Setting OMD to spot focus

[Ardy]

Hi All, just returned from a very successful trip to Bali. In setting up the OMD I found I could make the spot focus within the normal center square but could not work out how to make it focus on a small spot (or smaller box) so that I could focus on the eye of stuff.

This was a simple affair in the E-520 I used to have but not so obvious in the OMD-EM5 which I know can do it. Did some googling but not obvious how to make this happen.

Also noticed it would still grab other squares to focus on, what is going on there as I had set focus to centre square only?

Any ideas welcome.

 

[abernat]

Be default, the arrow buttons move the focus point. I turn them off in the menu structure.

 

[ASA400]

Check and make sure you have the face priority disabled. I've found that if it is enabled and there is no face in the image, it tends to search around looking for one. Also, if you are using c-af tracking, it will search around a lot. If you want to use c-af and not have it search, be sure to set to c-af only, not c-af tracking.

As for making the focus spot smaller, I have my fn2 button configured to "magnify". When I touch the fn2 button once, the focus square goes to approximately 1/4 of the original focus spot. If I touch the fn2 button again, it will show me a 16x magnification of the image spot I'm focusing on. When you touch the AF or shutter, the image returns to normal. The focusing spot will stay small until you reset it via the grid. Hope that helps!

 

[watboy]

Underwater settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 - Digital SLRs/Housings - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums

Excellent suggested settings and custom button configuration for the OMD. Includes focusing tips as well.

 

[Ardy]

Check and make sure you have the face priority disabled. I've found that if it is enabled and there is no face in the image, it tends to search around looking for one. Also, if you are using c-af tracking, it will search around a lot. If you want to use c-af and not have it search, be sure to set to c-af only, not c-af tracking.

As for making the focus spot smaller, I have my fn2 button configured to "magnify". When I touch the fn2 button once, the focus square goes to approximately 1/4 of the original focus spot. If I touch the fn2 button again, it will show me a 16x magnification of the image spot I'm focusing on. When you touch the AF or shutter, the image returns to normal. The focusing spot will stay small until you reset it via the grid. Hope that helps!

Thanks ASA400 - I will try F2 to Magnify.

I do not use C-AF and never tried face priority. Any use for either of these underwater?

 

[ASA400]

Ardy,

Face priority is useless underwater, just turn it off. I recently set my m5 to c-af while photographing sea lions in the Sea of Cortez. They move very quickly and the c-af (not c-af tracking) helped, especially since I was using the high fps. Outside of that, I've not used c-af for anything else underwater.