Olympus OM-D E-M5, E-M1, E-M10 - Mk1, Mk2 & Mk3 Owners Thread

Received my 75-300 last week and obviously with the current situation not had a great deal of opportunity to try it out. I do take it with me when the missus and I walk the dog and have managed a few test shots.

So, if I thought my technique was bad with the 45-175mm then its absolutely atrocious with the 75-300. Much respect for you lot that photo BiF with long zooms, I don't know how you do it. This is the best of my attempts so far

Rook in flight by Steve Vickers, on Flickr

Of course, those kind enough to sit and pose are much easier :) Haven't got a clue what bird this is

Untitled by Steve Vickers, on Flickr

Obviously I can identify this one :)

Untitled by Steve Vickers, on Flickr
 
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jakeblu said:
Received my 75-300 last week and obviously with the current situation not had a great deal of opportunity to try it out. I do take it with me when the missus and I walk the dog and have managed a few test shots.

So, if I thought my technique was bad with the 45-175mm then its absolutely atrocious with the 75-300. Much respect for you lot that photo BiF with long zooms, I don't know how you do it.
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Whats the problem, keeping them in the viewfinder?
 
As Pete says it may be your technique ,but more than likely it will be down to a few menu adjustments to make it easier . The main problem I found when I first used mine for b.i.f was the viewfinder blacking out between shots .i cured that by making the e.v.f constantly on .so basically you can track a bird in flight and Take a burst without the screen losing it as it moves across .
 
Pete B said:
Whats the problem, keeping them in the viewfinder?
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Not so much keeping them in the viewfinder, but keeping them in the middle, I have the centre point focus set. Of course I do sometimes lose them completely and have to take my eye off the EVF and check where the bird has gone. I know its a technique thing, I don't do a lot of BiF but I would like to get better at it.
the black fox said:
As Pete says it may be your technique ,but more than likely it will be down to a few menu adjustments to make it easier . The main problem I found when I first used mine for b.i.f was the viewfinder blacking out between shots .i cured that by making the e.v.f constantly on .so basically you can track a bird in flight and Take a burst without the screen losing it as it moves across .
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Had to quickly check today and the EVF flickers at each shot, but I don't really lose sight of the subject. Upon saying that I was practicing on a stationary bird.
 
jakeblu said:
Not so much keeping them in the viewfinder, but keeping them in the middle, I have the centre point focus set. Of course I do sometimes lose them completely and have to take my eye off the EVF and check where the bird has gone. I know its a technique thing, I don't do a lot of BiF but I would like to get better at it.

Had to quickly check today and the EVF flickers at each shot, but I don't really lose sight of the subject. Upon saying that I was practicing on a stationary bird.
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Somebody who does more of this stuff will offer some better advice but my own limited experience would suggest that centre point AF is going to be tricky for BIF. You could certainly experiment with using an AF group and see if it makes it any easier, particularly if your background is uncluttered.
 
Er I tend to use only the single point or even the micro point for tracking b.i.f .. unless you have a totally clear blue sky even a cloud can throw focus with multi point jumping around the screen . The lenses are light enough to allow for hand held tracking with single point .i also find that practice helps so a few slices of bread can usually bring in some gulls to practise on
 
the black fox said:
Er I tend to use only the single point or even the micro point for tracking b.i.f .. unless you have a totally clear blue sky even a cloud can throw focus with multi point jumping around the screen . The lenses are light enough to allow for hand held tracking with single point .i also find that practice helps so a few slices of bread can usually bring in some gulls to practise on
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Interesting. I wonder if this is partly down to me often using shorter lenses (150mm generally) than some of you bird people. Target is much smaller in the frame and a bugger to keep centre spot on. At least, with my shabby technique!
 
first attempt at focus stacking with the new 60mm macro , pleased with the results so far will now start to seek out other subjects . cant believe how versatile this system really is . thought it would be complicated took less than five minutes to set up in fact .natural light only for this one
first blood by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
the black fox said:
first attempt at focus stacking with the new 60mm macro , pleased with the results so far will now start to seek out other subjects . cant believe how versatile this system really is . thought it would be complicated took less than five minutes to set up in fact .natural light only for this one



first blood by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
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Well Done
 
pretty well got this focus stacking cracked with this rig . if I had known it was this easy I would have done it a long time ago .pair of nutcrackers at a diagonal below .. hoping to see if it can be done on live insects next ..if I can find any
nutcracker sweet by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
the black fox said:
pretty well got this focus stacking cracked with this rig . if I had known it was this easy I would have done it a long time ago .pair of nutcrackers at a diagonal below .. hoping to see if it can be done on live insects next ..if I can find any
nutcracker sweet by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
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.... That's really excellent Jeff! Handheld? Please tell us more about how you shot it!

I haven't used Focus Stacking yet on my M1X but it's one of many Olympus features which swayed me away from my beloved Canon. I shall be using it on dragonflies whenever possible I reckon.

