New OM-D E-M5 Owners' Thread!

[jnewell]

This is another post that really almost deserves its own sticky status!

Originally Posted by DonParrot

Thanks a lot!


C-AF and touchscreen aren't good mates. Using the viewfinder makes following your subjects far easier. And how do you want to follow a subject if you finger is on the screen where it displays the subject?



Thanks for your kind words, hkpzee and captevo. No, it's not hit and miss, it's just a question of adjustments and practicing.

First of all: use the minimised AF field. If your subject is further away and the AF also is filled by other stuff, it can happen that the camera focuses on something that features more and clearer contrast lines.

Next: Due to what I've explained above, forget C-AF tracking as the AF field can't be minimised in this mode. It possibly can be helpful for shooting big moving objects like cars (haven't tested it but it could be) but it's useless for smaller subjects. In C-AF without tracking, it's up to you to keep the SF field on your chosen subject (something that's quite a challenge as the visible AF field disappears in the burst mode as soon as you have pressed the shutter button, so quite a lot of practicing is needed). But it pays off, as you can see. If you succeed in keeping the AF field on the moving subject, the C-AF works rather well.

Next: Use picture mode vivid. It increases the reliability of the C-AF significantly. When I used the camera with the adjustments I was accustomed to from my E-5 and my E-PL3 (natural, sharpness -2, contrast -1, saturation default, noise filter off), the C-AF more often than not didn't even start to 'bite' (don't know the appropriate English word) and so, a series weren't sharp from pic one. In vivid however, ( with the settings saturation and sharpness default, contrast +1), the C-AF proves to work just as reliably as the one of my E-5 (please note: as reliably doesn't mean as fast as. I still doubt if the E-M5's C-AF could cope with the shallow DOF of lenses such as the ZD 50-200 SWD 2.8-3.5, even if it would C-AF at full speed, on the E-M5. But that's another story.).

Next: Enable IS1 and the EVF IS. I know - we all have learned that you mustn't use the IS when shooting action - but that's a lesson of the DSLR days that arguably doesn't apply to the E-M5. Don't ask me why - I could only guess - but the IS and the EVF IS also increase the C-AF performance.

Next: You should switch the EVF picture rate to high. Makes following you subject easier.

You are aware of the fact that the C-AF only works in burst mode L (up to four pics), aren't you?

Next: Use shutter priority with the 75-300. With the 40-150 or 14-150, however, shutter priority off also seems to work fine without reducing the FPS rate significantly.

And finally: forget the DSLR lesson that told you to allow your camera half a second for pre-calculating the speed and direction of the movement of your chosen subject. Well, that proves to be counter productive when it comes to the E-M5. Just aim at your subject, wait for the confirmation beep and shoot immediately.

Good luck!

By the way: the practicing could turn out to be rather frustrating at the beginning as the lack of orientation due to the invisible AF field really tends to make the task of keeping the AF field on your subject really difficult. But don't give up to early. You will be rewarded with great pics.

But for the moments of frustration I'd like to mention that the S-AF of the E-M5 - and the latest PENs too - also is fast enough for action shots. Just aim at your subject and press the shutter button in one go without waiting for the AF confirmation. You will be amazed about the results. You can't shoot series this way (although you will be able to shoot three FPS - but keeping the camera steady is really difficult if you are pressing the shutter button again and again) but at least you will have something to be happy about on your memory card.

Once again: good luck!

And - I nearly forgot: It seems as if the Panny zooms are much better suited for video C-AF - I was told that in this area (I don't shoot videos), they focus more smoothly, with the M.Zuikos tending to pump. But for action stills, the M.Zuikos apparently are better suited. I have tested the E-M5's C-AF with the following tele zooms: M.Zuiko 14-150, 40-150 and 75-300 on the one hand and Lumix 45-200 and 40-175 on the other - and another user in a German forum made a direct comparison with the M.Zuiko 75-300 and the Lumix 100-300. The result: All the M.Zuikos are cooperating clearly better with the C-AF of the E-M5. Even the Lumix 40-175 - that seems to be the µFT AF-speed king in S-AF, to me - is not up to the task of C-AF-ing on the E-M5.
It's rather annoying as it seems to mean that those who do video and action-stills and tend to use the C-AF while shooting video will either have to decide for a priority or have to purchase the respective lenses twice - but that's how it seems to be at this point in time. A video optimised lens isn't ideal for shooting action stills and vice versa.

