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The XSi (or EOS 450D outside N.A.) is the first in the Rebel series of DSLRs to offer Live View shooting. This technology, which displays an image on the LCD monitor before you shoot, allows you to frame shots when it is difficult to look through the viewfinder. It also allows you to check exposure, composition, color, and focus on a computer display. When the XSi is attached to a computer and you run the Canon-provided software, you view images live on the computer.

To turn on Live View shooting, go to and scroll to highlight <Live View function settings>, then press . Make sure <Live View shoot.> is highlighted in the subsequent menu screen, again press , then use ▴▾ to highlight <Enable> and press once more to confirm. While in this menu, you can also have the XSi superimpose a grid to help with leveling and image composition. Once Live View shooting is enabled, press at any time to turn it on.

When Live View shooting is turned on, the reflex mirror pops up, rendering the viewfinder unusable. A live image is displayed on the LCD monitor representing 100% coverage of the image that will be recorded. Because the viewfinder does not work, autofocus does not happen as it does with regular shooting, and metering is performed via the image sensor. Autofocus is accomplished either by flipping the mirror back down or by evaluating the image coming from the sensor. C.Fn 8, <AF during Live View shooting>, is used to set autofocus during Live View shooting (see page 70).

There are three choices in this menu. The first choice is <0: Disable>, which does not allow you to use autofocus in Live View shooting. Because of the time it takes to achieve autofocus, consider selecting <0: Disable> and using manual focus when shooting with Live View.

The next option is <1: Quick mode>. Select the AF point (see page 117) before turning on Live View. Once the AF point has been selected, turn on Live View and compose the shot. Press ⋆ and the mirror flips back down, the AF sensors evaluate the scene and set focus and the mirror flips back up. The Live View display should now be in focus. Press the shutter button to take the photograph.

And finally, when C.Fn 8 is set to <2: Live mode>, use to place the white outline rectangle (Live View AF point) over the portion of the image where you want to lock focus. (Press to return the AF point to the center of screen.) Then press ⋆ to lock focus. If successful, the AF point changes to green and the camera beeps. If the XSi fails to achieve focus, the AF point turns orange.

There are some limitations using Live View shooting. You can’t change drive mode, Picture Style, or select AF points. This doesn’t mean you can’t use different drive modes, you just can’t change them while Live View is functioning. behaves like . Live View shooting uses a lot of battery power, so make sure you have charged batteries on hand.

You can cycle through three display modes while in Live View. The first display is just the image with the AF point. The second presents a status display showing drive mode, white balance, Picture Style, image-recording quality, AE lock, exposure information, exposure level, flash exposure compensation, shots remaining, battery level, and ISO settings.

Normally the XSi tries to display a viewably bright image on the LCD monitor, no matter how the exposure is set. displays to indicate that the image presented on the LCD monitor (in terms of exposure) is close to the actual exposure that will be captured when the shutter release button is pressed. If this icon blinks, it means the image on the screen does not represent the exposure that will be used for the actual image.

The last display option for Live View shooting adds a histogram chart to the LCD monitor. This live histogram is a powerful tool to evaluate exposure during Live View shooting.

Metering during Live View shooting is preset to because it is linked to the Live View AF point and cannot be changed. You can still use all of the exposure and drive modes, however. Adjust ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation just as you would when shooting normally. When you use a Speedlite external flash unit, ETTL II metering uses the normal meter in the viewfinder, so the mirror must pop down briefly. When you take a picture with flash, the XSi sounds like it is taking two pictures. Flash units other than Canon do not fire.

One XSi feature that is improved with Live View shooting is Depth-of-Field Preview. Normal Depth-of-Field Preview results in a dim viewfinder, making it difficult to see the image. With Live View shooting, as long as the exposure is set for a reasonably correct exposure, when you press the Depth-of-Field Preview button you see a brighter display, which makes it easier to check depth-of-field.