Setting up new E-PL6

alexisgreat wrote:

Thanks, I how do you enable the SCP? It's always on in my E-520

Use my help page http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/53-epl5-scp.html

Thank you. So the playback setting controls it in Liveview as well as Playback?

No they are separate setups, you get to choose what screens you can cycle through in both Live View and Playback as separate entities, it's all in Custom Menu D - Info Settings and my E-PL5 notes say:

"Choose what displays when Info button is pressed for Live view/Playback/Index playback. In each case you can choose any, all or none of the options.
For Playback choose - Image only, Overall, Histogram, Highlight & Shadow (blinkies), Light Box (depends on another setting)
For Live View choose - Histogram, Highlight & Shadow (blinkies), Image only
For Thumbnail view choose - 4 display, 9 display, 25 display, 100 display, calendar display."

The E-PL6 of course will have Levels added to the Live View choices.

edit: Thanks I was in the right place but went to "Histogram Settings" instead where it lets you set the upper and lower bounds for the shading.

I set upper 255 and lower 0 as that gives a sensible indication of highlight blowouts in the jpeg that usually are not blown out in the raw file. It depends on jpeg settings, I use Natural with Sharpness, Contrast and Saturation all at -1. But use the raws anyway.

Thanks, is this [dust catching] sticky strip something that needs to be replaced?

For pro use with many thousands of clicks per year an annual service is advised and the strips get replaced then, otherwise the average amateur user could go 5 to 10 years before it needed fixing. Usually the camera is well obsolete by then so it doesn't matter. I've never had the strips replaced and I've never had any dust issues at all in years of 4/3 and M4/3.

In my E-520 a button used to light up when it was running (briefly when I turned my camera off), I dont see any such light on the E-PL6 and I'm trying to make sure it is working since my E-520 used to make an audible noise when the SSWF was doing its thing and I dont hear any such noise from the E-PL6.

No, it is very brief at turn on.

At any rate, when changing lenses, there is an IR blocker in front of the sensor that protects the sensor from dust and moisture, isn't there?

The sensor is behind the usual few millimetres of dust shaker, IR filter, maybe AA filter so the sensor itself is well protected. Sticky dust on the front surface can be seen (if any) at f/16 or f/22, but usually disappears in the normal M4/3 working range of f/8 and more open. Olympus say not to try and clean it yourself, as it needs reinstatement of an anti-static layer.

Yes, I never use anything smaller than f/8 on any of my cameras and I know the SSWF has a great reputation.

Yes, wide open to f/8 hides most dust problems.

Thank you so much Guy, I am going to read your guide now. The IS ceases to function at anything slower than 2 seconds shutter speed. I found this out when going through the specs.

Yes, you can prove that by using manual mode then taking some 1 sec, 2 sec, 4 sec shots and hear the difference in sound. The 2 axis IBIS sounds like a quiet coffee grinder.

I assume the E-PL5 is the same. BTW how can one set the focus to infinity for doing pictures of constellations? Stars are coming out a bit blurry in my pictures.

If the default is set to Custom Menu A - Reset Lens = On makes the lens reset to infinity at turn off. But we all know that is often not truly infinity so fine tuning needs to be done. I don't do night sky shots so I suspect that trying to get a very distant streetlight (or the moon when available) in focus would be close enough to infinity, especially at the widest angle.

I am not sure I'm seeing all the menu options, I'm wondering if I have the latest firmware. It says 1.1 for both the body and the lens?

Body is at 1.2 see http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/ww/ud2/ENU/0001/1120/index02a.html but those changes probably don't matter to you. But you never quite know what other things they have fixed and never tell us about it so I always update to latest regardless of apparent relevance.

My links page may be useful http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/03-epl1-links.html

Regards........ Guy