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Re: [OM] The E-M5 has arrived

Subject: Re: [OM] The E-M5 has arrived
From: "Jim Nichols" <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:33:34 -0600
I know the feeling of being overwhelmed, Chuck.  My solution is to pick the 
most useful features, learn them, and forget about the other features that 
you paid for.  Use the manual if they must be activated.  I firmly believe 
that, as I push more details into this old brain, others are pushed out.  It 
works like a maxed out HD. ;~)

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Norcutt" <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Olympus mail list" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2013 12:14 PM
Subject: [OM] The E-M5 has arrived


> The E-M5 has arrived but I am nowhere near figuring out how to use it.
>
> I fully expected the battery to need charging first but was surprised to
> see that it indicated near full charge... or so I thought.  I started
> with some basic setup including setting date and time.  After about an
> hour of fiddling with things the battery symbol turned red indicating
> need for recharging.  I charged it for about 4 hours.  After
> reinstalling the battery I was surprised to see that the date and time
> setting had been lost.
>
> My first thought was something was wrong with the small lithium backup
> battery such as used in my Canon 5D.  A thorough search of the camera
> and manual turned up no such device.  As it turns out the clock is
> maintained only by a capacitor.  That requires that a well charged
> battery has been in the camera for some unstated period of time to
> deliver a charge sufficient to last "about one day".  Clock is now
> working and doesn't get reset if you remove the battery.
>
> The menus are extensive and almost overwhelming but I am finally getting
> a bit more comfortable with them.  I've done some basic setup such as
> getting a grid displayed and enabling many things that were initially
> off just so I can see the functions.  My biggest confusion point at the
> moment is the "super control panel" and variants.  I couldn't even get
> it to display for a long time since the instructions seem to start from
> the default state of the viewfinder/monitor control switch as it comes
> out of the box.  I had apparently pushed that control a few times and it
> took much more reading of the manual before I really understood how it
> was controlled.  And I'm still not 100% sure I completely understand it.
>
> The Canon 5D has a single button dedicated to ISO and drive mode.  After
> pressing that one button you turn one control wheel to change ISO and
> the other control wheel to change drive mode.    The E-M5 has two
> buttons labeled Fn1 and Fn2 which are freely reprogrammable between
> various functions.  I had already reprogrammed those to move the AF
> button off the shutter button and add the missing DoF preview button.
> But I was missing a button for ISO.  I didn't realize at first that the
> video mode button can be reprogrammed in the same way.  If you want to
> shoot video and have reprogrammed that button just switch the mode dial
> to video/movies.  Anyhow the movie button is now something else.
>
> I've moved the buttons around and am not sure whether the assignments
> will move around again.  I wanted the Fn1 button (thumb operated on
> back) to be the focus button but it's partially blocked by the ridge of
> the raised thumb rest and a bit difficult to press.  So right now the
> Fn1 button is depth of field preview, Fn2 (next to the shutter button)
> is the focus button and the movie button is the change ISO button.  The
> X-Y arrow keys can also each be individually reprogrammed to some other
> function but you'd have to give up the ability to move the focus point
> while shooting.
>
> But I have a long, long way yet to go.  I haven't even begun to
> understand manual focus, the touch modes of the screen (when enabled),
> various live view stuff and much, much more.  I just stumbled across the
> fact that it has bluetooth a few minutes ago.  I'm not surprised but I
> hadn't known that until just now.
>
> I'd like to get a small waist belt bag for it but don't know what.  I'd
> like to carry the camera, the two lenses (12-50 & 14-150),  maybe a
> third lens, a flash (probably a T-32 but maybe the Canon 540-EZ) a spare
> battery and some other miscellany.
>
> Carry bag, lighter weight tripod and usage suggestions will be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Things that bug me a bit -
> I'd like to shrink the giant screen in favor of another couple buttons.
> Can't view flashies and histogram at the same time
> Top of shooting histgram is truncated
> Separate colors RGB histograms (plural) only available in review mode.
> Olympus owner's manuals, eg; page 30, 31 show high data content
> viewfinder and monitor displays that I have been totally unable to
> reproduce on my own camera.
>
> Luke warm -
> The 800x600 EVF display is not bad but even I (vs Eagle-eye Moose) can
> see some pixellation.  It blows my Minolta A1 out of the water but it
> will take another generation or two before it's really great.
>
> Things I love
> Both highlight and shadow flashies
> Live preview of exposure and compentation
> Freely moveable focus point over most (but not all) of the screen
> Full time vertical/horizontal leveling bars
> Multiple grid displays
> Body with 14-150 about like carrying an OM-1 with 135/3.5
>
> Chuck Norcutt
> -- 
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> 


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