e-pl1 not always AFing

hi

i just bought a new e-pl1 . i've noticed that sometimes (usually at 42mm) the autofocus isn't focusing at all, usually at bad lighting conditions (but not too bad like a room with 75 watt bulb) and from about half a meter distance. what happens is when I press half-way down on the shutter button to focus. The picture comes into focus for a split second and beeps. The lens keeps hunting. Now the picture is out of focus. The lens keeps hunting. Now the picture is back in focus and beeps. Then out of focus. Then in focus. Over and over againit takes a few tries like that to focus. if i use 30 mm or less then it autofocus just fine.

is it normal?

My E-PL1 has issues with autofocus in low light. What I do is set the AF mode to S-AF + MF (autofocus plus manual focus) so I can fine tune the focus manually if needed, and in low light I look for something with a high contrast edge on it for the AF to work with. If I am trying to AF on something low contrast in low light, it has a hard time. Sometimes turning a little extra light onto the subject (like turning a lamp toward it) with remedy this problem.

My Olympus Tough 6000 also has this problem. I think it has something to do with the lack of a focus assist lamp, and probably how Olympus AF works. I have a couple of Kodaks with AF assist lamps and that's the only way they can focus in low light.

Firstly, I do not have E-PL1.

Based on my little experience, your camera does not behave correct.

Normally, after camera acquires focus, it holds it without hunting as long as you keep trigger half pressed. Both cameras I have do focusing that way even in dim light

greenvector said:

hi

i just bought a new e-pl1 . i've noticed that sometimes (usually at 42mm) the autofocus isn't focusing at all, usually at bad lighting conditions (but not too bad like a room with 75 watt bulb) and from about half a meter distance. what happens is when I press half-way down on the shutter button to focus. The picture comes into focus for a split second and beeps. The lens keeps hunting. Now the picture is out of focus. The lens keeps hunting. Now the picture is back in focus and beeps. Then out of focus. Then in focus. Over and over againit takes a few tries like that to focus. if i use 30 mm or less then it autofocus just fine.

is it normal?

Click to expand...

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DSC-R1, DMC-G1(14-45)

With all due respect, I do not think the info in the preceding post (from the person who does not own an E-PL1) is accurate. My E-PL1 behaves similarly to yours in low light, and I am telling you my experience of how to work around this annoyance.

Please read pages 44-45 in the manual where it explains the various focus modes and how they behave. Make sure you aren't on C-AF (continuous focus) which keeps hunting and never settles down. Some of the (preprogrammed) scene modes use C-AF.

S-AF and S-AF + MF are both useful (I like the latter, which allows manual focus after locking the AF)--see p. 44. You can also select the focus target (see p. 45). If it is set to consider all 11 focus targets, the focus may jump around, especially if you have a light finger on the shutter and are not quite depressing it enough to hold the focus lock (half-pressed). I put mine on single target (I like to use the center square) so I can center on my subject, lock the focus and then recompose. I also set my exposure metering on center priority (see p. 47), so I get my exposure and focus at the same time when I am centered on the subject, then recompose.

Chapter 2 of the owner's manual is where all the good info is on how to run the camera. A relatively painless way to use the manual is to download the owner's manual as a PDF from the Olympus website and put it on your computer and use the search window in Acrobat to find topics (such as search for "focus" and it will hit on all the sentences that have anything to do with focus, and this will eventually get you to the information you need).

Why don't Olympus make an focus assist lamp for the hot shoe?
Wouldn't that be a great accessory ? Has it been done for other cameras ?

...or uses the built in flash with strobing to acquire focus (as the canons do). I would surely prefer a lamp, but the pl1 has already a falsh build in, so it would be just a software issue to use it for focusing...

s_grins said:

Firstly, I do not have E-PL1.

Based on my little experience, your camera does not behave correct.

Normally, after camera acquires focus, it holds it without hunting as long as you keep trigger half pressed. Both cameras I have do focusing that way even in dim light

Click to expand...

hi, thx for the reply, the camera doesn't focus at all when it happens. it doesn't lose the focus.

i agree with Mittskitts (thx for the reply btw) , what he said was exactly what i was thinking and it's the same problem indeed.

i don't know if it should be like that though..
and of course i use the s-AF.
thx

Please also check whether you can focus when you move one step further away from the object. You mention that you try to focus on an object around half a meter away. If you are using the kit lens then " Closest focusing distance = 0.25m / 9.84 in.".

Regards

V.

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ParisZuiko
http://www.flickr.com/photos/valentinstarke/

Hi,

If your camera under low light can't focus at all (no beeps and following hunts), I agree with both you and Mittskitts.

greenvector said:

s_grins said:

Firstly, I do not have E-PL1.

Based on my little experience, your camera does not behave correct.

Normally, after camera acquires focus, it holds it without hunting as long as you keep trigger half pressed. Both cameras I have do focusing that way even in dim light

Click to expand...

hi, thx for the reply, the camera doesn't focus at all when it happens. it doesn't lose the focus.

i agree with Mittskitts (thx for the reply btw) , what he said was exactly what i was thinking and it's the same problem indeed.

i don't know if it should be like that though..
and of course i use the s-AF.
thx

Click to expand...

--
DSC-R1, DMC-G1(14-45)