus as you can't bounce off the mirror.

The only Canon dSLR to do this is the 1D Mark 3 and that is over £2,500

[h4rri]

Originally Posted by inkinoo

The only Canon dSLR to do this is the 1D Mark 3 and that is over £2,500

And thats MF only

[Just call me Al]

I can't believe the flippant remarks to this question. I've always wanted an SLR & there is no doubt that it is the best way to get a good picture, however in the 4 months since I've had my Canon EOS 400D I've found that a 'live view' if that's the word would have allowed me to compose a better picture. One instance is often we get good sunsets from my back garden but we have a 6' fence & bar climbing on the garage roof I have to guess where the sunset is & not the exact place it or the cloud formation is at. Having taken movies for many years & with the restrictions on size of baggage in planes I'd like to take just one camera & a movie function on an SLR with the lenses available would be, to me, fantastic. It could not cost much more to add & those 'experts' need never turn it on if they don't need it. One day... one day..

[pixelpixel]

Originally Posted by D2V2D

I can't believe the flippant remarks to this question. I've always wanted an SLR & there is no doubt that it is the best way to get a good picture, however in the 4 months since I've had my Canon EOS 400D I've found that a 'live view' if that's the word would have allowed me to compose a better picture. One instance is often we get good sunsets from my back garden but we have a 6' fence & bar climbing on the garage roof I have to guess where the sunset is & not the exact place it or the cloud formation is at. Having taken movies for many years & with the restrictions on size of baggage in planes I'd like to take just one camera & a movie function on an SLR with the lenses available would be, to me, fantastic. It could not cost much more to add & those 'experts' need never turn it on if they don't need it. One day... one day..

I currently have a Sony H7 bridge camera and it allows me to flick from 'live view' to viewfinder for taking pictures. I would normally always use the viewfinder until I started yesterday to use the viewfinder and find that more comfortable.

[h4rri]

Originally Posted by D2V2D

I can't believe the flippant remarks to this question. I've always wanted an SLR & there is no doubt that it is the best way to get a good picture, however in the 4 months since I've had my Canon EOS 400D I've found that a 'live view' if that's the word would have allowed me to compose a better picture. One instance is often we get good sunsets from my back garden but we have a 6' fence & bar climbing on the garage roof I have to guess where the sunset is & not the exact place it or the cloud formation is at. Having taken movies for many years & with the restrictions on size of baggage in planes I'd like to take just one camera & a movie function on an SLR with the lenses available would be, to me, fantastic. It could not cost much more to add & those 'experts' need never turn it on if they don't need it. One day... one day..

I'm with you on the state of the initial comments, smacks of "if you don't know I'm not telling you" and always reminds me of Delboy saying "go on tell em" with him clearly not knowing.

However, that said if you need a piece of kit which needs video functionality then stear clear of the dSLR's. Their basic set-up means they will never be used for video functionality to any great degree. I personally love the fact that my dSLR doesn't offer anything but photo capabilites

[Yandros]

Originally Posted by D2V2D

I can't believe the flippant remarks to this question. I've always wanted an SLR & there is no doubt that it is the best way to get a good picture, however in the 4 months since I've had my Canon EOS 400D I've found that a 'live view' if that's the word would have allowed me to compose a better picture. One instance is often we get good sunsets from my back garden but we have a 6' fence & bar climbing on the garage roof I have to guess where the sunset is & not the exact place it or the cloud formation is at. Having taken movies for many years & with the restrictions on size of baggage in planes I'd like to take just one camera & a movie function on an SLR with the lenses available would be, to me, fantastic. It could not cost much more to add & those 'experts' need never turn it on if they don't need it. One day... one day..

The main problem (correct me if I'm wrong someone) is that stuff like the AF module is in the optical path above the mirror. You need to raise the mirror and open the shutter to expose the sensor for a live view to work, thus blocking the optical path. I gather the Olympus E330 gets around this by having a second presumably much smaller sensor in the optical path somehow (not sure about the Canon 1D MkIII). In other words, it's a bit tricky to do.

[Bursar]

To be fair to those 'flippant' posters, I'm surprised the OP didn't find out about this when deciding which SLR to buy. Did he not hold one in a shop? Could he not ask the assistant? Did he not read any reviews?

