"Live view" with Canon 500D

gpmatthews · Post by **gpmatthews** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:01 pm

I am not fully set up as yet, but thought the following might complement Charlie's live view discussion:

This was taken using standard camera settings (no live view) with full mirror function etc.

This is with live view (mirror locked up)

This final image may not be a fair test: it is using live view with the flash fired, but not used to illuminate the subject. The different white balance is presumably due to the camera flash settings.

All images were taken using a Zeiss x40 plan achromat with standard transmitted light and with the camera directly mounted on the microscope. The eyepiece was an Olympus P7 photo ocular, which needed to be raised a fair way with a collar to give an acceptable sized image, and is probably contributing some aberrations as a result of not being used in its designed mode. I'd be interested to know what its intended mode of operation was and what the intended distance to the film plane was. It was the best choice objective for image size that I have immediately available.

Interestingly, in live view there is a small shutter sound at the start of the exposure. I confirmed this with a 2 sec exposure. I was expecting from Charlie's description for the start of exposure to be silent, so I am not sure that I have electronic first curtain shutter in operation.

The on-board camera flash mode in live view is automatically used if the flash is raised. There are many loud clunks etc when this mode is used. It is the only way to achieve flash in live view, as an external flash cannot be triggered from the hot shoe in live view.

All the images have been processed to remove eyepiece artefacts (dust specks). I am having severe problems in removing dust from ancient eyepieces, but as this is not likely to be the final setup I am not getting too neurotic about it yet!

gpmatthews · Post by **gpmatthews** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:02 pm

Some more images, now with a much cleaner ocular.

First image is an overview of the subject, a fragment of Pleurosigma:

The next image is a crop at full resolution with the picture taken using Live View:

...and the final image is a similar crop using external flash and normal camera mirror function/full vibration.

It's difficult to tell, but I fancy the Live View image is a fraction sharper, but maybe not enough to worry about for most purposes.

All pictures take using a Zeiss Standard 18 modified to 14 configuration with Leitz 40/0.7 NPL Fluotar ICT objective (DIC) and an Olympus P7 eyepiece. External flash from a Vivitar 283. Images rebalanced for colour to improve comparability, but not sharpened or otherwise enhanced.

ChrisR · Post by **ChrisR** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:48 pm

Sorry Graham I don't quite follow.
The post 1 pics 1 & 2 were using what exposure time?
Post 1 no 3 is also using a timed exposure, so why fire the flash?

In post 2 I don't think I can see an improvement between the images. It appears that any blur you're getting, is down there with diffraction effects?

I've had vibration blur on bellows flash exposures, you obviously have a stiffer rig!

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 2:12 pm

Graham,

Thanks for posting this comparison.

I don't think you can make a "blanket statement" since I think a lot will depend on flash duration and magnification. After seeing the difference between "full mirror/shutter" and EFSC ("electronic first shutter curtain") it would seem that (as Chris mentioned) there is the potential of vibration having an effect even when flash is used. I don't see much difference in the example you've posted here, but it's nice to see the EFSC shot at least as good as the flash shot. Most of the flash units we use have a duration of at least 1/1000 second. Some are slower, and if powered "down" some are much "faster". I know I've occasionally experienced slight subject movement "blur" in very active insects photographed with flash, even at durations where I would have expected no problems.

gpmatthews · Post by **gpmatthews** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:13 pm

Pics 1 & 2 were at 1/40 sec. The reason for pic 3 was merely that the vibration seemed worse at this setting and I just wanted to see if there was any obvious difference. I agree that any difference between live view and flash seems slight, which is, I think, encouraging.