rcolmansr60

I have a canon 60D

When ever I shoot in Live View Mode it takes a few seconds before I can reshoot.

Is this inherent in the camera or am I missing something in my settings?

At 78 it would be handy to shoot kids on the floor so I don't have to lay on the floor and spend 5 minutes getting back up. LOL

Thank you for your help

Oldfart

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Interesting. Has it always acted that way? I use Nikons, but I've never experienced a delay.

rcolmansr60

Yes it has always been that way. The older I get the more irritating it gets.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I would do a reset on your camera. You might have a setting that is causing this but it's hard to say without seeing it.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

In Live View the 60D uses Canon's older "contrast detection" method of autofocus, which is rather slow in comparison to the phase detection array of points you see in the viewfinder. Possibly the camera is waiting for that to achieve focus. Note: Newer models beginning with 70D use Dual Pixel AF or "DPAF", which is much faster. In fact, it's the method the new EOS R uses exclusively and Canon claims that's the fastest AF system in any digital camera. The DSLRs using DPAF aren't that fast, but are a lot better than the old contrast detection method. Because of this, Live View is not very usable with fast moving subjects on older model DSLRs. Likely the slower AF is "hunting" for focus... low light conditions will also make it worse.

Unfortunately, for fastest possible AF performance you need to use the viewfinder and it's AF system instead. Much faster, but autofocus performance also depends upon the lens. "Kit" lenses often use slower (and noisier) micro motor focus drive. Canon lenses marked "STM" use a stepper motor and are faster (and quieter). Canon lenses marked "USM" are the fastest focusing using an ultrasonic motor (not noisy, but not as quiet as STM in most cases). Lenses with larger (f/2.8, f/2, f/1.4) apertures also are often faster focusing... they simply provide more light for the AF system to work with, compared to f/3.5, f/4, f/4.5 and f/5.6 lenses.

Yet another thing that can slow AF and cause the camera to operate slowly is the autofocus mode that's chosen. I don't have 60D, but on some models I found AI Focus to cause noticeable delays. This really isn't an separate AF mode at all... it's automation where the camera is supposed to determine if the subject is moving or not, then switch to the correct focus mode: AI Servo (for moving subjects) or One Shot (for stationary). AI Focus seems to cause a delay while the camera is "thinking about" what to use. It also sometimes chooses wrong, in my experience... or it fails to switch modes properly when a subject starts or stops moving. It is better to select the correct mode for yourself. AF performance is faster and I see a lot fewer focus errors.

BTW, if you use some of the "super auto" modes like "A+" or "portrait", "macro", "scenic", "sports" scene modes... those may not allow you to choose your focus mode. They do much more than just automating exposure. They also prevent you using Exposure Compensation, don't allow you to select your own AF mode, won't let you use a single AF point and force you to use the less precise "all points/auto", even may cause the built in flash to operate and will only let you save JPEGs... and more! Essentially, they are "point n shoot" modes that prevent you from taking advantage of a lot of your DSLR's capabilities. "A+" is the most highly automated, but the others are pretty restrictive, too.

"Av", "Tv", and "P" (as well as M with Auto ISO on some models) all give auto exposure, but leave the other settings of the camera up to you. They also can be fine tuned with Exposure Compensation.

It's also possible to speed up AF in low light conditions by using the "Focus Assist" feature on some flashes (and the ST-E2 flash controller module). This projects a near infrared "grid" onto nearby subjects, aiding the AF's effort to focus. 60D might have similar Focus Assist with it's built-in flash, too... However those use a rather obnoxious and intrusive white light "strobing" of the flash to help AF.

Speaking of which... are you using flash? If so, shooting may be delayed waiting for the flash to recycle. This is particularly slow with the built-in flashes (which are wimpy and low powered, in the worst possible place for redeye problems, and also draw heavily on the camera's battery). Accessory flash can also cause a delay while recycling, but they do so much faster and cause shorter delay than the built-ins (accessory flash are also more powerful, can be positioned on a bracket to significantly reduce redeye, and have their own power supply so don't draw down the camera's battery).

Another possibility is a slow memory card. If the delay is after a short burst of shots, that's what I'd suspect. It would mean it's taking a while for the camera to clear it's buffer by writing the image files to the memory card. Look up the "write speed" of your memory card(s). SDXC or SDHC "UHS" or "Ultra High Speed" are among the fastest (I am pretty sure 60D is compatible with UHS, but cannot take full advantage of it's increased speed). Some cheaper memory cards might write at only 10 or 15MB per second. Your camera produces approx. 18MP JPEG files (RAW files would be even larger)... so you might expect slower cards to take a couple seconds per image to save an image. The camera's built in memory keeps this from causing delays while shooting up to a certain number of shots... but once that buffer is filled, the camera needs to pause and wait for it to clear before add'l shots can be taken.

Hope this helps!

02Nomad Loc: Catonsville, MD

Just a thought, what is your Image Review set for?Maybe you're just seeing the picture that you just took?

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Amfoto1 has a lot of good information. I had a 60D and never used LiveView for moving objects because it was just too slow. The OP is not clear as to whether the delay is before or after the shutter opens. If before, then the camera needs a lot of time to focus. The camera has only nine focusing spots and with moving objects might be confusing the auto-focus. In that event, select the center auto-focus spot rather than using all of them. I also wonder if you have the mirror set to up.

The best solution is to use the viewfinder which I suspect is not an option for you. If none of this works for you, then I suggest you start planning to buy a new camera. At your age, you might prefer a much smaller and lighter mirrorless camera.

miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida

This is a good camera, but it doesn't have DPAF the latest Canon focusing. I own one also, and when I bought the 70D, the live-view was almost as quick as using the eye piece

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I went from the 60D to the 80D and all I could say is that the 60D was good in its day. Without comparing the 80D to any other of the fine current production models, I find the 80D to be amazing.

I know of a professional photographer who still uses a 40D with an old kit lens. He thinks the pictures are good enough for his customers. My 80D shots from the same event are so far superior to make you wonder what is meant by professional. Do not find yourself in this same trap if you want to do good photography. Having started in 1959, I can tell you that the equipment gets better and better all the time. Why be left behind?

An exception to this is photographers who still use film and print in a darkroom. If they are good printers, then they can print all they want.

rcolmansr60

Very good point. It is doing that. Will check that latter today

Oldfart

rcolmansr60

Thank you. That helped some

Oldfart

rcolmansr60

Thank you for information

Oldfart

rcolmansr60

I prefer the view finder and use that most of the time. Comes more natural for us old people. Just wanted to use live view for kids playing on the floor. Not getting any taller BUT the older I get the further away the floor gets

Oldfart

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I sympathize with you and, of course, you do not want to wait until they are taller so you do not have to bend as much. You may not be here. Remember that you have the articulated screen and that can save on the bending. Otherwise, you will have to crawl around on the floor just like the kids.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Live view is slow on the 60D as well as on any other Canon camera made before they implemented Dual Pixel Auto Focus (DPAF) technology. On newer cameras with DPAF AF in Live View is almost as fast as through the viewfinder.