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E-M5 II settings

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Troels L

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I have decided to jumped ship, and work my way up to much better fotos. Currently I'm a beginner, but everyone has to start somewhere. Hence I will use the E-M5 mark II to improve so when I have learned, I know the camera well.

To start simple, I will be buying only 1-2 primes. I have yet to decide, but it will be properly be Olympus 25mm F1.8 and Panasonic 14mm F2.5.

It will be my first Olympus, and I know the menus and settings give endless possibilities, so I am looking for a good starting point.

Next week I will travel to Stockholm and enjoy the city while learning the camera. I'm not used to manual controls, so I plan on shooting with semi-auto, i.e. mode A or P.

What other settings should I set for the E-M5 II to give reasonable fotos flr a beginner with semi-auto?
 
For what it's worth I've appended my settings. But some background first...

I shoot mainly scenery and birds (while hiking). I like to capture what I see. There's not much that's artistic/photographic in my images. I mainly stick to A-mode. I'm pretty much a full time EVF user with the LCD only being used in tricky situations.

My E-M5 II settings are based on what I used on the E-M5. Unless the situation looks tough, I mainly shoot jpegs and I find the Olympus out-of-camera jpegs are pretty good. I do post-process, mostly contrast, brightness, and saturation. Because I PP I mainly stick to Picture-Mode Natural and sharpness is dialled back a little. The E-M5 settings I use often result in a smidgen of unused area at ends of the histogram, and a little PP can make use of these.

I have one MySet for each kind of shooting (scenery, birds). The MySets are set to override the mode-dial iAuto and Photo-Story. If you have more than a couple of mysets, you should consider keeping a big-font picture of what each myset does in the camera. On the E-M5 I had four: birds, scenery, scenic-bracketing, and negative scanning (Olympus should allow MySets to have names).

I keep a CSV file of all settings so I can easily restore them after a firmware upgrade. I keep a photo of the settings in the camera and the CSV file and manuals in my phone.

I keep ISO, White-Balance, Shooting Rate on the arrows so I can quickly adjust to circumstances. I struggled to find a useful function for the lever, but settled on having it change between single-auto-focus and continuous tracking (it would have been great for switching mysets, but it can't do that).

Mostly I just made adjustments by working my way through the Olympus full manual (not the short printed one that comes in the box). I also bought the e-book The Complete Guide to the Olympus E-M5 II, by Gary Friedman and Tony Phillips and found it useful (but given I already owned an E-M5, perhaps I got less out of it than someone coming in cold). ( https://books.google.com/ebooks/app#reader/HKQ5CgAAQBAJ )

Here's my full list of customisations (using the common conventions for describing the icons such as the Cog icons):
  • Camera 1,Image-Quality-Icon,Still Picture,LF
  • Camera 1,Picture Mode,Mode 3 Natural,Sharpness,-1
  • Cog A,AF Mode,Still Picture,S-AF+MF
  • Cog A,Manual Focus Assist,Peaking,On
  • Cog B,Button Function,Fn1,AEL/AFL
  • Cog B,Button Function,Fn3,View Selection
  • Cog B,4 Arrows Function,Direct Function
  • Cog B,Right Arrow,Dial WB/Dial ISO
  • Cog B,Down Arrow,Sequential Shooting Rate/Self Timer
  • Cog B,Mode Dial Function,Myset1,Photo Story
  • Cog B,Mode Dial Function,Myset2,iAuto
  • Cog B,Lever Function,mode5 (switch AF modes)
  • Cog C,RLS Priority S,Off
  • Cog C,RLS Priority C,Off
  • Cog C,Sequential FPS Image Stabilization,On
  • Cog C,Image Stabilizer,Movie,M-IS 2 (Sensor Shift Only)
  • Cog D,Info Settings,Playback Info,Highlight&Shadow
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom1,Highlights&Shadows
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom1,Level Gauge
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom2,Histogram
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom2,Level Gauge
  • Cog D,Display Grid,Off
  • Cog D,Sleep,1 minute
  • Cog D,Auto Power Off,4 hours
  • Cog D,Sound,Off
  • Cog E,AEL Metering Spot
  • Cog E,Noise Filter,Off
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Copyright Info,On
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Artist Name,Anon
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Copyright Name,Anon ([email protected])
  • Cog I,Wind Noise Reducton,Off
  • Cog K,Quick Sleep Mode,Off
  • Cog J,EVF Auto Switch,Off
  • Spanner,Rec View,Off
  • Myset1,F5.6,ISO 200,Centre Normal Focus Target,iFace,Low Speed Anti Shock
  • Myset2,F8.0,ISO 800,Centre Small Focus Target,Low Speed Anti Shock
I hope I haven't forgotten any, because this is the list I use to restore the camera.

