Problems with "Live View" in Canon eos 600D

[Fotobuff]

The Live View function does not get activated under all the options in the creative area. For example, it works in the P mode but not in Tv. Again it works in the Av mode but not in M mode. In the modes where the live view image is not visible, the LCD screen is grey with a white rectangle in the middle with some shooting information such as shutter speed, aperture ISO etc displayed. It never happened before. I can hear the mirror lifting but the image does not appear.

I am not a very experienced user and I feel that there may be a simple solution to this problem. Any solutions ? 

[klindup]

I have just experimented with using live view in P, TV, AV and M modes.  It works in all four modes but! I was using the camera indoors and with the lens set to f8 there was not enough light to generate an image.  Opening  the lens to 4.5 revealed a dark image.  Pointing the lens out of a window gave normal live view images at all four settings. Changing the shutter speed from 250th to a 30th  in TV and M modes gave a normal image (the same as with P and AV modes) gave a normal  image.
So nothing wrong with the camera. It seems that live view shows the image you would get if you took the shot using the exposure settings used.  With P the camera will get the exposure correct.  With AV it can select a shutter speed that is slow enough to give a correctly exposed image.  With TV you are limited by the maximum aperture of the lens.  With manual it depends on the exposure you select.  Try using TV with say ISO 200 and 250th indoors and you will not see anything in live view.  Then extend the shutter speed and you will see that an image albeit dark starts to appear until you get an normal image in live view.
Hope this helps
Ken

[Fotobuff]

Thank you very much. With the guidelines provided by you, I have been able to solve the problem and now I am able to get Live View images at each of the settings, P, Av, Tv and M. Its just that, if the values for shutter speed, aperture, ISO are such that it will not be possible to take a picture under the available lighting conditions, then the live view image will not be displayed. Tweaking the individual settings to make it possible to get an image under the prevailing lighting will bring back the Live View image, somewhat dark at first, which improves with further changes in the settings.

My experience in this matter has been the same as yours. I don't think Canon has mentioned it anywhere in their EOS 600D manual.

Thanks again for the help which saved me a trip to the Canon Service Centre.

[klindup]

Glad to have been able to help.  Good shooting.
Ken