Squeezing out a bit more from the old M5

Good info from the other posters.

The first thing I’d suggest is to improve the lighting indoors, if possible.  Rooms brightly lit with sunlight and/or 5000K “Natural Daylight” bulbs will do wonders for both the IQ and your autofocus.

Disabling Exposure Simulation will improve AF performance (but you do lose a good tool).  Use the smallest AF point (never Auto, or All, or Zone). In the toughest situations (generally low light and/or low contrast), switch to “One Shot” AF if at all possible.  It is the most sensitive AF mode.  Practice in a darkened room, you’ll quickly get a feel for what the different settings do, and what objects/patterns make good AF targets.

Select your AF targets carefully (lots of vertical contrast).  Know your depth of field, and then you can focus (on a better nearby AF target) and recompose.  Lock focus when you can (with Back Button Focus this is easy), and shoot until your subject moves out of the depth of field, that way the focus doesn’t have to re-acquire for every shot.  Follow-up shots are VERY fast this way.

While your AF is locked, notice if your subject moves, and move your camera a commensurate amount to and fro (keeping your subject in focus by moving the camera).  I’m often leaning forwards and backwards with the subject (while the focus is locked), until I feel I need to re-focus.  Chimping helps.  Shoot lots.  Shoot bursts.

This “lean” technique also works great with partially obscured subjects, like a bird behind branches (where the camera is focusing on the closer branches).  Let the camera focus on the branches (then lock focus), and then just move your camera toward the bird the same distance that it was front focusing.  Voila!

Use this same technique for eyeglass wearers (that 1/2 inch can make a BIG difference).

If your subject is not moving, but you want to catch them in action (a person, or say a bird taking off), if you have enough DOF just lock focus, and when they do take off don’t refocus for the first couple of frames (just track and shoot with no focusing).  You’ll catch a LOT more in-focus action shots of take-offs without that AF delay (and focusing might have been a fail anyway).  Right after takeoff (and after your first couple of shots), re-acquire focus immediately, and track and shoot.

Focusing with the M5 can certainly be a challenge at times (can you tell I shot with one for a couple of years?   ), but using the most effective settings and maximizing technique can help a lot.  Short of upgrading to an M6ii that is.  

As far as the Sigma 16 is concerned, it is extremely capable.  If you’re shooting events or small groups (esp in low light), it is Awesome.  Large(ish), but Awesome.

I hope this helps you squeeze the most out of your M5.  Happy shooting!

Fun with the M5 and 15-45 Kit Lens.  

R2