--
----
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaltrails/
 
Last edited:
There is a page on E-M1/10 where much of the info is common to all Olympus bodies, it may be of help in understanding the settings http://www.biofos.com/mft/omd_em1_settings.html

My only bit of added advice is to take raw+jpeg from day 1 even if not intending to use the raw files in the beginning.

Deal with the storage issues up front and be prepared to keep and have backups of your raw+jpeg files forever.

Later as you get more involved then going back to the raw files and creating better or different jpegs from them will be of benefit.

Regards....... Guy
 
mchnz said:
For what it's worth I've appended my settings. But some background first...

I shoot mainly scenery and birds (while hiking). I like to capture what I see. There's not much that's artistic/photographic in my images. I mainly stick to A-mode. I'm pretty much a full time EVF user with the LCD only being used in tricky situations.

My E-M5 II settings are based on what I used on the E-M5. Unless the situation looks tough, I mainly shoot jpegs and I find the Olympus out-of-camera jpegs are pretty good. I do post-process, mostly contrast, brightness, and saturation. Because I PP I mainly stick to Picture-Mode Natural and sharpness is dialled back a little. The E-M5 settings I use often result in a smidgen of unused area at ends of the histogram, and a little PP can make use of these.

I have one MySet for each kind of shooting (scenery, birds). The MySets are set to override the mode-dial iAuto and Photo-Story. If you have more than a couple of mysets, you should consider keeping a big-font picture of what each myset does in the camera. On the E-M5 I had four: birds, scenery, scenic-bracketing, and negative scanning (Olympus should allow MySets to have names).

I keep a CSV file of all settings so I can easily restore them after a firmware upgrade. I keep a photo of the settings in the camera and the CSV file and manuals in my phone.

I keep ISO, White-Balance, Shooting Rate on the arrows so I can quickly adjust to circumstances. I struggled to find a useful function for the lever, but settled on having it change between single-auto-focus and continuous tracking (it would have been great for switching mysets, but it can't do that).

Mostly I just made adjustments by working my way through the Olympus full manual (not the short printed one that comes in the box). I also bought the e-book The Complete Guide to the Olympus E-M5 II, by Gary Friedman and Tony Phillips and found it useful (but given I already owned an E-M5, perhaps I got less out of it than someone coming in cold). ( https://books.google.com/ebooks/app#reader/HKQ5CgAAQBAJ )

Here's my full list of customisations (using the common conventions for describing the icons such as the Cog icons):
  • Camera 1,Image-Quality-Icon,Still Picture,LF
  • Camera 1,Picture Mode,Mode 3 Natural,Sharpness,-1
  • Cog A,AF Mode,Still Picture,S-AF+MF
  • Cog A,Manual Focus Assist,Peaking,On
  • Cog B,Button Function,Fn1,AEL/AFL
  • Cog B,Button Function,Fn3,View Selection
  • Cog B,4 Arrows Function,Direct Function
  • Cog B,Right Arrow,Dial WB/Dial ISO
  • Cog B,Down Arrow,Sequential Shooting Rate/Self Timer
  • Cog B,Mode Dial Function,Myset1,Photo Story
  • Cog B,Mode Dial Function,Myset2,iAuto
  • Cog B,Lever Function,mode5 (switch AF modes)
  • Cog C,RLS Priority S,Off
  • Cog C,RLS Priority C,Off
  • Cog C,Sequential FPS Image Stabilization,On
  • Cog C,Image Stabilizer,Movie,M-IS 2 (Sensor Shift Only)
  • Cog D,Info Settings,Playback Info,Highlight&Shadow
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom1,Highlights&Shadows
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom1,Level Gauge
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom2,Histogram
  • Cog D,Info Settings,LV-Info,Custom2,Level Gauge
  • Cog D,Display Grid,Off
  • Cog D,Sleep,1 minute
  • Cog D,Auto Power Off,4 hours
  • Cog D,Sound,Off
  • Cog E,AEL Metering Spot
  • Cog E,Noise Filter,Off
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Copyright Info,On
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Artist Name,Anon
  • Cog H,Copyright settings,Copyright Name,Anon ([email protected])
  • Cog I,Wind Noise Reducton,Off
  • Cog K,Quick Sleep Mode,Off
  • Cog J,EVF Auto Switch,Off
  • Spanner,Rec View,Off
  • Myset1,F5.6,ISO 200,Centre Normal Focus Target,iFace,Low Speed Anti Shock
  • Myset2,F8.0,ISO 800,Centre Small Focus Target,Low Speed Anti Shock
I hope I haven't forgotten any, because this is the list I use to restore the camera.
Click to expand...
 
