Oly 7070 focus problems on super macro

[fairybasslet]

OK, I understand the AF not working in low light conditions, but yesterday I was taking photos around town and was using super macro to take photos of flowers. I wanted a very narrow DOF for a bunch of lilacs and man, that AF was a piece of crap. It is almost like the damn camera is haunted. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't with no rhyme or reason. I can't figure the thing out. I was shooting manual, except for focus, because I still haven't figured out how to use manual focus.
Anyway, here's the photos. I will not invest in a modeling light for UW shots because it seems like it will be a waste of $ anyhow.

 

[hvulin]

welcome to the club...

5050 was much better!

 

[MissyP]

I'm a few days late reading this thread, but my 8080 has the same problem in Super macro-- very annoying!!! I don't even bother with it now, I just use regular macro...
I wonder if the newer Olympus cameras have the "super macro non-focusing" issues corrected....

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Never had a problem with the C5060, are you spot metering?

 

[fairybasslet]

Never had a problem with the C5060, are you spot metering?

Hmmm. I never thought of that. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

I might have been use ESP or center-weighted. I can't really remember

 

[gert7to3]

Along with metering, isn't there a control for focusing as well? IE; center, area, etc.? Focusing issues in super macro mode have been mentioned among many of the recent Oly cameras
(7070, 8080, SP-350).

If you choose manual focusing, then you will likely be limited to few preset distances. It will be necessary to "focus" by moving the camera towards or away from the subject. The depth of field in this instance is determined by your aperture ("f" stop). A wide aperture (f2.8, f3.0 etc.) will give you a focused image at the focal plane and a blurred image away from the focal plane. Topside this is fairly easy to accomplish with a tripod or monopod. Underwater it might not work well unless you are braced against something or sitting on the bottom and your subject is stationary.

 

[Larry C]

Agree, on all counts. I do pretty well on S-macro topside, with spot focus in good light. Underwater, I get about one out of five. Since macro doesn't really work inside 10", when I'm doing super macros underwater I shoot 8 or 10 of the same shot and hope at least one comes out. Usually, I get 2 or 3 that are usable. What's really frustrating is that 90% of the time, I get perfect focus on the first half squeeze, but then the lens hunts in and out until it's a complete blur. I do wish they'd come up with a firmware solution to that one.

 

[fairybasslet]

You know, even shooting outside, if a cloud goes over the sun, the damn camera thinks it is still too dark to focus. Then the sun comes out and it can focus. I don't get it. Shade is too dark for the thing? How pathetic is that. I might sell this rig and get something new.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Shade can be too dark if its trying to focus on something in particular that isn't being exposed correctly... Shade blocks alot of light, you often have to open up several stops of exposure to compensate.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

I have been shooting the 7070 in SMacro with no problems. That is, only after I switched to spot metering, of course.