Live View & T1i Problem

I occasionally use live in bad light and hard to focus situations.
Am most often using a Canon 24-70 L with the T1i.

The on camera view is much darker than the actual light conditions would indicate. This makes focusing a challenge at times.

The photos come out well lighted except I have often missed the proper focus due to poor visibility on the live view screen

Is there something I am missing in settings or is this just a price I pay?

Thank you

Jim

Get external flash to use red beam, don't waste your time with LV.

I find live view, especially the 10x view, much more accurate than any flash red beam. If the subject is not too far, use a small but powerful flashlight to give you some temporary illumination. This works great for studio use when your all set up for a long exposure.

Or get and ST-E2... it can project an IR beam to assist focus, too.

I don't have a T1i, but assume it has a "Simulate Exposure" setting for LIve View, the way some of the other cameras do. That should brighten up the screen and make it easier to see what you are doing.

However, be aware that Live View uses a completely different method of focusing, Contrast Detect. It's via the imaging sensor itself, rather than using the array of AF points normally used for Phase Detect method.

Contrast Detect is much slower, though it can be more accurate. I don't know it's low light capabilities, but if you can't see the subject on the screen in Live View, just about any AF system is going to struggle. Thus the need for some sort of focus assist... i.e., an external flash, ST-E2 or the small flashlight that Mitch suggested.

Why are you using Live View, anyway? Though there are times and places LV can be useful, a lot of the time it's far easier and faster to just use the viewfinder and standard AF system.

Do you have "Exposure Simulation" turned on?

On that Rebel, I don't think the option exists to disable exposure simulation. So you're stuck with an unamplified image in the dark. Also, exposure simulation fails in increasingly dim lighting, rendering the LCD image very dark, regardless of how much one slows down the shutter speed.

oldvultureface wrote in post #13210996
On that Rebel, I don't think the option exists to disable exposure simulation. So you're stuck with an unamplified image in the dark.

Hmm, OK, didn't know that.

To the OP, you can increase the Live View light by cranking up your Exposure Compensation as you focus, then lowering it to "normal"...

Thanks to all of you.
There is just not enough light to make it all come together.
Subject is animals after dark in semi lit location.
Flash turns it into a one shot evening.
Will arrange to sneak in a bit more artificial light.

Jim