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There were technical problems, as well. Real-time previews theoretically disabled a
dSLR’s autofocus system, as focus was achieved by measuring contrast through the opti-
cal viewfinder, which is blocked when the mirror is flipped up for a live view. Extensive
previewing had the same effect on the sensor as long exposures: the sensor heated up,
producing excess noise. Pointing the camera at a bright light source when using a real-
time view could damage the sensor. The list of potential problems goes on and on.
That was then. This is now.
The Nikon D7000 has a gorgeous three-inch LCD that can be viewed under a variety
of lighting conditions and from wide-ranging angles, so you don’t have to be exactly
behind the display to see it clearly. It offers a 100-percent view of the sensor’s capture
area, the same as the D7000’s optical viewfinder. It’s large enough to allow manual focus-
ing—but there is an automatic focus option, too. You still have to avoid pointing your
D7000 at bright light sources (especially the Sun) when using Live View, but the real-
time preview can be used for fairly long periods without frying the sensor. Nikon’s sys-
tem works just like you’d want it to: the mirror flips up, the shutter opens, and what
the sensor sees is displayed in full color on the LCD on the back of the camera, as shown
in Figure 6.1.
What You Can Do with Live View
You may not have considered just what you can do with Live View, because the capa-
bility is so novel. But once you’ve played with it, you’ll discover dozens of applications
for this capability, as well as a few things that you can’t do. Here’s a list of Live View
Do’s/Don’ts/Cans/Can’ts.
■ Preview your images on a TV. Connect your D7000 to a standard definition or
high-definition television using a video or (optional) HDMI cable, and you can
preview your image on a large screen. Because you’re viewing the actual image that
will be captured, you can check things like focus or white balance in real time, on
a larger display. You can preview exposure with Live View, because the camera
adjusts the LCD display to approximate the metered exposure. However, if you
make EV changes that exceed +3/–3EV (you can set up to +/–5EV), the LCD will
not reflect the actual exposure. In addition, Nikon neglected to provide live his-
tograms with this feature.
■ Preview remotely. Extend the cable between the camera and TV screen, and you
can preview your images some distance away from the camera.
■ Improve your point of view. If looking through the viewfinder to frame your sub-
ject is awkward (say, you have to hold the D7000 over your head to clear obstruc-
tions such as a crowd of people), Live View lets you see what you’re going to shoot
before you snap the shutter. (A remote release is a good idea in this mode.)
David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography154