Record Your Viewfinder While Taking Photos
How to record your camera’s live view feed while shooting stills, for better tutorials, BTS content, and teaching
You’ve seen it: a photographer shooting stills with a mysterious box mounted on their camera.
Are they recording video and photos at the same time?
Most of the time, they’re not recording “video + photos at the same time.”
They’re recording the camera’s live view feed (screen/EVF output) through HDMI, while still shooting photos normally.
That’s why viewers can see the exact decision-making: focus box, exposure changes, zebras, peaking, missed shots, keepers, and the moment the shutter fires.
Still choosing a system? Here’s my DSLR vs mirrorless breakdown.
What the “box” usually is
It’s typically one of these:
An external monitor-recorder (records HDMI input to a video file), like the Atomos Ninja V
A phone-based HDMI adapter that turns your phone into a monitor/recorder, like the Accsoon SeeMo
In both cases, the flow is simple:
Camera HDMI out
Recorder/Adapter
Records the live view feed
3 ways creators capture POV while shooting photos
1. External monitor-recorder
This is the classic “box on top” setup.
Why creators use it
Most reliable for longer shoots
A bigger screen helps with focus and exposure
Records directly from the HDMI input to edit-friendly formats
Tradeoffs
Bulk and weight
Batteries, media, mounts, cable management (common adds: NP-F970 batteries, SSD like Samsung T7, cold shoe mount)
2. Phone as the recorder (lightest kit)
A small HDMI-to-phone adapter uses your phone as the screen and recorder.
Why creators use it
Minimal kit
Easy for travel
Fast POV clips for short-form
Tradeoffs
App-based workflow
Cable strain and connection stability matter more
3. Second-angle camera (great story, not true POV)
An action cam or a small camera aimed at your camera.
This is useful for “vibes” and context, but it is not the viewfinder feed.
The setup checklist (built to avoid the usual failures)
Step 1: Confirm HDMI live view works in photo mode
Most mirrorless cameras can output live view via HDMI. Some behave differently between photo mode and video mode.
Quick test: plug in, hit live view, record 10 seconds, playback.
Step 2: Decide what you want to record
You have two outputs:
Clean feed: image only
Overlay feed: focus box + exposure tools + settings (best for teaching)
The key gotcha: some cameras limit overlays over HDMI, especially in photo mode. If overlays vanish, your camera may only output clean or only output overlays in certain modes.
Step 3: Set stable HDMI output settings
This avoids dropouts and lag.
Resolution: 1080p is usually enough for POV “screen capture”
Frame rate: 24/30/60 based on your content style
If you get lag or flicker, drop output resolution or simplify overlays
Step 4: Lock the cable and mount (this is what saves shoots)
Most failures are physical, not technical.
Use a short HDMI cable (example: Kondor Blue Micro HDMI to HDMI)
Add strain relief (clamp, cage, or simple tether. Example: SmallRig HDMI Cable Clamp). If you use a cage: SmallRig camera cage + clamp
Mount so the recorder doesn’t block camera buttons
Route the cable away from your shutter hand
If you want a “pro workflow” angle, my Photography studio setup guide can help.
Step 5: Power plan
Recorders and phones drain faster than expected.
Bring more power than you think you need
If your setup allows it, use external power (example: Anker PowerBank USB-C)
Step 6: Audio choice (optional)
If your POV clip is mostly educational overlays, scratch audio can be enough.
If you want a clean voice, plan it intentionally.
Step 7: Do a “menu test” before you shoot
One more common failure: your recorder captures menus because the camera mirrors the display output.
Do this once:
Hit record
Open your camera menu
Confirm what shows up in the recording
Then adjust the HDMI display settings so you record live view only.
Common gear choices
Atomos Ninja series (compact monitor-recorders)
Blackmagic Video Assist (HD/HDR options)
Accsoon SeeMo (phone-based adapter)
For the detailed “which model for your camera” breakdowns, see the paid playbook below.
This is the same mindset as my post on essential photography gadgets.
Paid subscribers only: If you want this to work every time, the free guide is not the missing piece.
The real pain happens on location:
HDMI feed fails, and you burn 30 minutes troubleshooting
Wrong cable type
Menus get recorded
Overlays disappear
The battery dies halfway through the shoot
Rig blocks camera controls
In the paid section, you get the repeatable system that prevents all of that, including the POV Capture Kit Builder (Excel).
It tells you what to buy, how to set it up, and what to check before you shoot:
A fill-in kit + settings workbook that flags missing essentials automatically
A troubleshooting decision flow you can follow under pressure
Done-for-you kit builds by camera, HDMI type, and creator goal
A one-page field checklist you can print and keep in your bag