no fun with OMD AF

[Paratom]

I like the handling of the OMD, and the color, and the IQ, but I have problems with the large AF-point-size when using faster lenses.
The "focus on eye"-face recognition setting does NOT work reliable in my experience.
Just returned from 10 day winter vacation and the OMD with 12-35 and 35-100 and got just too many images which were just slightly out of focus.
For me quite disappointing.
For comparison the Nex or Leica X1/X2 have much smaller AF-points which allow much better to focus on a face or on an eye.
I feel to have so much more control with a 5DIII to focus where I want to focus.
Not only are the focus points much smaller, I can also see much better if the subject is in focus or not.
I could use manual focus with the OMD with magnification-but I dont like that because it makes framing difficult for non-static subjects.
AM I doing something wrong???
Are there others who have the same problem?

 

[Hosermage]

This info is probably few months out of date... but I remember when I had the OMD, I always zoom in (or magnify) so the AF area becomes smaller. Then I just leave the window in the center so I can focus-recompose.

 

[dhsimmonds]

I have found the OM-D to have the most accurate AF of any camera that I have ever used. It is far more accurate than any phase detect AF I have used, albeit not so good for fast moving subjects, such as birds in flight.

I have found it's face recognition AF to be excellent, so if you still have problems maybe get it checked out as it's possible that the AF needs adjusting?

 

[Paratom]

I have found the OM-D to have the most accurate AF of any camera that I have ever used. It is far more accurate than any phase detect AF I have used, albeit not so good for fast moving subjects, such as birds in flight.

I have found it's face recognition AF to be excellent, so if you still have problems maybe get it checked out as it's possible that the AF needs adjusting?

Thank you for the answer.
It is indeed accurate as long as focus point is not larger than the subject I want to focus on.
Do you get good results with face recognition at f2.8 and f4.0 in the telerange as well?
I will post some samples.

 

[ptomsu]

I like the handling of the OMD, and the color, and the IQ, but I have problems with the large AF-point-size when using faster lenses.
The "focus on eye"-face recognition setting does NOT work reliable in my experience.
Just returned from 10 day winter vacation and the OMD with 12-35 and 35-100 and got just too many images which were just slightly out of focus.
For me quite disappointing.
For comparison the Nex or Leica X1/X2 have much smaller AF-points which allow much better to focus on a face or on an eye.
I feel to have so much more control with a 5DIII to focus where I want to focus.
Not only are the focus points much smaller, I can also see much better if the subject is in focus or not.
I could use manual focus with the OMD with magnification-but I dont like that because it makes framing difficult for non-static subjects.
AM I doing something wrong???
Are there others who have the same problem?

You can select smaller AF points, albeit it does not store that setting when you switch off the camera - which is driving me nuts.

Having said that, the AF with smaller point is very accurate.

I am not totally happy with face Detection AF, as it obviously chooses some areas of the face it detects, which are not necessarily the eyes.

Continuous AF just sucks on the OMD, lets hope the next model will do that right as well.

 

[Paratom]

Thanks Peter,
I had read that somewhere. I just dont understand why they do not release a firmware to keep the focus point small. This would me a major advantage IMO.
Tom

 

[PeterB666]

This info is probably few months out of date... but I remember when I had the OMD, I always zoom in (or magnify) so the AF area becomes smaller. Then I just leave the window in the center so I can focus-recompose.

I assume after focusing you put it onto manual mode as I don't think you can hold AF and zoom.

Unfortunately you cannot do that either with the 12-50mm lens as it isn't a true zoom but a varifocal lens. It is a technique I use with the 9-18mm.

When shooting people, I find the face detection works well and with most lenses, the AF is fast and accurate. It is even mediocre speed and accurate with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and mediocre speed and reasonable with the Panasonic 45-200mm zoom.

I don't use C-AF - never been a strong point with Olympus cameras.

 

[jonoslack]

Hi There Tom
I understand your pain - Leica M is your friend when skiing!

I'm with Dave though - I think it's the most accurate AF I've ever had.

I have the touch focus enabled, with the focus point at it's smallest - that way, when you get that huge blob, you only have to touch the back of the screen once and you have a small focus point (until you turn it off again of course).

all the best

 

[Annna T]

I like the handling of the OMD, and the color, and the IQ, but I have problems with the large AF-point-size when using faster lenses.
The "focus on eye"-face recognition setting does NOT work reliable in my experience.
Just returned from 10 day winter vacation and the OMD with 12-35 and 35-100 and got just too many images which were just slightly out of focus.
For me quite disappointing.
For comparison the Nex or Leica X1/X2 have much smaller AF-points which allow much better to focus on a face or on an eye.
I feel to have so much more control with a 5DIII to focus where I want to focus.
Not only are the focus points much smaller, I can also see much better if the subject is in focus or not.
I could use manual focus with the OMD with magnification-but I dont like that because it makes framing difficult for non-static subjects.
AM I doing something wrong???
Are there others who have the same problem?

The E-M5 is a quite complicated camera with a lot of features and customizable parameters. The manual is not always so helpful when you want to pick up the best settings for your style of shooting.

One of the best online ressource is Gary Ayton's webpage on how to configure the E-M5 : After general remarks concerning the super control panel, the VF and LCD, he exposes systematically and task by task which are the best settings for what you want to do. Scroll down to the chapter entitled "Optimising focus"

I'm using Mysets (to save a group of options adapted for different tasks and allow quick changing from one set up to the other) and have different configurations for face detection AF and usual SAF.

For general photography, I use SAF, with the AEL/AFL set to mode three and to the Rec button. This allows me to lock focus with the Rec button (easier to access than the Fn1 button) and the Fn2 button set to the magnifier.
- One short pressure on Fn2 shows up the green target for the magnifier, which is also the AF target. You can then move it with the arrows keys. I prefer to keep it on the center point and recompose since the arrows keys are a little fiddly.
- A second short pressure brings you in magnified view. You can then adjust the magnification level up to 14x. Then you get a very small AF target.
- I then use the Rec button to lock focus.
- A long pressure on Fn2 brings you back to your previous display (out of the magnified view).

Once you have positioned the AF/Zoom target, it will be memorized. Each time you activate the Fn2 button, you will find it again at the right size and in the right position. (Center point 14x) in my case. For me now focusing has got really easy : Short pressure on Fn2, point at target, short pressure on the Rec button to lock focus with the small target and one long pressure on Fn2 to return to my previous display.

This doesn't work well with the face detection, because once you see the white target indicating that a face has been discovered, you have to get the lens to focus to that square and focus is only correctly locked once this target becomes green. This is ehy I keep the focus lock on the shutter button instead of the Rec button for face detection (and have a Myset for that). I have found that using my other usual technique quite often by the time I have pressed the Rec button the person is no more in focus.

Also, I don't know how the Panasonic F2.8 zooms work, but some lens will get shuttershock at some critical speeds, producing what looks like misfocused pictures. Those critical speeds change with the lenses used. They are usually between 1/60 and 1/160 sec. You can prevent it using the 1/8sec. antishock. I keep it always on with general photography, but take it off in my face detection Myset.

If you want more help you should show us some example of the focus problems you are getting, with the EXIF info (shutterspeed, aperture, ISO and focal length of the lens used, etc. ) Still subjects ? Or moving subjects ? Which AF used ? Etc...