D800 Live View Often Very Dark?

Mickslick

Hi there, I use Live View extensively when composing pictures. A reoccurring issue I have with my D800 is that when I go into live view the screen is very dark, like it is very underexposed. When I switch to "video" in live view, it looks great, everything nice and bright and properly exposed, then when I go back to "camera" it goes back to very dark and underexposed. Even adjusting the LCD Brightness to the highest level doesn't help. The problem with using Video mode is that I lose 100% view, actually it is a quite significant loss, which is no good since I nee the 100% for proper composition. Would welcome any input or ideas on how to solve this. Thanks!

http://www.michaelbrandtphotography.com/

Ironheart

Page 5 in the manual. Check your aimbient brightness sensor

Mickslick

It's not a monitor brightness issue, it's an exposure issue. Again, the video mode of live view is usually right on, a goo well exposed picture, it's the picture mode that is off, Even when I turn the brightness of the lcd screen to the max it doesn't really affect it. Also sometimes it is fine, then the next time it goes underexposed again.

Ironheart

That's because the video mode automatically enables auto ISO by default. Crank your ISO up, your pics can be as bright as you want them to be.

PB_PM

IIRC the D800 can show what the exposure of the given settings will look like on the screen (stills mode) if it is set to, so yes it will look dark until the exposure is set correctly. Haven't looked at the manual in a while, so I'm not sure how to change it.

Edit: Did some checking. PRESS the OK button while in LV and that should fix your problem! Pressing the OK button (not centre selector button), switches between live preview (what you see on the screen is what the final image will look like) and auto exposure correction (which means the final exposure could be wrong).

Mickslick

Just tried pressing the OK button, didn't really do anything. Here's something else to add to the mix, when
it is hunting for focus the live view screen brightens and looks like it should, as soon as it locks on focus it goes back to the underexposed thing, weird. Plus, if I open up the Aperture in live view it looks better and better the wider I go. I still don't understand why at F16, when there is enough light for a proper exposure, it would be dark, but then fine at say F4, and why it looks good when it is hunting for focus.

WestEndBoy

When it is trying to focus when taking a still, it goes to the widest aperture possible given the lens that you have. It then stops down to the f-stop that you are using. F16 is stopped down quite a lot. You must be desperate for a deep depth of field, because you sharpness is going to be significantly reduced by diffraction.

Put the camera in still mode, stop down at F16, then press the depth of field preview button (just above the Fn button in the front). It is going to be pretty dark. Chances are you will have identified your problem.

Mickslick

I think that's pretty much it. BTW I'm primarily a landscape shooter and between close foregrounds and short telephoto shots, short of focus stacking, F16 isn't that desperate, it's often necessary. I think this issue is a significant limitation for a top of the line camera, Nikon should be able to offer the option to view Live View with an adequate amount of light or exposure for composition purposes at high fstops.

WestEndBoy

OK, different subject. Which lenses are you using for your landscape photography?

PB_PM

I think that's pretty much it. BTW I'm primarily a landscape shooter and between close foregrounds and short telephoto shots, short of focus stacking, F16 isn't that desperate, it's often necessary. I think this issue is a significant limitation for a top of the line camera, Nikon should be able to offer the option to view Live View with an adequate amount of light or exposure for composition purposes at high fstops.

Sounds like you might need to consider some tilt-shift lenses.

Ironheart

I think that's pretty much it. BTW I'm primarily a landscape shooter and between close foregrounds and short telephoto shots, short of focus stacking, F16 isn't that desperate, it's often necessary. I think this issue is a significant limitation for a top of the line camera, Nikon should be able to offer the option to view Live View with an adequate amount of light or exposure for composition purposes at high fstops.

But isn't your picture underexposed as well? You have heard of diffraction?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction

And hyperfocal distance? There is more than one way to get everything in focus.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocal_distance

WestEndBoy

If you read Ironheart's links, you will get to the points that I was making.

If you consider a typical wide angle lens, if you are shooting above f/8.0 you should pause and think about why you are stopping down so much, as most everything will likely be in focus (a mild wide like a 35mm will need care). Perhaps if you have some foreground objects only a few feet away.

Of course, all this depends on the hyperfocal distance, so read about that.

Jbizler

@Mickslick, did you ever get this fixed, my D610 is having the very same problem "it's hunting for focus the live view screen brightens and looks like it should, as soon as it locks on focus it goes back to the underexposed thing"

I'm using a 50mm 1.4g fx lens.

Please can somebody help!!?

Jbizler

I fixed this problem by holding down the two green buttons to reset all settings if anyone else has this problem in the future