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  • Question

    Changing the AF Mode to Use the Live View Function to Shoot Still Photos and Movies (EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D)

    • Answer

    • With your camera, you can shoot photos while viewing the image on the camera's LCD monitor. This is called "Live View shooting." 
      This page describes how to change the focus mode for Live View shooting. For details on how to perform easy Live View shooting in default settings, please refer to the related information. 
      Please note that some shooting procedures differ between still photos and movies. To shoot still photos, please refer to the instructions for still photos, and to shoot movies, please refer to the instructions for movies.

      Part I. Preparing for Live View Shooting

      1. Turn the camera's power switch to .
      For the details about how to open the LCD monitor, see How to use the vari-angle LCD monitor of the EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D.

      2. Turn the Mode Dial to set the shooting mode.

      • To shoot still photos, you can select all modes except for Movie shooting mode.
      • To shoot movies, select <  > (Movie shooting).

      To use AF to focus, please proceed to Part II. To focus manually, please proceed to Part III.
      Part II, and III describe common procedures for still photos and movies.

      Part II. Selecting the AF Mode

      3. Set the lens focus mode switch to . 

      4. Make sure that the camera is ready to take shots, and then press the

      button.

      5. Press the to select tabs on the MENU screen.

      • To shoot still photos, select the [  ] tab, and then select [Enable] in the [Live View shoot.] option.
      • To shoot movies, select the [  ] tab, and then select [Auto] or [Manual] in the [Movie exposure] option.


      NOTE

      If you select [Manual] for the movie exposure in movie shooting mode, you can set your own values for ISO speed, shutter speed, and aperture. For more information, please refer to the instruction manuals that came with your camera.

      6. Select the [AF mode], and then press the button.

      7. Select the AF mode, and then press the button.


      NOTE


      While the image is displayed on the LCD monitor, pressing the <  > button will enable you to set the AF mode etc. on the Quick Control Screen
      For more information, please refer to the instruction manuals that came with your camera.


      8. Select the image-recording quality for still images or the movie-recording size for movies.

      • For still images, select [Quality] from the [  ] tab, press the button, and then select the image quality from the screen that appears.
      • For movies, select [Movie rec. size] from the [  ] tab, press the button, and then select the recording size from the screen that appears.

      For more information about the image quality of still images and the recording size of movies, please refer to the instruction manuals that came with your camera. 

      9. To shoot still photos, press the <  > (Live View shooting/Movie shooting) button, or to shoot movies, press the

      button, and then close the menu window. An image will appear on the LCD monitor.

      Please proceed to Part II 1 to 3 depending on the AF mode setting.

      Part II-1 Using AF (Live Mode) to Focus

      When [Live mode] (  ) is set:
      The image sensor is used to focus. Although AF is possible with the Live View image displayed, the AF operation will take longer than with Quick mode. Also, achieving focus may be more difficult than with Quick mode.
      [Live mode] is set by default.


      NOTE

      About [Digital zoom]
      When the image size is set to [1920x1080] (Full HD), you can shoot with an approx. 3x to 10x digital zoom.


      • Focusing is done in [Live mode] or in [  (Face detection) Live Mode].
      • For more information about the [Digital zoom], please refer to the instruction manuals that came with yur camera.

      10. Move the AF point.

      • Press the to move the AF point to where you want to focus (it cannot go to the edges of the picture).
      • To return the AF point to the center, press the button or <  > button.


      11. Aim the AF point over the subject and press the shutter button halfway.


      • When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound.
      • If focus is not achieved, the AF point will turn orange.

      Please proceed to Part IV.

      Part II-2. Using AF (Face detection Live Mode) to Focus

      When [  (Face Detection) Live mode] is set:
      With the same AF method as the Live mode, human faces are detected and focused. Have the target person face the camera.

      10. When you press the <  > button, the Quick Control screen will appear. The settable functions will be highlighted in blue.

      With the <  > (Cross Keys), select [  ] (  (Face detection) Live Mode) as shown in the image below. 
      Note that the Quick Control menu display will disappear a few seconds after an item has been selected.

      11. Focus the target face.

      • When a face is detected, the [  ] frame will appear over the face to be focused.
      • If multiple faces are detected, [  ] will be displayed. Press the to move the [ ] frame over the target face.


      12. Press the shutter button halfway and the camera will focus the face covered by the [  ] frame.


      • When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound.
      • If focus is not achieved, the AF point will turn orange.
      • If a face cannot be detected, the AF point [  ] will be displayed and AF will be executed at the center.


      ATTENTION


      Notes when shooting in [  (Face detection) Live Mode]
      • If the focus is way off, face detection will not be possible. If the lens enables manual focusing even while the lens focus mode switch is set to , turn the focusing ring to attain rough focus. The face will then be detected and [  ] will be displayed.
      • Face detection will not work if the face is very small or large in the picture, too bright or too dark, titled horizontally or diagonally, or partially hidden.

      Please proceed to Part IV.

      Part II-3. Using AF (Quick Mode) to Focus

      When [Quick mode](  ) is set:
      The dedicated AF sensor is used to focus in the same way as with viewfinder shooting. Although you can focus the desired area quickly, the Live View image will be interrupted momentarily during the AF operation.


      NOTE

      • When the movie recording size is [1920×1080 30fps] or when the movie recording size is [1920×1080 24fps] and the [Digital zoom] is set, [Quick mode] cannot be selected. Focusing is done in [Live mode] or in [  (Face detection) Live mode].
      • If the AF mode is [Quick mode] and the [Digital zoom] is set, the AF mode will automatically switch to [Live mode].
      • For more information about the [Digital zoom], please refer to the instruction manuals that came with your camera.

