Now wouldn't that be nice, a beautiful circular, diagonal split image, focusing screen.
With or without microprism, it's your choice.

When manual focusing I can't seem to get on with magnifying the center section, especially when hand held.
As I press the button I'm never sure if it's in focus or not or if the framing is as intended.

Even with a tripod I find I'm turing the ring going back-and-forth-back-and-forth-back-and-forth.

I can't recall having such manual focusing problems with my Nikons of old with their beautiful split images.

Even the Nikons of today have left and right arrows and a green dot that lights up when focus is achieved.

Why is m4/3 lacking in this respect......OR is it me, I have a E-M5 and a GH2.

Anyone else have MF problems, I find it worse when doing close-up/macro shots.

MF without an indicator, green dot, or snap-in/snap-out is very subjective I find.

Suggestions welcome.

If you have Fn1 set to digital-teleconverter, it's a piece of cake. Just toggle the Fn1 button to get 2x magnification, without taking your eye from the viewfinder.

Are you using the EVF? That really makes a big difference.

What magnification level are you using? By the sound of your description, it sounds to me like you're using an Olympus camera with Manual Focus Assist on a native (4/3 or m4/3) lens? If I'm correct in that assumption, then you can change the magnification level by entering the Magnifier tool and pressing INFO. That magnification will be saved for when you use MF Assist with a native lens as well. It sounds like you could be magnifying in too close and losing track of things.

*EDIT: Just realized you said you have the E-M5 and GH2... So that info will apply to the E-M5.

The closest thing to a split image you'll find in a digital non-reflex system would be focus peaking. Unfortunately, that hasn't made its way into any Micro Four-Thirds bodies yet.

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Alternatively, magnification can be changed by turning the menu wheel (at least on PEN PL3), even within Manual Focus Assist.

m43 cameras focus based on contrast. I wonder if a camera can notice 'how far' it is out of focus based on contrast alone. It works very differently for optical split screen of SLR and phase detect AF of DSLR.

Imho peaking is more useful and easier to implement. But since those greedy bastards from Olympus and Panasonic really want you to buy only native lenses it's unlikely that there'll be any improvements in manual focus department anytime soon.

I don't know how this would work, unless it compared the level of contrast against some kind of threshold value which I assume (???) is how focus peaking works. This wouldn't guarantee total accuracy in a high contrast scene nor give any indication of focus whatsoever in a low contrast scene.

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Nic
E-M5, GH1
Flickr Photostream
>> Insert quote here <<

Many thanks for the info guys, yes, my magnification is to high.

If you have Fn1 set to digital-teleconverter, it's a piece of cake. Just toggle the Fn1 button to get 2x magnification, without taking your eye from the viewfinder.

Thanks Sammy, I tried that but it takes the picture at 2x magnification as well, MF Assist does not.

Hence 'toggle'. Turn it on, focus, turn it off, expose.

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EOS: 5DII, 30DIR, 24-105L, 35L, 135L, 15/2.8 FE, Σ 50/1.4, Σ 105/2.8 macro
Mu43: GF2, E-M5, P14/2.5, P20/1.7, O45/1.8, P7-14, O12-50, P12-35, P100-300
Legacy: Contax Zeiss 50/1.4, 35/2.8, Leica R 50/2.0, 28/2.8, Pentax 50/1.7

Do you honestly expect it to stay in focus when 'toggled' to off.

Hand held no-way, tripod I even have my doubts.

Unless you're close focusing using really large apertures, then yes.