Early examples of Exposure Simulation Live View (ES-LV) in advanced prosumer digicams with Full Manual / Manual ISO, such as Canon's PowerShot Pro70 (1998), Powershot G1 (2000) and Powershot Pro90 IS (2001), all feature an optical viewfinder or optical tunnel and display the preview image on their vari-angle swivel screen LCD. This gives a live real-time WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) exposure simulation preview in Full Manual / Manual ISO mode, and Auto-Exposure (AE) / Manual ISO modes: P (Program), TV (Time Value: shutter speed priority), and Av (Aperture Value). If Auto ISO is used, Autogain (Auto-EV0) framing/focus live view suspends Exposure Simulation live view. This advanced exposure simulation live (pre-)view ES-LV on Canon's prosumer Powershots was absent on all interchangeable-lens DSLRs till Canon introduced a first ES-LV for an interchangeable-lens DSLR (they dubbed it: "ExpSim LV" version) in its EOS 20Da, to preview star exposures live, which was similar to ES-LV found in its advanced prosumer Powershot digicams. Later, Canon extended its more sophisticated DSLR ExpSim LV all shooting light conditions like its Powershot digicams. The most significant advances and difference in DSLR version of ES-LV was simulating exposure changes effects with chosen aperture changes without stopping down the aperture. The ES-LV of its Powershot digicams always kept its apertures stopped down, so no 'aperture exposure simulation' was needed, and briefly opened aperture to assess focus with shutter button partially depressed before a shot is taken. The ExpSim LV of its EOS lens DSLRs could achieve the same 'exposure simulation' effect in both aperture stop-down mode and aperture wide open of its EOS lenses, even if the aperture selection was narrower than widest diameter (wide open). In Autogain framing live view, such as in AE modes with Auto ISO in effect, using the dof button can take on two different effects: autogain during aperture stopped down (easy to see dof preview), and autogain-locked or suspended during aperture stopped down (difficult to see dof, just like looking with a non-live view DSLR of optical viewfinder (OVF) preview through-the-lens (TTL). For ES-LV digicam users and ExpSim LV DSLR users, this advanced method of "Adjustable/Selectable Live Previewable Exposure Evaluation/Determination" shooting in Full Manual / M ISO mode completely eliminated light meter sensor reading TTL common from the film era, making optimally desired exposure selection with live preview rear monitor screens virtually "instant at a glance", and time was saved doing any spot/area evaluative light metering TTL, which non-ES-LV and totally non-LV DSLR users doing the TTL "light meter reading" routine, same as their film SLR counterparts. The time saved assessing instant optimal exposure choices for any new or changing lit scenario, freed the ExpSim LV DSLR users to spend all their time shooting primarily with their optical viewfinder (OVF). When interchangeable-lens DSLRs with STILLS only ExpSim LV (APS-C EOS 20Da, APS-H EOS 1DMkIII, Full Frame (FF) EOS 1DsMkIII), with its ExpSim LV having Full Manual / M/Auto-ISO mode and AE / M/Auto-ISO mode, ExpSim LV was extended for the first time in any interchangeable-lens DSLR to Canon's FF ExpSim LV (1080p) video in 5DMkIII, it was only then, did use of OVF shifted over, more to the rear lcd monitor to shoot Cinematic (larger FF sensor frame than pro digital Super35mm and 35mm Cine cameras). The lesser Autogain Framing/Focus Live preview, borrowed from framing/focus autogain live view digicams, in lesser autogain live view DSLRs does not typically serve as their principal means of framing and previewing before taking a photograph, with this function still being mainly performed with optical viewfinder. The first interchangeable-lens DSLR to feature framing live preview was the 2004
Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro. While initially largely a novelty feature, framing/focus only live-preview functionality from digicam framing/focus live view has become more common on DSLR cameras, and almost all new DSLRs have had the feature since mid-2008. This is particularly the case since the advent of movie mode common to digicam video features on these cameras. The following lists, for each brand and DSLR product line, the first camera to have live preview (product lines that did not exist when live preview came into use are not shown; as of August 2014, there is no product line in which live preview has been abandoned after being introduced): •
Canon:
20Da,
40D,
450D,
1000D,
1D Mark III,
5D Mark II,
7D •
Fujifilm:
FinePix S3 Pro,
FinePix IS Pro •
Leica:
Digilux 3 •
Nikon:
D90,
D300,
D700,
D3 •
Olympus:
E-10,
E-330,
E-30,
E-3 •
Panasonic:
DMC-L1 •
Pentax:
K20D,
K-7,
K-x •
Samsung:
GX-20 •
Sony: A300,
A350, A500,
A55, and
A77 The principal function of live preview on Canon DSLRs from the 20Da onwards has been to allow, via LCD viewing, rapid acquisition of consistent and predictable exposure selection before taking a photograph via its 'exposure simulation' (ExpSim) enabled mode, or exposure priority display. This mode replaces the shortcomings of traditional estimation involved in the
through-the-lens (TTL) metering techniques of the older framing type live view DSLRs with autogain/framing only, DSLRs without live view, as well as the shortcomings of optical viewfinders when
ambient lighting becomes too low. Real-time exposure simulation live preview (or exposure priority display) had been available in many prosumer cameras, such as the Canon PowerShot G series, before being available to in live view DSLRs. Some manufacturers of compact cameras, including prosumer models, still lack this exposure simulation live view feature, instead relying on the more rudimentary autogain/framing only live view, where slow focus and slow exposure estimation via TTL metering techniques are relied upon. Real-time exposure simulation capable live preview digital cameras make achieving the desired exposures, especially in manual modes, more quickly available for both still and video photography. Among the DSLRs that do manage to focus using the standard phase-detection sensors used by DSLRs, unlike some compact digital cameras none has managed to show 100% frame coverage. This removes one of the key advantages of live preview over optical viewfinders, especially on more budget cameras. Additionally, 100% coverage optical viewfinders have recently become more common and affordable with the appearance of the Canon EOS
7D, Nikon D300, Olympus E-3 and the Pentax K-7. Still more recently, the (upper) mid-range Nikon D7000 has brought the feature to a somewhat lower price point. Some real-time exposure simulated capable live preview digital cameras also offer live
histogram graphs for
tonal balance or
color, where the graph changes instantaneously as exposure adjustments are made. Other features include live
depth of field (DOF) preview, and live indication of
overexposed areas of the image Almost all modern bridge and compact cameras have a movie mode, while this feature only became available on DSLRs during 2008. The
Nikon D90 with
720p video was announced in August 2008, and the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with
1080p video was announced in September 2008. The
Canon EOS 5D Mark II was the first DSLR to offer full control over its real-time exposure simulation live preview for video, rather than just autogain/framing only live preview. == Advantages ==