I don’t use live view often, but it can come in handy. I find it pretty useful for taking shots that are close to the ground, especially when I don’t feel like getting my cheeks on the wet grass or rocks. Also, sometimes my knees just don’t want to do those deep bends.
This photo, though not that low to the ground, was taken using live view. This was the first time that I’ve used LV on the tripod, so I set it to tripod mode, tried to focus, just like I did in hand-held mode, and … nothing. It wouldn’t focus.
Well, after trying to get it to focus several times, it still wouldn’t do it no matter how many times that I pressed the shutter button. I switched to hand-held mode, tried it, it focused no problem. Hmmm? Switched back to tripod-mode and switched to a different lens, thinking that perhaps it had something to do with the Tamron 18-270. Nope. The 50mm Nikon lens didn’t work either. Sigh. Oh well, just manual focus, then. It worked well.
I even cheated a bit. I carry my manual with me. I checked the index, found the live view entry, opened opened the book to page 79 and found the LV instructions outlined it in 4 easy steps:
- Frame a picture in the viewfinder and focus
- Raise mirror and display view through lens in monitor
- Press + button to zoom in and focus
- Take pictures
Well, 1/2 of step one was working and it wasn’t the focusing part! I could frame the picture, but couldn’t focus. I started to think that maybe the latest firmware upgrade had caused this issue. Well, for sure, it wasn’t a show stopper. I continued on with manual focus. Sometimes you have to kick it old school!
The next morning, Saturday morning, I tried it again. Still no-go. I got out the manual again, this time reading the detailed instructions on page 86, which had an important note:
The camera cannot be focused by pressing the shutter-release button half way..
Well, I’ll be damned! How else would one focus it? Ah, that little button that I’ve never used … AF-On, which does the same thing. Apparently, this is the only way to get AF to work in Tripod LV mode!
Oh well, RTFM! 
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11 Responses to “D300 Live View: Tripod mode”
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Try zooming in on live view, and then focus manually. Works wonders for macro.
I like flowing water – and this photo is an excellent take, you can almost hear the water flowing.
Haha! Glad you solved the problem! I have my shutter button disabled for focusing my cameras. I prefer to use the AF-on only button instead.
I really haven’t used the live view. I’m not too fond of it although I am sure I will come across instances where it will be useful at some point.
This is a gorgeous photo. The colors are just beautiful.
@Laurie: That’s interesting that you have the shutter button as ‘only’ the shutter button. I couldn’t imagine it. Especially when taking sports pictures. I use continuous focus, shutter pressed half way. Using my thumb on the AF-On button would lead to a lot of missed shots, I think. However, I guess that I will try it with my custom shooting bank for landscape. I use ‘A’ for landscape, ‘B’ for sports.
As for live view, it has its uses. More of convenience for inconvenient positions.
I know of photographers who are strong advocates for use of the AF-ON (and AE-L/AF-L) buttons – and their reasoning makes sense – but the multi-finger operation doesn’t really work for me. I’ll stick with the half shutter press, thank you. (Heck, I’m fumbling enough as it is teaching myself to shift auto-focus points.)
And don’t get me started on Nikon’s Live View. After reading the manual and trying out the function, I just threw up my hands and swore never to use the “feature.†I’ve heard the Sony version is more intuitive and easier to use. I don’t want a function that requires me to tape a cheat sheet on my forearm.
@Amy: LOL! Yeah, it is a shame that I had to pull out the manual as I’m standing there in next to the river shoals!
As for those advocates, there seems to be factions everywhere!
Yeah, that one had me baffled until I moved my AF to the AF-On button for all use (I prefer that as the camera won’t AF until I bloody well tell it to, since I only use AF-S equipped AF lenses, they work like my MF lenses until told differently).
Having used both, the Sony LiveView is much better for mobile shooting, it can be used just like a waist-level finder. The Nikon implementation works more like a mini view camera and is FAR superior on a tripod (Try zooming in to 5x ot 10x magnification and focusing, incredible focus accuracy. The Sony can only zoom in to 2x and since it’s not working from the camera sensor you aren’t guaranteed accurate focusing unlike the Nikon setup).
Ideally, I’d want the Nikon implementation with the flip-up Sony screen setup to make low-angle shooting easier.
@Adam: You bring up a very good point about the AF-On button, one that I had not considered. That is the ease of focusing on something, by pushing the button, then having the ability to move the camera elsewhere (recompose), then press the shutter release without the camera trying to refocus. Thanks!
You succeeded in getting me to finally investigate live view on my 40D. I hadn’t been particularly interested in that feature when I got the camera and got so busy with other things that I hadn’t thought about it. After a bit of experimentation (thanks to your post), I decided that I might find occasion to use it. Not a feature that I will turn to regularly, but it might come in handy. And, now I have become somewhat acquainted with it. I’m glad you posted on this.
As for the AF-on button, I had gotten used to that feature with the 20D (there it was done strictly with a Custom Function set-up in the menu). I find it extremely useful to be able to set focus and recompose—even adjust exposure, and not have to wonder, all the while, if I have let off enough pressure on the shutter button to lose my focus. It didn’t take long to readust, even though the AF-On button is almost too much of a reach for my thumb. That reach was easier with the 20D, since that camera had no dedicated AF-On button and you were instructing the AE/FE lock button to function as an AF-on button.
heh, i’m happy to find other ‘weirdos’ out there who also use the other button to focus – i find it impossible to focus-recompose when using the shutter button.
I suppose like everything we do, we pick it up somewhere along the way and it becomes our way, and then it is so ingrained in our way of working that we can’t imagine doing anything else.
I’m so impressed that you actually had the manual with you though!
@Julie: Hey! I’m getting older and don’t remember things so well anymore.
I need that manual!