400D image display locked

[IainStewart]

My first few days with my Canon have been problematic. No manual in the box, managed to download one from Canon but repro quality v poor so tricky to read on screen.

Anyway despite spending over an hour searching through manual I cannot find how I turn off the white info display - I want a lens view of scene I'm shooting not the F stop info etc. I've tried every single option that I can think of to no avail.

Here's hoping that it something very simple and not a fault with camera!

thanks

IAin

 

[tomjar]

It does not work that way, you cannot get a live view on DSLR'S LCD (except for one Olympus model).

My first few days with my Canon have been problematic. No manual in
the box, managed to download one from Canon but repro quality v
poor so tricky to read on screen.

Anyway despite spending over an hour searching through manual I
cannot find how I turn off the white info display - I want a lens
view of scene I'm shooting not the F stop info etc. I've tried
every single option that I can think of to no avail.

Here's hoping that it something very simple and not a fault with
camera!

thanks

IAin

 

[tomjar]

no text

 

[IainStewart]

no I'm not joking...are you serious??!! There's no way to take a pic using the LCD as a viewfinder??! Surely not...

 

[Olga Johnson]

no I'm not joking...are you serious??!! There's no way to take a
pic using the LCD as a viewfinder??! Surely not...

There's NO WAY to take a pic using the the LCD.

Olga

 

[tomjar]

no I'm not joking...are you serious??!! There's no way to take a
pic using the LCD as a viewfinder??! Surely not...

I am afraid so. Only Olympus E-330 has (had?) this feature with live preview on LCD as far as I know.

 

[Helen]

no I'm not joking...are you serious??!! There's no way to take a
pic using the LCD as a viewfinder??! Surely not...

Yes, really! In case it's of interest, SLR stands for single lens reflex and the "reflex" refers to the pivoted mirror hanging at 45 degrees behind the lens in the camera. This directs all the light (pretty much) coming in through the lens up to the focusing screen above it, which is then reflected by a complex set of mirrors acting like a prism to the eyepiece. All of this is a purely optical process, and whilst the mirror's down, the light is going that way, not straight back to the sensor (which is additionally covered by a multibladed, metal and composite vertical mechanical shutter - electronically timed - as in a 35mm SLR film camera). The mirror raises and the shutter opens only at the time you take the shot, for the exposure itself.

This construction is also one of the reasons that DSLRs can't do movies either - even the Olympus model mentioned that CAN do live previews (that one has a couple of near-twins by Leica and Panasonic, but they're hugely expensive). The other reason is that the big sensors in DSLRs are prone to overheating if they're used continuously for image preview or movies. I oversimplified a bit above, but that's the gist of it.

 

[IainStewart]

bloody hell! It's going to be like turning back the clock. I still find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be available in certain circumstances. Using my previous prosumer Minolta A1 camera it was so useful to be able to frame a shot from low to the ground or above a crowd by using the LCD to frame the scene. Passing it to a stranger to get them to take a pic was simplicity itself as they could frame the shot very easily using the LCD.

 

[tomjar]

Well, there is a gadget that you can use to circumvent this DSLR limitation. It attaches to viewfinder of a DSLR and displays the live preview on an LCD. It is not too cheap though.

http://www.climaxdigital.com/zigview/zigview.html

bloody hell! It's going to be like turning back the clock. I still
find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to
this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be
available in certain circumstances. Using my previous prosumer
Minolta A1 camera it was so useful to be able to frame a shot from
low to the ground or above a crowd by using the LCD to frame the
scene. Passing it to a stranger to get them to take a pic was
simplicity itself as they could frame the shot very easily using
the LCD.

 

[Hosebag]

After you use it for a while, you may like it. Some people prefer to use the viewfinder, including me. Also you have to look at your pic AFTER you take the shot, then decide what adjustments to make, then re-shoot if necessary.

 

[Helen]

bloody hell! It's going to be like turning back the clock. I still
find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to
this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be
available in certain circumstances. Using my previous prosumer
Minolta A1 camera it was so useful to be able to frame a shot from
low to the ground or above a crowd by using the LCD to frame the
scene. Passing it to a stranger to get them to take a pic was
simplicity itself as they could frame the shot very easily using
the LCD.

Well, as mentioned by one or two of us, Olympus has (sort of) with the E330, though as a first stab at the problem it's a little bit clunky (that camera has suddenly come down to around £599 with lens in the UK - it used to be well over £800). The Panasonic DMC-L1/Leica Digilux 3 (which are very similar to oneanother indeed) were codeveloped with Olympus but are stockier-seeming cameras with only one half of the solution used by Olympus (the Oly has two methods of giving a live preview, the Pana/Leica only one of those) and are very expensive (£1000-£1400 for the Pana, around £1800 for the Leica). In both cases, it's the lens that is particularly expensive on them. Plus the Oly has a hinged (not rotating, but hinged) LCD and it's fixed on the other two.

But as you say, if you happen to like live previews, you do miss the feature on DSLRs. Of course DSLRs also have much narrower depth of field which can be seen as either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on your taste, increased size, and there's the vulnerability to sensor contamination (as I am currently finding out to my cost!). On the other hand, of course, is the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, much higher image quality in low light/high sensitivities in particular, and very fast focusing (amongst others, no doubt).

 

[Hoppe]

Hi, another beginner here.