      10. The small boxes on the screen are the AF points, and the larger box is the magnifying frame.

      11. When you press the <  > button, the Quick Control screen will appear. The settable functions will be highlighted in blue.

      Press the <  >(Cross Keys) to select [  ] (Quick mode).

      12. Select the AF point. Press the <  > (Cross Keys) to make the AF point selectable. Turn the

      to select the AF point.

      13. Aim the AF point over the subject and press the shutter button halfway.(Keep the shutter pressed.)

      14. The Live View image will turn off, the reflex mirror will go back down, and AF will be executed. 

      • When focus is achieved, the beeper will sound and the Live View image will reappear.
      • The AF point used to focus will light in red.


      Please proceed to Part IV.

      Part III. Focusing Manually

      You can magnify the image and focus precisely manually.

      3. Once you have proceeded up to Step 2 of Part I, set the lens focus mode switch to .

      4. To shoot still photos, make sure that the camera is ready to take shots, and then press the < >(Live View shooting) button. To shoot movies, set the Mode Dial to <  >.

      5. The Live View image will appear on the LCD monitor.
      Turn the lens focusing ring to focus roughly.

      6. Press the to move the magnifying frame to the position where you want to focus.

      To return the AF point to the center, press the button or <  > button.

      7. Press the <  > (Magnifying) button to magnify the area within the frame.



      Each time you press the <  > button, the display format will change as follows: 
      Normal view -> Approx. 5x -> Approx. 10x -> Normal view


      NOTE


      When the digital zoom is set, press the <  > button or the <  > button while holding down the button to zoom in or out.
      • button + <  > button : zoom in
      • button + <  > button : zoom out

      8. While looking at the Live View image on the LCD monitor, turn the focusing ring to focus manually. 

      9. After achieving focus, press the <  > (Magnifying) button to check the image composition in normal view.

      Part IV. Shooting

      After focus is achieved by following the instructions in Part II-III, start shooting.

      To shoot still photos, press the shutter button completely.

      • The picture will be taken and the captured image is displayed on the LCD monitor.
      • After the image review ends, the camera will return to Live View shooting automatically.

      To shoot movies, press <  >.

      • To stop shooting the movie, press <  > again.
      • While the movie is being shot, the "  " mark will be displayed on the upper right of the screen.

      General Note for Live View Shooting

      Please be aware of the following notes for Live View shooting.

      ATTENTION

      Notes About the Live View Image
      • Under low or bright light conditions, the Live View image might not reflect the brightness of the captured image.
      • If the light source within the image changes, the screen might flicker. If this happens, stop and resume the Live View shooting under the actual light source to be used.
      • If you point the camera in a different direction, it might throw off the Live View image's correct brightness momentarily. Wait until the brightness level stabilizes before shooting.


      White [  ] and Red [  ] Internal Temperature Warning Icons
      • If the camera’s internal temperature increases due to prolonged Live View shooting or a high ambient temperature, a white [  ] icon will appear. If you continue shooting while this icon is displayed, the image quality of still photos may deteriorate. You should stop the Live View shooting and allow the camera to cool down before shooting again.
      • If the camera’s internal temperature further increases while the white [  ] icon is displayed, a red [  ] icon will start blinking. This blinking icon is a warning that the Live View shooting will soon be terminated automatically. If this happens, you will not be able to shoot again until the camera’s internal temperature decreases. Turn off the power and let the camera rest for a while.
      • Shooting with the Live View function at a high temperature for a prolonged period will cause the [  ] and [  ] icons to appear earlier. When not shooting, turn off the camera.


      Live Mode and  (Face Detection) Live Mode Notes
      • Focusing will take slightly longer.
      • Even when focus has been achieved, pressing the shutter button halfway will focus again.
      • The image brightness may change during and after the AF operation.
      • If the light source changes while the Live View image is displayed, the screen might flicker and focusing can be difficult. If this happens, stop the Live View shooting and autofocus under the actual light source first.


      NOTE

      When shooting with the camera connected to a TV
      If you shoot in Live View with the camera connected to a TV, you can use the TV screen as the LCD monitor. This is convenient when you want to enlarge what you want to shoot to check the details. However, when connecting the camera to the TV with an HDMI cable, please be aware of the following points. 
      • When the camera is connected to a TV set via HDMI cable, the camera will read the information on the TV set's compatible video input signals. The camera then selects the optimum video output signal (1080/60i, 1080/50i, 480/60p, or 576/50p) and the video is displayed.
      • When you are not shooting, the camera outputs the video at the ratio displayed on the LCD monitor as is, so it is not possible to use the whole screen for a 16:9 display.
      • When movie shooting starts, the video signal will automatically switch to 480/60p or 576/50p due to the imaging engine's compatible limits, resulting in a smaller image size (the size will vary according to the size of the TV screen). However, many HD TV sets will automatically try and fit the image to 16:9, so it will look unnatural with the image stretched horizontally.
      • If you connect the camera to a TV set and shoot a movie, the TV will not output any sound during the shooting. However, the sound will be properly recorded.

      For more information on how to connect a camera to a TV, please refer to the instruction manuals that came with your camera.

    •  
    • View Answer at http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Consumer_Products/products/cameras/Digital_SLR/EOS_600D.aspx?faqtcmuri=tcm:14-821726&page=1&type=faq
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