I've bought a number of Olympus lenses that I now use on my EM5II. But I find 4K movies interesting, also to capture stills, which Panasonic does and Olympus does not. The problem is that my Oly lenses are not stabilized when paired with a Panasonic body. I could get the new GX8 with IBIS, but that body is too large for my taste. I'm thinking I should have started with Pany lenses that would work with a small Pany body for 4K and also on the EM5II. Pany lenses offer more versatility than Oly lenses for my uses.
 
Troels L said:
I have decided to jumped ship, and work my way up to much better fotos. Currently I'm a beginner, but everyone has to start somewhere. Hence I will use the E-M5 mark II to improve so when I have learned, I know the camera well.

To start simple, I will be buying only 1-2 primes. I have yet to decide, but it will be properly be Olympus 25mm F1.8 and Panasonic 14mm F2.5.

It will be my first Olympus, and I know the menus and settings give endless possibilities, so I am looking for a good starting point.

Next week I will travel to Stockholm and enjoy the city while learning the camera. I'm not used to manual controls, so I plan on shooting with semi-auto, i.e. mode A or P.

What other settings should I set for the E-M5 II to give reasonable fotos flr a beginner with semi-auto?
Click to expand...
Just be sure to turn OFF the Quick Sleep Mode that defaults to ON, it will drive you mad waiting for the camera to 'wake up' before shooting.

Purchase a spare battery and bring it and the charger when travelling.

The Quick Menu (Olympus call it Super Control Panel or SCP) comes on when you press OK on the back of the camera, and gives you quick access to the main adjustments.

Set the camera to Zero Seconds (0s) Antishock. On the SCP that is the one just below the 'matrix' and looks like a single rectangle with a diamond next to it.

Leave the Image Stabilisation on IS1.

If you try the High Resolution Mode, shoot raw+JPEG. That way, if there are problems with subject movement in the photo, you still have the 16MP raw file of the first of the 8 exposures, and it will not have the motion problem. If you shoot JPEG only, it will be ruined.

Turn on 'blinkies' so you can see which parts of the scene are too bright or too dark.
 
I like this setting , beginner or not

robinwong.blogspot.com

The Robin Wong's OM-D Camera Cheat Sheet

Olympus, Micro Four Thirds, camera review, OM-D, photography, Malaysia photographer, photography tips, shutter therapy, street photography
robinwong.blogspot.com robinwong.blogspot.com

Cheers,
 
daveco2 said:
I've bought a number of Olympus lenses that I now use on my EM5II. But I find 4K movies interesting, also to capture stills, which Panasonic does and Olympus does not. The problem is that my Oly lenses are not stabilized when paired with a Panasonic body. I could get the new GX8 with IBIS, but that body is too large for my taste. I'm thinking I should have started with Pany lenses that would work with a small Pany body for 4K and also on the EM5II. Pany lenses offer more versatility than Oly lenses for my uses.
Click to expand...
I'll be keeping and using my 12-32mm, 35-100mm, and 42.5mm f1.7 with my incoming OM-D E-M5 II... Tho it's likely I might've ended up with at least two of the three even if I started off with an Olympus body, I chose each for reasons even beyond OIS (being wider, smaller, or closer focusing than their nearest Oly equivalent).

Got some minor doubt about whether I'll see any extra purple fringing with them, but I guess I can test against the Oly 12 or 9-18 and the 45 i haven't gotten around to selling. I know others have noticed this with some of the primes like the 20mm & PL25mm tho, as well as some of the older zooms.
 
Guy Parsons said:
There is a page on E-M1/10 where much of the info is common to all Olympus bodies, it may be of help in understanding the settings http://www.biofos.com/mft/omd_em1_settings.html

My only bit of added advice is to take raw+jpeg from day 1 even if not intending to use the raw files in the beginning.

Deal with the storage issues up front and be prepared to keep and have backups of your raw+jpeg files forever.

Later as you get more involved then going back to the raw files and creating better or different jpegs from them will be of benefit.