There are a few cameras around that have movable LCD screens. The screen on the FZ50 for instance, rotates around and flips out making shooting at odd angles a little easier. However it's not an SLR. But we're getting away from the point of the original post.

[senu]

Originally Posted by D2V2D

I can't believe the flippant remarks to this question. I've always wanted an SLR & there is no doubt that it is the best way to get a good picture, however in the 4 months since I've had my Canon EOS 400D I've found that a 'live view' if that's the word would have allowed me to compose a better picture. One instance is often we get good sunsets from my back garden but we have a 6' fence & bar climbing on the garage roof I have to guess where the sunset is & not the exact place it or the cloud formation is at. Having taken movies for many years & with the restrictions on size of baggage in planes I'd like to take just one camera & a movie function on an SLR with the lenses available would be, to me, fantastic. It could not cost much more to add & those 'experts' need never turn it on if they don't need it. One day... one day..

There is an older long thread on that topic HERE

The "flippant" remark may have been made in the spirit of lighthearted humour IMHO ..

Saying that ,It does seem rather a little surprising to buy a DSLR without being aware prior that one of its features compared to P&S or even bridge cameras is the inability to use the LCD as a Viewfinder.

DSLRs were modelled after SLRs and for ever and a day, owners of these have been using the eye level viewfinder due to the design of SLR

Maybe in future Digital cameras ( including DSLRs) will leave some of the legacy designs behind..... or not()

LCDs can be great for framing but Im less sure that critical focusing accuracy and exposure preview are as well served .
Apart from say, waist level or really awkward framing situations I think you can learn to happily live without it
At any rate, if you got used to a viewfinder, you might find that bar very few situations you might prefer it to an LCD especially as it isnt prone to ambient light reflection ect
I believe the Olympus E330 also (had) "live preview" and Canon 20D"a" variant for astrophotgraphy can be used in mirror lockup mode for live preview
On the subject of Camcorders.. An all in one imaging unit would be very convenient but attempts at such devices suggest that the compromises involved in making them mean they would either be better camcorders or better cameras but not quite a good jack of all trades.

Even with camcorders, many higher End ( and some newer budget) camcorders do not have an LCD for framing..
You can easily get so good at and used to the viewfinder that later using the LCD would "feel Strange"

Finnaly there are devices ( some affordable, others not so affordable) that bolt on to a DSLR to convert the view from the viewfinder onto a secondary LCD as a " Live preview" screen if you feel that passionate about using it that way

[Timbo21]

Originally Posted by Bursar

To be fair to those 'flippant' posters, I'm surprised the OP didn't find out about this when deciding which SLR to buy. Did he not hold one in a shop? Could he not ask the assistant? Did he not read any reviews?

It's not a problem for me, and it makes absoloutely no bearing on my decision to purchase. It's a feature I would quite like, but that's it. Ultimately I would 90% of the time use the viewfinder, as tiny LCD screens do not show focus etc. particularly well. I own several Canon EOS accessories, so I was always going with either the 350D, or 400D, due to this. It's a feature I assumed was the norm, but, as I said, it's not a problem or a dealbreaker for me, and just to let you know I researched it just fine for my needs.

T.

[senu]

Originally Posted by Timbo21

It's not a problem for me, and it makes absoloutely no bearing on my decision to purchase. It's a feature I would quite like, but that's it. Ultimately I would 90% of the time use the viewfinder, as tiny LCD screens do not show focus etc. particularly well. I own several Canon EOS accessories, so I was always going with either the 350D, or 400D, due to this. It's a feature I assumed was the norm, but, as I said, it's not a problem or a dealbreaker for me, and just to let you know I researched it just fine for my needs.

T.

Great to know you dont feel "cheated" out of a feature..
I think the thread has its merits though in that I can see how easy it is to assume ( inadvertently by the unwary) that digital always equates to the use of LCD for preview

[richard plumb]

there are a few times I'd have liked a flip/twist pop out viewfinder. Coming from a sony 717 I used that quite a bit for low/high level shooting.

Is the zigview any good to use for this kind of shooting? The ads seem to show it giving you a 'live' view, but I assume its just videoing the viewfinder so maybe is OK for framing but not much else?