E-M5. Who turns off the focus assist light?

[Tonygamble]

Several times in my reading of M5 users I see them instantly turning off the red light.

They say that the camera does not need it and the benefit of not alerting subject that they are about to be photographed is worth any slowness of focussing.

As they say in exam papers. "Discuss"

Tony

 

[mmbma]

i tried it and noticed the camera slowed down in dim light, where it lacks contrast.

 

[marlof]

I turned it off. Shining a light in the eyes of my subjects doesn't improve my photography. Slowing down the autofocus doesn't hurt as much.

 

[Godfrey]

I turn off all artificial sounds, lights, noises, etc that any camera makes by default. I only turn on such things when I find I need them.

An AF assist light in a dim room is a horrendous way to take candid photos. Focus by scale or figure some other way to get the focus right if the AF system can't handle it. It gets in the way.

The AF assist light is useful when it's not in the way. That's when I turn it on.

G

 

[Maggie O]

I turned it off. Shining a light in the eyes of my subjects doesn't improve my photography. Slowing down the autofocus doesn't hurt as much.

I turn off all artificial sounds, lights, noises, etc that any camera makes by default. I only turn on such things when I find I need them.

An AF assist light in a dim room is a horrendous way to take candid photos. Focus by scale or figure some other way to get the focus right if the AF system can't handle it. It gets in the way.

The AF assist light is useful when it's not in the way. That's when I turn it on.

G

That's pretty much my thinking and how I shoot with it.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I turn off all artificial sounds, lights, noises, etc that any camera makes by default. I only turn on such things when I find I need them.

An AF assist light in a dim room is a horrendous way to take candid photos. Focus by scale or figure some other way to get the focus right if the AF system can't handle it. It gets in the way.

The AF assist light is useful when it's not in the way. That's when I turn it on.

G

+ one million

I do use the focus confirm "beep" during fast paced portrait photography at crowded events though.

 

[Godfrey]

+ one million

I do use the focus confirm "beep" during fast paced portrait photography at crowded events though.

I found that I needed to turn on the shutter release sound to "low" on the X2 ... when outdoors or in any noisy environment, I simply couldn't tell whether the camera had made the exposure otherwise without turning on Auto Review.

G