[rich00]

Just given into the temptation and picked a black OM-D. One thing that I noticed that there isn't a rubber cover over the contacts on the base of the camera. Should this be standard ?

[Linh]

Originally Posted by Sammyboy

This will give you positive centering.
Menu > Gears A > Set Home

this only works if you're out of the smaller AF mode. Right now, if I'm in the 14x zoom frame and want to recenter the 14x zoom frame:

1) exit out of zoom frame af
2) recenter focus to the center point (that is my 'home').
3) acquire focus
4) re-enter zoom frame af, which is now centered

Ideally, I'd like to go straight to home while in zoom frame af. So my question is, is there a better way to do what I just described.

[tohara]

Originally Posted by rich00

Just given into the temptation and picked a black OM-D. One thing that I noticed that there isn't a rubber cover over the contacts on the base of the camera. Should this be standard ?

Yes Rich this cover is standard. From my experience it's difficult to remove. I'm guessing the body you bought was used to demo a grip at some point and they forgot to put it back on. Its probably still in the grip at the store.

[rich00]

Originally Posted by tohara

Yes Rich this cover is standard. From my experience it's difficult to remove. I'm guessing the body you bought was used to demo a grip at some point and they forgot to put it back on. Its probably still in the grip at the store.

Um ok Thanks.. Thought it was standard. How can i check to see how many clicks on the camera... There was no protective film on the LCD either.. Would have liked an untouched camera

[Sammyboy]

Originally Posted by Linh

this only works if you're out of the smaller AF mode. Right now, if I'm in the 14x zoom frame and want to recenter the 14x zoom frame:

1) exit out of zoom frame af
2) recenter focus to the center point (that is my 'home').
3) acquire focus
4) re-enter zoom frame af, which is now centered

Ideally, I'd like to go straight to home while in zoom frame af. So my question is, is there a better way to do what I just described.

I don't know how you set-up your camera, and I don't know why you are moving the small AF box away from the home position. Actually, I don't why you are using the magnify mode while in AF. If you have the Fn1 button set to digital teleconverter, you can magnify to 2x if you need to manually focus, provided you have S-AF + MF selected. You can very easily change from the small AF box to the large AF box by pressing OK then pressing Fn1, this gives you 2x. Pressing Fn2 will give you the large box, - or - pressing Fn1 then Fn2 to get the small box. This is much more difficult to explain than to do with the camera.

[jnewell]

Originally Posted by rich00

Um ok Thanks.. Thought it was standard. How can i check to see how many clicks on the camera... There was no protective film on the LCD either.. Would have liked an untouched camera

Here: Olympus Diagnostic Info | Sans Mirror — mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras | Thom Hogan

[dcisive]

I never buy a new product when it's not directly from the factory untouched. Indeed the camera comes with a protective sheet across the screen that needs to be removed. The rubber protection piece on the bottom most certainly has to be there and is new out of the box. You got hosed.

[Linh]

Originally Posted by Sammyboy

I don't know how you set-up your camera, and I don't know why you are moving the small AF box away from the home position. Actually, I don't why you are using the magnify mode while in AF. If you have the Fn1 button set to digital teleconverter, you can magnify to 2x if you need to manually focus, provided you have S-AF + MF selected. You can very easily change from the small AF box to the large AF box by pressing OK then pressing Fn1, this gives you 2x. Pressing Fn2 will give you the large box, - or - pressing Fn1 then Fn2 to get the small box. This is much more difficult to explain than to do with the camera.

I have the small box away from home because I'm picking a point to focus on (versus focus and recompose). The normal AF boxes for oly only go down so small and I noticed I had a few misfocuses because of it. Panasonic, for example, goes down to a single point on the screen.

The closest I can do this is use zoom AF mode to get a smaller AF box. I'm not actually using MF, just trying to get the tiny af box.

[chrism_scotland]

Well I received an OM-D today after a trade for my Fuji X-Pro 1 and I'm delighted with it so far!
Nice to be back with a Micro 4/3 camera and I can tell I'm going to love using the OM-D!