Regards....... Guy
Click to expand...
Yeah, there's no reason not to do this, it's like keeping the negatives or the CD for an album you've ripped. Going back to the original unprocessed content yields better results when doing more processing, and storage is so cheap these days.

Only time where shooting RAW + JPEG might be detrimental is when burst shooting... Although I've read the E-M5 II keeps going at a pretty good clip even with a full buffer (provided you're using a UHS-II card), I'm looking forward to testing that. Seems like an underrated perk.
 
Only 1-2 Primes?

I would recommend the Olympus 45 1.8. This is the Best value prime you can buy. Its extremely useful not only for portraits and relatively cheap.
 
Impulses said:
Only time where shooting RAW + JPEG might be detrimental is when burst shooting... Although I've read the E-M5 II keeps going at a pretty good clip even with a full buffer (provided you're using a UHS-II card), I'm looking forward to testing that. Seems like an underrated perk.
Click to expand...
I only very rarely use burst or bracket with the E-P5 but with my Casio pocket camera and its 30fps at 16MP ability it is worth exploring. In the end I set that one to 5fps, storage of 30 frames and keep the 3 frames before the shutter is pressed seems to work best with most scenarios, as it covers 6 seconds of the action. At 30 fps it's just 30 frames that all look much the same, not a lot happens in one second.

Regards........ Guy
 
dulynoted said:
mchnz said:
...
  • Cog K,Quick Sleep Mode,Off
  • Cog J,EVF Auto Switch,Off
  • Spanner,Rec View,Off
  • Myset1,F5.6,ISO 200,Centre Normal Focus Target,iFace,Low Speed Anti Shock
  • Myset2,F8.0,ISO 800,Centre Small Focus Target,Low Speed Anti Shock
I hope I haven't forgotten any, because this is the list I use to restore the camera.

--
----r
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaltrails/
Click to expand...
You leave evf auto swithc off? So you swithc manually with the view button. How does that affect battery life? With the switcher on the evf stays off until you use it but with the auto switch off the evf just stays on.

i know its faster to adjust set like that though

--
Auto focus is a work of the devil.
I post from a tablet, spelling errors are common, berry common.
Click to expand...
I haven't made any comparisons of power consumption with this setting on the E-M5 II. I'm using the Mark II the same way I used my Mark I. When birding I like the camera to be ready to go in an instant.

The Mark II does seem to churn through the battery much quicker. I guess this could be due to the change the EVF, but I was blaming the more powerful IBIS (the IBIS improvement is noticeable). If it was the EVF, the E-M1 would likely be as battery hungry.

I disabled the Quick Sleep, the slow wakeup was just too painful when birding.

--
----
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaltrails/
 
Last edited:
pdelux said:
Only 1-2 Primes?

I would recommend the Olympus 45 1.8. This is the Best value prime you can buy. Its extremely useful not only for portraits and relatively cheap.
Click to expand...
1-2 is only the beginning :)

I will mainly use the camera on trips and holidays and have chosen m34 due to size, weight and picture quality. If i bring too many lenses, it will no longer be small and light. I will properly buy a zoom to cover lengths around 45mm, but I will decently read up on the 45mm F1.8 before.
 
Troels L said:
I will mainly use the camera on trips and holidays and have chosen m34 due to size, weight and picture quality. If i bring too many lenses, it will no longer be small and light.
Click to expand...
A Canon 5DIII with 24-70 and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses (yer basic travel kit) weighs 3250 grams and costs $6300.

A GX8 with 12-35 and 35-100 f/2.8 lenses weighs 1150 grams and costs $2700.
 
TN Args said:
Troels L said:
I will mainly use the camera on trips and holidays and have chosen m34 due to size, weight and picture quality. If i bring too many lenses, it will no longer be small and light.
Click to expand...
A Canon 5DIII with 24-70 and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses (yer basic travel kit) weighs 3250 grams and costs $6300.

A GX8 with 12-35 and 35-100 f/2.8 lenses weighs 1150 grams and costs $2700.
Click to expand...
It would cost and weight the same had Canon offered 24-70/5.6 and 70-200/5.6 lenses for it as well. Unfortunately, that would mean evil of both worlds; big and slow, which would simply defeat the purpose of a full frame camera to begin with. And since you link to this post from the other thread, it was answered there as well,

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56714894

Larger operational envelope (with similar tech) will always be heavier, and cost more.

--
- sergey
 
Last edited:
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