Meanwhile I may have bought a third Olympus camera but you'll never guess which one!
 
the black fox said:
pretty well got this focus stacking cracked with this rig . if I had known it was this easy I would have done it a long time ago .pair of nutcrackers at a diagonal below .. hoping to see if it can be done on live insects next ..if I can find any
nutcracker sweet by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
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That's excellent.
I paid a visit to our local botanical gardens not long before lockdown and had my first go at in camera focus stacking. Below is my attempt - cork on the tree. Not a great pic but I was just trying to see how it would do. Hand held and rubbish light - it started raining just after.

My settings were a bit random, but it seemed to work very well. What did you use for your nutcrackers?
20200312-BCO30580.jpg
 
the black fox said:
pretty well got this focus stacking cracked with this rig . if I had known it was this easy I would have done it a long time ago .pair of nutcrackers at a diagonal below .. hoping to see if it can be done on live insects next ..if I can find any
nutcracker sweet by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Looks good Jeff, so am I right that this is all done in camera from one shot?
Think I'm getting it mixed up with focus bracketing where a number of frames are sorted in post production.
My Lumix seems to have both options and can use my daughters 60mm Macro to try it out with
 
Could I ask for some advice?
I bought a MC-20 Teleconverter from E-Infinity 5 months ago, tested it at the time - it worked perfectly.
Yesterday, for the first time since then, I tried it with both my 40-150mm and 300mm Pro lenses, and it will not communicate with either my E M1ii or Panasonic G9. I simply get the message "please check the status of a lens" in the rear lcd. It has been stored in its own pouch in a camera bag in a spare, centrally heated bedroom.
This morning a tried cleaning the contacts with a damp cotton bud - for 30 seconds I got a picture in the rear lcd and viewfinder, but it would not focus. Since then all I get is the same error message.
I've sent an email to Olympus UK asking for advice (e-infinity have said if I get it fixed they will pick up the tab).

Has anyone had a similar problem, or have any suggestions or ideas on a likely fix?
Thanks.
 
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Hi Malfis

Just a thought is the firmware up to date on both cameras and the lenses I think the last update for the 300mm was June 2019 firmware 1.5 for the 40-150 firmware 1.3 sorry I cannot offer any other suggestion
 
tijuana taxi said:
Looks good Jeff, so am I right that this is all done in camera from one shot?
Think I'm getting it mixed up with focus bracketing where a number of frames are sorted in post production.
My Lumix seems to have both options and can use my daughters 60mm Macro to try it out with
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yes all done in camera .if there is any movement in camera or subject it fails to take the sequence so looks like hand held is out the window unless someone knows different .. you have to access the settings via focus bracketing and once set simply turn on off by turning F/B on and off
 
the black fox said:
yes all done in camera .if there is any movement in camera or subject it fails to take the sequence so looks like hand held is out the window unless someone knows different .. you have to access the settings via focus bracketing and once set simply turn on off by turning F/B on and off
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My image of the cork was hand held on quite a windy day. .

I'm not sure if you spotted but I also asked what settings you used to get the nutcrackers? Mine was 15 shots with a focus differential of 4.
 
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Malfis said:
Could I ask for some advice?
I bought a MC-20 Teleconverter from E-Infinity 5 months ago, tested it at the time - it worked perfectly.
Yesterday, for the first time since then, I tried it with both my 40-150mm and 300mm Pro lenses, and it will not communicate with either my E M1ii or Panasonic G9. I simply get the message "please check the status of a lens" in the rear lcd. It has been stored in its own pouch in a camera bag in a spare, centrally heated bedroom.
This morning a tried cleaning the contacts with a damp cotton bud - for 30 seconds I got a picture in the rear lcd and viewfinder, but it would not focus. Since then all I get is the same error message.
I've sent an email to Olympus UK asking for advice (e-infinity have said if I get it fixed they will pick up the tab).

Has anyone had a similar problem, or have any suggestions or ideas on a likely fix?
Thanks.
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.... Like @mazdaman terry suggests, firmware mismatching is the most likely cause I reckon. But I have not had the same experience because I keep my bodies up to date. OlympusUK support phone line is not attended due to the wretched Cvirus but an email will receive their attention even if their response is slower than usual.

mazdaman said:
Hi Malfis
Just a thought is the firmware up to date on both cameras and the lenses I think the last update for the 300mm was June 2019 firmware 1.5 for the 40-150 firmware 1.3 sorry I cannot offer any other suggestion
Click to expand...
 
the black fox said:
yes all done in camera .if there is any movement in camera or subject it fails to take the sequence so looks like hand held is out the window unless someone knows different .. you have to access the settings via focus bracketing and once set simply turn on off by turning F/B on and off
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeff, might have a play around with the various functions.
 
mazdaman said:
Hi Malfis

Just a thought is the firmware up to date on both cameras and the lenses I think the last update for the 300mm was June 2019 firmware 1.5 for the 40-150 firmware 1.3 sorry I cannot offer any other suggestion
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RedRobin said:
.... Like @mazdaman terry suggests, firmware mismatching is the most likely cause I reckon. But I have not had the same experience because I keep my bodies up to date. OlympusUK support phone line is not attended due to the wretched Cvirus but an email will receive their attention even if their response is slower than usual.
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Thank you Gentlemen - you were quite correct.
My 300mm Pro was up to date, the 40-150mm Pro was not (must have somehow missed it!)
Update carried out, another cotton bud clean - they both work perfectly.

