How important is the live view function on a DSLR for doll photography?

I have it, but never use it. Sometimes when you want to hold the camera high or low so you can't get your eye to the viewfinder (which is normally at a zoo NOT doll photography).. I would use it, but I don't know how to turn it on so I just snap until I get the right shot (the joys of digital) anyway, so I really haven't used it and I got the camera before christmas. Some of the features don't work in liveview anyway. With canon you can keep all your lenses when you upgrade,too.

Oh, and you will get used to using a viewfinder and forget all about screen mode. Dslrs are so big it helps to put them next to your face anyway - less wobble Obviously there are other things I would worry about getting a cheaper model but liveview isn't it.

 

I have XTi, it was not that much of a pain to do without live view on LCD

"important" or not that is really subjective

 

I rarely use liveview, unless I'm using my moms powershot. It has one of those flip screens you can move around, which I use for when I am shooting up really high or down low. But when I'm using my friends DSLR I never use the live view, if I'm trying to get a hard shot like that I usually can't see the screen very well as it is, so it's more of a guess and check, haha. Not the best method, but it works.

As stated above, you'd get used to living without it. I've heard good things about the Xti and it was actually the camera I was going to get. Until the opportunity to buy the T1i rolled around, which I had to take, haha. My friend has the XSi, great camera as well. But from what I've been told they're all very similar as they're all, for the most part, entry level cameras. But I don't know for certain as I'm no expert on cameras. I just spend hours researching and giving myself headaches trying to figure it all out.

 

Live view is not for standard handheld use. SLRs have a perfectly good optical viewfinder for that. An SLR is not best used at arm's length and one loses the benefit of their faster autofocus systems. It does better for holding a camera far above or below your eyeline, but a tilt-screen would be better still for that purpose.

But live view is excellent for tripod. You can magnify and achieve super-precise manual focus, as well as seeing for sure what the final image will be; optical viewfinders often cut off the edges of the frame and will not always properly display depth of field for large apertures. It's also easier on the back since you don't have to hunch over to look through the optical viewfinder.

 

<A> I don't think I've EVER used my live viewfinder. I always just use the optical viewfinder on my SLR, and it's served me perfectly fine. If I'm really wondering about the sharpness of the photo i can check manually and just take another one.

 

I wouldn't judge on the number of autofocus points. To my mind, Rebels effectively have 1-point autofocus systems anyway--the center point is the only cross-type sensor (the fast and reliable kind). Of the two cameras mentioned, I'd take the XS simply because it is newer, with more recent sensor technology and processing.

Whether live view means anything to you should depend on whether you plan to do tripod work. It is useless in normal shooting. Even though I only use it rarely myself, I personally wouldn't take a model without it.

 

I'd lean towards the XS too. While you might not really need live view often, there are times it comes in useful and it is better to have it given a choice. Don't see DSLR live view like that of compacts, as they are best used differently.

The Canon implementation of live view isn't fun for general shooting as the contrast AF is painfully slow. As others have said, live view comes into its own when the camera is on a tripod. Particularly so if you're working a shallow depth of field, which is often unreliable with AF or MF with the viewfinder. Live view allows you to zoom in and you can get it perfect.

I'd also agree the difference in number of AF points isn't that significant. I find when you have them all active, they tend to pick something other than what you think is interesting. So for best accuracy you need to pick the closest one and put it on target.

 

I personally love live view and actually use it frequently in doll photos, because usually I'm using a tripod. Whenever I'm using a tripod for a still subject (like a doll) I use live view, zoom in to the maximum, and use manual focus so I can get the focus just right and exactly where I want it. However, live view on a DSLR is nothing like the LCD on a compact camera. You don't use it the same way at all. Even when I'm using live view to focus I usually compose photos using the viewfinder.

When I'm hand-holding the camera I basically never use live view, and tend to use autofocus. My hands are too wobbly for live view + manual focus to do any good when I'm hand-holding.

I also set my camera's autofocus to center point like a year ago and haven't changed it since, so personally I wouldn't worry about number of autofocus points. If I want to focus on something that isn't centered (which I usually do) I just focus and then recompose the shot.

 

I shoot with a 60D and I like using the Live view if I am trying to get a picture from a high or low angle (because the LCD flips out and can tilt up or down)

I also like to use the live view on the LCD if taking pictures in a situation where I am afraid my doll may fall and I don't have a spotter. I often think my doll is falling if looking through the viewfinder. This way I can look away from the LCD easily to see if my doll is actually falling or if me moving the camera is just tricking my eye.

 

I use liveview ALL the time for doll photos. For one it hurts my back to be that low as I shoot on the floor. For two... nose prints

 

I got my new Canon 1000D camera today (the joys of Australia being a day ahead of the US.. Christmas is earlier! xD), so i'm no expert.
However when i first turned it on it was programmed with live view off.
It was really frustrating not having it, to be honest D: So i quickly changed it to live view and it is SO much easier.
You can see whether it's focused properly and have a larger view of the picture, so you know more how the finished product will look.
I've only ever used one other camera without live view before though, so maybe it's just my lack of practice.
I guess if you wanted to, you could do it. I just think having live view saves you time. But if you don't mind taking heaps of photos and a lot of them maybe not turning out how you want, or if you're used to it / willing to learn then it's okay.
I think it also depends on what memory card you're going to get.
If you're going to have to take more pictures than normal then you may want a large memory card, but if you have live view you might not need as much.
But i think it comes down to personal preference, someone could be just as good if not better without live view, or vise-versa.
Maybe if you know people with cameras with and without live view and you ask them to test it out, you could figure out what you like best.

 

I don't really use it much, its not my style