Help from those with live view please

[waffley]

First off I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.
Secondly, you may remember I was asking your advice with regard to buying a DSLR with my Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Well after a lot of consideration, and visits to various camera retailers, I have decided that for value for money against weight and ease of use, I will almost certainly go for a Sony, either the A200 or A300.
Initially I thought the A200 would be fine, but then I wondered if Live view is an aid to taking macros. The reason I ask, is that I can no longer kneel down, and a lot of summer photography for me is of dragonflies. If Live view means I can get better images, then it will be worth the extra to get the A300 - if not, then I may have some cash towards another lens.
Your views would be very welcome.
Many thanks
Waffley

[loz]

Originally Posted by waffley

I wondered if Live view is an aid to taking macros. The reason I ask, is that I can no longer kneel down, and a lot of summer photography for me is of dragonflies.

I think the Sony Live View would certainly be an aid to framing and composing your pictures in those circumstances, but there's no specific feature of it that would help with regard to macro such as helping you get the focus right (which is typically the challenge with macro). You would have to trust the autofocus system for that.

But if you simply want to be able to use the camera with your arms outstretched so you don't have to bend down, at least you would know exactly where the lens is pointing.

[iGiDK]

Originally Posted by waffley

Initially I thought the A200 would be fine, but then I wondered if Live view is an aid to taking macros. The reason I ask, is that I can no longer kneel down, and a lot of summer photography for me is of dragonflies.

In my opinion, live view is an excellent aid for macro as it allows more precise manual focusing - great when you have a static subject and camera support!

However I do feel that you would have to be quite close to the screen in order to actually see the benefits of this precise focusing, so I'm not sure if you'd still be inhibited slightly.

[RobDickinson]

Originally Posted by loz

You would have to trust the autofocus system for that.

No you wouldnt, vast majority of macro is done using manual focus, with live view zoomed in 10 * its a great aid to maco work.

[loz]

Originally Posted by RobDickinson

No you wouldnt, vast majority of macro is done using manual focus, with live view zoomed in 10 * its a great aid to maco work.

err, not on a sony it isn't - you can't zoom their live view. Hence why I made the point.

[RobDickinson]

Ah how, uh, archaic.

[waffley]

Thanks Loz and iGiDK. It seems as though live view isn't going to be the answer I thought it may be then!
Certainly being able to stretch my arms rather than kneeling would be a start as Loz suggests, but then I do take on board the point made by iGiDK about needing to be close to the screen.
Decisions decisions!! The Sony cashback offer ends tomorrow so I really have to make a make my mind up soon!! Or leave it a while and hope the prices fall!
Thank you again

[Pirate!!]

Maybe this might help.

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by RobDickinson

Ah how, uh, archaic.

A similar system was used on the Olympus E330.

[Holowlegs]

Just a quick question that may help.

Do Sony do an angle view finder ?


Cheers Holo

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by Holowlegs

Just a quick question that may help.

Do Sony do an angle view finder ?

Cheers Holo

Sony FDA-A1AM.AE

It costs a bit, so unless there is a generic or Minolta version . . . .

This is a list of dSLR's with LV (American site).

[waffley]

If the live view cost was only £20 or so I wouldn't hesitate, but for £100 I really have to be sure it will do what I need it to do.
I think I will need to drag my husband to Jessops tomorrow and spend a long time playing with the live view.
I am hopeless at making decisions - and please don't anyone say 'typical woman!'

[ryart]

Sympathies about the arthritis.
I think live-view could be very useful provided the LCD screen tilts and you can zoom in live-view for focusing. One camera that might be useful in your situation is the new Panasonic G1. The snags are high price, relatively small sensor and as yet limited range of lenses. Might be worth a play if for no other reason than to see if the articulated screen and ability to zoom in to focus helps you.

[loz]

Originally Posted by Pirate!!

A similar system was used on the Olympus E330.

Actually the E330 was quite different as it offered a "best of both worlds" approach.

It has a 2nd live view sensor that operates like the Sony - but like the Sony provides no zoom

But it also does live view off the main sensor as well - and in that mode like the Canon/Nikons offers 10x zoom, which is of great assistance to any macro focusing.

Pity that Olympus didn't continue that design feature.

[springtide]

I also can sympathies with people with arthritis. I worked for many years with a guy for suffered from an early age. Very painful.

Originally Posted by RobDickinson

Ah how, uh, archaic.

It's another one of those long arguments, which system is the better.

The Canon/Nikon does it via the main sensor - meaning it's full resolution but can be zoomed in to aid manual focusing. On the downside the Nikon/Canon systems cannot use the cameras main AF for focusing (it either has to move the mirror to focus, or use 'contrast focusing' off the sensor.)

The Sony system uses a second sensor - meaning that the Liveview image CANNOT be zoomed in to the full resolution, but AF is done via the cameras main AF sensors. The reason why Sony added the second sensor was so that the 'camera performs' exactly the same in LV mode as when looking through the viewfinder. i.e. AF speed, shutter speed etc. Also due to the second sensor, the viewfinder is a little smaller.


If you want to use LV for macro then the Canon/Nikon system is better. If you want to use LV like you did on your point and shoot, the Sony system is better as you get proper AF.
I guess Sony went this route as they see themselves as the vendor who will have users coming over from point and shoot.
I think the Sony screens do swivel which would be a bonus if you could live with AF focusing rather than manual in LV. Angle Finders also work very well, but I can still see you having to kneel down to get the shot.


Well I still don't have LV. I have 'Intelligent Preview' on the A900 which I can see being useful for adjustments of exposure for landscapes etc, but time will tell how much I'll use it.