I have had my D7000 for a few weeks now, read parts of the manual twice, and still can't quite comprehend everything.

A week or so ago, I showed the camera to a friend, who used it to take a few photos at a party we were attending. One of the first things he did was to set up the camera to display a preview of a shot on the LCD screen immediately after the shot was taken. I thought this was a bit too "point and shoot-ish" for me and turned the feature off. I generally use the viewfinder, not the LCD when I'm shooting.

There are two main reasons I don't use the immediate preview. One is that I find it screws up my "flow". If I'm taking shots, I rarely take only one, preferring to take a bunch from various perspectives. The other is that I'm afraid I'll make a snap decision to delete a photo when, although it looks iffy on the LCD, it's possible to do something artistic with it later in post-processing.

So I figured I'd ask everyone here what they prefer. Do you use the preview to double-check your shot right after shooting or do you wait until later to review shots?

Randy

I don't care to have the camera preview the image automatically, choosing instead to initiate the review myself. I find myself routinely looking at captures though for the following:

1) Exposure control via 'blinkies' and the channel histograms. In particular in changing light and/or framing conditions.
2) Focus accuracy and overall sharpness via 50%-100% zoom on the subject area.

Overall composition and image evaluation is kind of a side product of the other reviews.

Paul
My Nikonians Gallery

>I don't care to have the camera preview the image
>automatically, choosing instead to initiate the review myself.
> I find myself routinely looking at captures though for the
>following:
>
>1) Exposure control via 'blinkies' and the channel
>histograms. In particular in changing light and/or framing
>conditions.
>2) Focus accuracy and overall sharpness via 50%-100% zoom on
>the subject area.
>
>Overall composition and image evaluation is kind of a side
>product of the other reviews.
>

+9 on Paul's points.

One additional reason not to use review is when shooting in theatre or other darkened locations, automatic image review is not throwing off distracting light for other patrons.

I review a LOT, but I don't consider it chimping per say since what I am doing is checking to make sure I am nailing exposure, focus, composition etc. Like Paul says, the "overall evaluation" is a byproduct of verifying, checking, and re-checking some of the detail items. Because of this I get a chuckle out of the occasional gent who wishes for a digital camera with no LCD - makes very little sense to me given that the adjustments I make as a result of image review oftentimes is the difference in me getting a real keeper or avoiding a total wasted opportunity.


Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
My Nikonians gallery
My Nikonians Blog

I have the automatic image review (not "preview") disabled.

That way, I'm not distracted by the image appearing when I don't need it, and I can easily call up the most recent image with a single button press when required.

Brian
Welsh Nikonian
Check out the Nikonians Team pages

Good point, review makes more sense than preview. Thanks for the replies and the correction, I should know better.

Randy

I have it turned off as well. I only look when I want to check exposure and if I am shooting sports, which I do most of the time, I only check when conditions are changing.

Marc
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.-Ansel Adams

http://500px.com/WhatISaw
http://kuzzy.smugmug.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Another vote to turn it off and review as needed - usually after the first shot in a series of shots to be sure I have the histo and blinkies under control as well as did I shoot wide enough to really get what I wanted in the pix.

I can't loose the old color slide habit of cropping tight. With computer post processing I prefer a little wiggle room to crop and include or exclude as desired. I am no longer tied to preconceived image length-width ratios (ie: 8x10 or 8x12). I am a cropping free spirit and as I make my own window mats any way.

jerry

Randy... I'm with the others and have the automatic preview disabled. I do however manually check for the "blinkies" (overexposure) and a quick glance at the histograms.

Best Regards, Dennis.

A Nikonian in California

My Nikonians Gallery

Seems unanimous so far. Thanks for the insight, much appreciated.

Randy