Many thanks for your input.
 
the black fox said:
yes all done in camera .if there is any movement in camera or subject it fails to take the sequence so looks like hand held is out the window unless someone knows different .. you have to access the settings via focus bracketing and once set simply turn on off by turning F/B on and off
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.... Obviously tripod mounted focus stacking will offer the best results but on some Olympus bodies such as the M1X (and TG-6), focus stacking can be done handheld and out in the field when shooting mini-beasts this will be more practical for me. Bring on the mini-beasts so I can try it.

https://smallsensorphotography.com/handheld-macro-focus-stacking

^ ^ ^ Looks promising!
 
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Bebop said:
My image of the cork was hand held on quite a windy day. .

I'm not sure if you spotted but I also asked what settings you used to get the nutcrackers? Mine was 15 shots with a focus differential of 4.
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Mine are 8 plus a differential of 5 ,wonder if something in your settings allows hand held or if your steadier on your feet than me
 
the black fox said:
Mine are 8 plus a differential of 5 ,wonder if something in your settings allows hand held or if your steadier on your feet than me
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.... I don't think you have to select a Menu setting for handheld, you just make sure all your IS and IBIS is switched on and then just shoot with a fast shutter speed as you would for a live subject anyway. Perhaps I should go into my garden and try it but I'm actually busy indoors today in spite of house arrest (which doesn't bother me).
 
RedRobin said:
.... Obviously tripod mounted focus stacking will offer the best results but on some Olympus bodies such as the M1X (and TG-6), focus stacking can be done handheld and out in the field when shooting mini-beasts this will be more practical for me. Bring on the mini-beasts so I can try it.

https://smallsensorphotography.com/handheld-macro-focus-stacking

^ ^ ^ Looks promising!
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Yes he does say that he uses a 15 shot stack robin which ties in with bo’s remarks above AND he also states he uses supports at times .will have another play after changing settings

update just changed settings shot at 1000th sec at f2.8 and with a bit of wind and still not recording any subject movement seems to stop the process . will however not give up on it as it may work under better conditions hand held . . for your info robin IBIS is always on with a olympus lens

second update ,, yes it does work went into a sheltered part of the garden and it does work handheld ,obviously wind and motion are the enemies here so hand held focus stacked insects should easily be achievable in the summer shot in manual mode shutter speed at 1/1250th sec at f 5 summer will allow higher settings to so its worth playing now to get it right
 
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the black fox said:
Mine are 8 plus a differential of 5 ,wonder if something in your settings allows hand held or if your steadier on your feet than me
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Thanks. I think I had seen something somewhere where they suggested 15 shots, but I was groping in the dark really for settings at the time, and although it's not a great subject, I was impressed with the depth of field I got. Obviously having a tripod would be best.
 
here ya go not perfect the wind finally died so cherry blossom hand held focus stacked 8 and 5 . pleased enough for now.little bit of movement visible on the top buds
cherry blossom time by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
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jakeblu said:
Still practicing. A bit more feather detail in this one

Rook by Steve Vickers, on Flickr
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.... You captured a great shape there Steve. And, without any pixel-peeping, it looks sharp.

If you shot this RAW you should be able to pull out some of the detail in the shadows. Experiment but don't overdo it - An image always wants to end up looking natural and not over processed (like over cooking!).
 
the black fox said:
more focus stacking . think im getting better day on day
clusters by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr


purple rain by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
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.... Practice makes perfect! But personally I dislike solid black backgrounds (also on flash photography) although it works well enough with the 'clusters' image imo.

Is there any way to avoid solid black backgrounds when photo stacking? < Apart from creating a separate layer for the background only, which could get mighty tedious with some images.

I'm a big Prince fan, Jeff, so more purple please! Was watching his live music vids at 2am this morning. He is a much loved and missed music genius.
 
its just a backing card robin ,its a bit hard trying to source other colours at the moment I'm afraid but I might pop down the pound shop in a bit for a look
 
the black fox said:
its just a backing card robin ,its a bit hard trying to source other colours at the moment I'm afraid but I might pop down the pound shop in a bit for a look
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.... Oh that's good to know Jeff - I feared it might be something which the onboard Oly Focus Stacking introduced. I should try it out myself but I am extraordinarily busy which is quite surprising considering we are under house arrest - However, my daily lifestyle especially at weekends isn't effected in the slightest as I always avoid going out at weekends dare I say, I avoid them like the plague!

Btw, I don't think that 'pound shops' are open due to not offering essential goods.
 
RedRobin said:
.... Oh that's good to know Jeff - I feared it might be something which the onboard Oly Focus Stacking introduced. I should try it out myself but I am extraordinarily busy which is quite surprising considering we are under house arrest - However, my daily lifestyle especially at weekends isn't effected in the slightest as I always avoid going out at weekends dare I say, I avoid them like the plague!
Btw, I don't think that 'pound shops' are open due to not offering essential goods.
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