My Nikon D60 monitor is dark...no image preview, however, playback for viewing pictures taken works fine. I use the viewfinder for taking pictures, but wonder if I've done something to turn off the monitor when the camera is turned on.

Hi there:
You can view pictures in the folder when connected the camera at pc monitor? but cannot take pictures or movies... the LCD stays blank?
If this answer is yes, could be a problem with the CCD image sensor, if no, your LCD display go to bad and will need replacement.

Check this interesting article about bad CCDs.

Hope this helps; also keep in mind that your feedback is important and I`ll appreciate your time and consideration if you leave some testimonial comment about this answer.

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The D60 won't save pictures anywhere other than the memory card. If you can playback your pictures by pressing the playback button (marked with a right-pointing triangle), then they are saved on the card.

The display on the back is for the menus, reviewing pictures already taken, and shooting information. The D60 works as SLRs have worked for half a century: you use the viewfinder to compose your picture. The LiveView feature is a recent development in digital SLRs. Nikon introduced it into their cameras with the D3 and D300. The D60 is designed as an introductory model and lacks this feature. Sorry if that wasn't the answer you wanted to see, but there it is.

The Nikon D5000 must be set in "Live View" mode before you can use the rear monitor to take photos. There is a button that says "LV" to the right of the LCD screen that sets Live View to on or off.

The D60 works as SLRs have worked for half a century, using the viewfinder to compose photos. Only recent dSLRs provide the Live View capability, allowing you to use the monitor for that purpose. Nikon introduced this feature with the D3 and the D300. Currently, the least-expensive Nikon with this feature is the D5000.

What you're describing is a feature called "live view" (or more accurately "live preview"). It enables the user to treat the LCD like a viewfinder to compose shots just like on any digital compact camera.

Although many newer digital SLR's now have live view, the D60 does not so you cannot achieve what you want. All that the LCD is for is to view photos already taken and to provide camera menus and information in all other modes. Composing the images before pressing the shutter is done solely via the optical viewfinder.

That's normal for the D60. It works the same way SLRs have worked for half a century: you view and compose through the optical viewfinder, then snap the picture. The D60 lacks the Live View feature of more recent dSLRs; the LCD (not LED) display on the back is for menus, settings, and reviewing pictures after you've taken them. It is not for composing and framing your pictures.

The D60 does not have a Live View capability. The monitor is used for shooting info, menus, and image reviews. It cannot be used to display the image while shooting. You must use the viewfinder for that, unless you connect the camera to a computer using the Camera Control Pro software from Nikon.

The shutter remains closed on a DSLR until you take a picture. There is no way to preview an image that does not exist yet.

Being stuck with the tiny viewfinder as earlier cameras had is a good thing. Holding a camera out from your body will give mixed results due to your movements. You will get better results with the traditional method

Sorry, you cannot use the screen for preview of an image before you take it. Since the shutter remains closed until you actually take a picture, there is no way to have an image on the screen before it is captured.