Shooting through the viewfinder is the standard way of shooting. Shooting through the LCD on the back is called Live View and it is mostly just for shooting video although photographers sometimes use it on a tripod to do critical manual focus or a few other uses.
Live View behaves differently than standard shooting so read your manual to be sure you are doing it correctly and not shooting video or something. It als focuses poorly so perhaps it won't fire because it is struggling to focus.
If you are used to point and shoot compact cameras without viewfinders, or phone cameras, you really need to break the old habit of shooting with the LCD and get used to using the viewfinder.
The camera will focus faster with the viewfinder. You will hold the camera steadier with the viewfinder braced against your head than you can possibly hold it steady out at arms length. You can track moving things much better with your eye to the viewfinder. You will tire less easily. And when you use big lenses there will be no way to hold the camera and lens out away from your face and effectively compose your shots while twisting the zoom, etc.
Scott
Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites
Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?
