E-330 Focusing Issue

[Reefwalker]

Back some time ago, there were a number of people saying they had trouble focusing with the E-330 DSLR. I had been using the camera since its release and hadn't experienced this problem......... That is until recently.
I was taking photos on a dark dismal day under a dark jetty (pier) and was taking close-up shots of what I thought was a quite contrasty subject, but my E-330 didn't think so - It just wouldn't focus.
It was hunting and then just stopping and not getting focus lock at-all (normally indicated by a red dot on the LCD at the point of focus).
I swam on to another subject and the same thing?
So I checked through all of my major settings on the LCD screen and alas I found a setting that was changed from (my) normal and changed it back......... Took some more pics and problem solved. But heres the tricky bit.
The setting that I had inadvertantly changed was the Metering Mode. Now I didn't think that the metering mode was relevant, since I shoot manual only (u/w), the metering setting (ESP, Centre Weighted, Spot, Hi Spot, Shadow Spot) is only relevant when shooting on an Auto setting that needs a light meter measurement?
When the focusing issue showed up, the metering mode was set in Hi Spot, when I normally have it in ESP.
I have now tested the camera (u/w) in all the metering modes on various subjects and am now convinced that in anything but ESP metering the camera struggles locking focus in dull conditions. In ESP metering it locks focus every time.
Just thought this may help some other users, who may have the metering set to spot or center weighted

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

By shooting manual, you mean exposure modes? That really has nothing to do with the focusing, if so... You don't need the focus lock if manually focusing, if you meant that.

I always shoot spot metered, haven't had an issue yet with any of the Oly dSLRs I own(E1/E330)(owned - E500)

 

[Reefwalker]

I always set the camera in M Mode (Manual) and I select Aperture and Shutter Speed. The camera is set in S-AF (Single Auto Focus) Focus Mode, The AF Frame Selection is set to Auto.
So in these modes Metering Mode should not be relevant, as the camera does not need to assess light levels, but I think that Metering and Auto Focus must be connected in the camera's software. As it definately makes a difference (on my camera anyway).
Try it yourself above water - Find a dullish room at home, find two objects with low contrast and place one at around 0.4 metre from camera, the other at around 3 metres from camera.
Set the camera to S-AF, ESP metering, AF Frame Selection to Auto, M Mode.
Now first try focusing on the close then the further away object , making the Auto focus work back and forth, (try to locate the area with the least contrast in the centre focus circle). The camera should focus lock in a reasonable time - indicated by red dot on LCD at point of focus.
Now using all the other same settings, set the camera's Metering to Spot and try the same close and further focusing. I immediately find the camera hunts for focus longer, sometimes not finding focus at-all.
Now try what I experienced, by using all the above same settings except set the Metering to Spot Shadow (SH). Try the close and further away focusing. I find the camera rarely locks focus at-all now. Which is what I experienced underwater, the difference was so dramatic that after three attempted subjects, I knew my camera well enough to know that it would normally have focused on these subjects in the dull light, so looked for what was wrong and found I had accidently changed the Metering mode to Spot Shadow.
Note: I don't use a focusing light on my E-330 as I find that with 95% of subjects the E-330 focuses quickly without one. Having said this I am currently setting one up on my housing for night/evening/dark cave photography.