To be honest, not being able to preview using the LCD was one of the reasons that initially put me off getting a dSLR (as opposed to an SLR-like superzoom, for instance). In the end I ended up concluding that this was probably insignificant in comparison to the advantages an SLR would give me - and now, a few months later, I feel my conclusion was spot on.

I now loooove the optical viewfinder of the 400D and couldn't imagine not using it. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago I tried a friend's new Canon G7 camera and despite this being one of Canon's new top compacts, using it felt clunky and slow - and a big part of this was suddenly having to use the (slow to update, bad resolution - or so it felt) LCD to frame my pics again.

In short, having shot an SLR for a few months spoils you, and having tried it, I don't find that using the optical viewfinder is a step back - quite the contrary, in fact.

 

[Boo Boo]

sounds like someone came jumping out from under the bride fully.

just buy yourself a s2/s3 is pns, your not ready to be with the big boys yet

 

[tomjar]

In short, having shot an SLR for a few months spoils you, and
having tried it, I don't find that using the optical viewfinder is
a step back - quite the contrary, in fact.

I have next to no practical experience with DSLRs (I am still deciding whether to bite the bullet and get my first DSLR or not) but I am sure you're right. But still, an LCD display with live preview would nevertheless come handy on DSLRs especially the tilt-and-twist variety. Not for most of circumstances, but for some definitely (and I am not talking about taking movies).

 

[Doug Pardee]

It's going to be like turning back the clock.

The camera is clearly labeled as an SLR. The SLR design has been around for close to a century. Yes, it's an old design.

find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to
this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be
available in certain circumstances.

As the others have pointed out, the Olympus E-330 does exactly that. It has many drawbacks, though, because of the nature of the SLR design.

You have bought the wrong camera. Return it and get yourself a nice digicam instead (since you didn't even get a manual with it, returning it should not be a problem).

 

[Box Brownie]

bloody hell! It's going to be like turning back the clock. I still
find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to
this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be
available in certain circumstances. Using my previous prosumer
Minolta A1 camera it was so useful to be able to frame a shot from
low to the ground or above a crowd by using the LCD to frame the
scene. Passing it to a stranger to get them to take a pic was
simplicity itself as they could frame the shot very easily using
the LCD.

I had the KM A2 and sold it to get my 350D but I came from using SLRs for something like 30 years. Leapfrogging along the way with Rangefinders and TLRs.

IMHO The introduction and growth of digital has produced a convergency of technologies and optics.

The development of small sensor size digicams has aided the production of fab plants that can produce the APS-C & full frame sensors we are now seeing in dSLRs.

There will be continued development of both technologies - just look at digicams with face recognition sofware builtin - will mean improvements to both and one day there may be a totally practical solution to have live preview on dSLR but for me I enjoy seeing the atula scene in the optical viewfinder on the 350D and any future (Canon) body I get.

Bear in mind that any camera with a live preview via the rear LCD or the EVF (electronic viewfinder) will have a greater combined lag from pressing the shutter to actually taking the picture & the A2 was one of the best of the breed. You can not beat a dSLR for speed of seeing to taking the picture. Try it, enjoy it 'see' the benefits

For the record I have a pocket digicam Fuji F700 which serves me well for those times that I leave the 350D at home.

--
Living life a slice at a time

 

[Box Brownie]

This para did not pass the visual spell check....spot the mistake and correction

There will be continued development of both technologies - just look at digicams with face recognition sofware builtin - will mean improvements to both and one day there may be a totally practical solution to have live preview on dSLR but for me I enjoy seeing the actual scene in the optical viewfinder on the 350D and any future (Canon) body I get.

--
Living life a slice at a time

 

[strikeback03]

That is why there is the E-330 and things like Zigview - if you need the live view functionality, you can get it. Otherwise, most of us like the better optical viewfinder that comes with not having live preview.
--
http://www.linelight.org/

 

[farrellart]

dude, how much research did you do before purchasing?

Once you get over the fact it's not a point and click camera and actually look at the quality of the photographs you may realise it's one of the best bit of kit for photos.

 

[SNGX1327]

bloody hell! It's going to be like turning back the clock. I still
find it incredible that no co has developed a partial solution to
this so a fairly accurate method of using the LCD could be
available in certain circumstances.

yep, just like turning back the clock!

until recently, there really was no desire to make a live-view LCD. a majority of SLR purchasers were people who had strong photographic backgrounds - they used film back in the day, and are used to using an optical viewfinder. i of course had a powershot G2, but i wanted an optical viewfinder.

now as the costs drop, a lot of people who don't know as much about photography, SLR cameras, interchangeable lenses, etc. are beginning to jump into the SLR market with limited knowledge.

i believe this is one reason there aren't any SLR cameras that use an LCD preview yet. previously the market had a differente "demographic". now as times change, needs change, and we might see some of them soon. (feel free to read any of the in-body IS debates, it's the same thing)

Using my previous prosumer
Minolta A1 camera it was so useful to be able to frame a shot from
low to the ground or above a crowd by using the LCD to frame the
scene. Passing it to a stranger to get them to take a pic was
simplicity itself as they could frame the shot very easily using
the LCD.

you would be surprised how easy it is to frame a shot without looking with a wideangle lens. just hold the camera above your head and release the shutter. most likely you will get an acceptable result. if not, hey, it's digital. snap away!