D800 Live view dark?

[ka734]

Hi was wondering anyone notice that the LCD screen is dark when turn on live view but it OK when viewing photos.

[Wayne]

No, it shows in accordance with the metering.

Check your settings and get a correct exposure in the viewfinder, then switch to LV and it should look fine. There is also a brightness setting for the LCD, and that has an auto brightness mode as well, so something else to check.

[arthurking83]

It can be set to be brighter.

Press and hold the - zoom button and press the joystick(8 way controller) upwards to brighten .. down to darken.
The brightness indicator is on the LHS of the display.

There is also an Auto mode, indicated by an A at the very top of the brightness display above the brightest settinging.
I've found that it's ok for automatically setting an appropriate brightness, but not prefect.

- - - Updated - - -

Also note that Lv on a D800 operates the aperture in realtime. Sort of like a Lv DOF preview mode.

So if you have a fast lens(say f/2.8 or brighter) but you have stopped it down to say f/8 or so, then the aperture is actually stopped down to f/8 instead of remaining wide open.

Some past Nikon cameras have not had this mode of operation, where the aperture was always held wide open(eg. D300)

Having the aperture closed down of course darkens the view, but gives you a more accurate DOF viewpoint.
I actually prefer this, and haven't chased up if there is a setting to change this operation .. ie. so that the aperture remains wide open during Lv mode.

[ka734]

ThANKS for the turbo reply guys.....it working now damnit miss out all the video recording during all my Harbin ice sculpting Festive,i can tell you it one of my hardest taking picture -25 degree with plenty of hand shakes n fogging in eye view when breathing out thanks again guys/gals......

[Tommo1965]

I hope Nikon give a option on the real-time LV and aperture setting..as right now LV is useless in a studio..but good if your shooting ambient light without any flash assistance....even using a fill flash can be tricky in LV

[arthurking83]

I hope Nikon give a option on the real-time LV and aperture setting..as right now LV is useless in a studio.......

refer to Einstein's famous theory!

I suppose it's all relative

With the D300, I always wanted the ability to set the real aperture value whilst in Lv mode(for DOF), but it wasn't possible on any CPU lens. Non CPU lenses of course are different in the way the aperture is controlled.
So the way that Lv operates in the D800 is what I prefer to have although I agree that it can be a PITA in some situations, but in saying that I don't do studio.


Just one reason why realtime aperture is handy in Lv mode ... shooting the moon. The moon is so bright in the middle of the night, that at a wide open aperture setting you can't see the real contrast on the surface of the moon. It's just a white mess of blur against the black background.
Using the manual only 300/2.8 tho, as the aperture is stopped down and the image darkens, the contrast is improved enormously and thus makes focusing a breeze.
Even tho the moon is supposed to be at infinity, the reality is that it's variable depending on atmospheric conditions at the time .. so to be able to see the detail properly gives you the ability to focus spot on.

There could be a setting to change the behaviour .. if I find one, I'll post back.