Not terribly impressed with the PENs

I'm on my third PEN, each time I hope it gets better. The latest iteration is the E-PL6. It's not a hopeless camera but in the final package, it fails to impress, mainly due to Autofocus. This is in contrast to the OM-D cameras which I generally feel are very good in this regard. This is a shame because I do like the diminutive size and form fact of the PENS. But the while the PL6 focus really quickly and gives a reassuring beep when it achieves focus, depending on the subject up to 90% of the shots can be out of focus. in a recent shoot, for instance (backlit portraits with a cherry tree in full bloom in the background - a somewhat tough) the PL6 with the 17mm f/2.8 lens missed AF in 70-90% of the shots. This was despite using touch to focus, eye detection set on nearest eye, and verifying that either the green box or white box (face detect) is on the faces. The camera quite often simply focused on the cherry blossoms instead of the faces.

The more thing Change, the more they stay the same. If you need AF reliability without fuss, Panasonic is the only way to go. This is true back when M43 started G1, GF7 running circles over Olympus. While Olympus has made improvement on its high end models, I still find AF to be faster & more reliable with Panasonic.

I'm hoping the upcoming ePL8 with have the much improve AF technology, from EM10 II and EM1. It's looks like an Exciting New Entry level camera, away from the warm-over epl3/epl5/ePL6 which are essentially the same camera.

I meant to write Panasonic G1 and GF over Olympus EP1, eP2, ePL1, ePL2

MinAZ wrote:

I'm on my third PEN, each time I hope it gets better. The latest iteration is the E-PL6. It's not a hopeless camera but in the final package, it fails to impress, mainly due to Autofocus. This is in contrast to the OM-D cameras which I generally feel are very good in this regard. This is a shame because I do like the diminutive size and form fact of the PENS. But the while the PL6 focus really quickly and gives a reassuring beep when it achieves focus, depending on the subject up to 90% of the shots can be out of focus. in a recent shoot, for instance (backlit portraits with a cherry tree in full bloom in the background - a somewhat tough) the PL6 with the 17mm f/2.8 lens missed AF in 70-90% of the shots. This was despite using touch to focus, eye detection set on nearest eye, and verifying that either the green box or white box (face detect) is on the faces. The camera quite often simply focused on the cherry blossoms instead of the faces.

I feel bad because when asked about MFT cameras, and in particular my GX7, a person I vaguely knew as impressed with the performance of the GX7 and the 20mm, but was not willing to pay that much.  Recently I dropped her a note about the Olympus PL6 double lens deal, 14-42 and 40-150, and she bought one.  I have never heard from her since.  I guess now I know why.  I had only ever had a brief previous experience was with the OMD, and I just ASSumed, the new PLs were good...and look like I made an *** out of myself.

MinAZ wrote:

I'm on my third PEN, each time I hope it gets better. The latest iteration is the E-PL6. It's not a hopeless camera but in the final package, it fails to impress, mainly due to Autofocus. This is in contrast to the OM-D cameras which I generally feel are very good in this regard. This is a shame because I do like the diminutive size and form fact of the PENS.

When you say PEN I think of the E-P series. I loved the E-P2 and E-P5 which I carry around with me all the time. What a great camera! I wish it weighed the same as the PEN "Lites" but oh well.

I have owned the E-PL3 and E-PL6 briefly as a trial and I never took to them, even though they took really good photos. I never noticed a big difference in autofocus though. I notice the better IBIS and two control wheels.

Hi

I have and have used various OMDs and have found the AF great. My GM1 & 5 are no better in that respect in my experience. I'm sorry to hear you are having issues. No system is perfect that is for sure.

EM1, EM-10mkII, GM1/5 + Pana 12-32mm, 35-100mm f2.8, 20mm f1.7, Voight 17.5mm f0.95, Oly 12-40mm, 45mm, 50mm F2 macro, (prev EM10, EM5, GH1, E30, E510, E1, E300, LX3)

The E-PL7 has very good auto focus, probably the same as the OM-D E-M10.  It also has 0-sec anti-shock and quite effective 3-axis IBIS.  It is a substantial improvement over the E-PL6.

The surest way to focus on your subject is to turn off face-detection and to use the single focus point.  Focus on your target and then recompose.  I do this for 99% of my photos.

clemcam wrote:

The E-PL7 has very good auto focus, probably the same as the OM-D E-M10. It also has 0-sec anti-shock and quite effective 3-axis IBIS. It is a substantial improvement over the E-PL6.

Let me concur with Clem's point:  i ordered a PL6 (which is a lightly enhanced PL5; a four year-old design) a year ago on close-out but it had poor AF and sensor performance compared to my EM5.  i sent it back.

The PL7 is a huge step up in all aspects, including those factors cited, IBIS, build quality, general speed and utility.  It also has the zero-delay shutter function that really helps with shutter shock.

Mounted with the Panny 12-32 pancake it is P&S with class and capability.  It is now quite reasonably priced too, on the eve of its replacement, the PL8.

gear1box wrote:

clemcam wrote:

The E-PL7 has very good auto focus, probably the same as the OM-D E-M10. It also has 0-sec anti-shock and quite effective 3-axis IBIS. It is a substantial improvement over the E-PL6.

Let me concur with Clem's point: i ordered a PL6 (which is a lightly enhanced PL5; a four year-old design) a year ago on close-out but it had poor AF and sensor performance compared to my EM5. i sent it back.

The PL7 is a huge step up in all aspects, including those factors cited, IBIS, build quality, general speed and utility. It also has the zero-delay shutter function that really helps with shutter shock.

Mounted with the Panny 12-32 pancake it is P&S with class and capability. It is now quite reasonably priced too, on the eve of its replacement, the PL8.

I agree 109%. I have a PL7 which I use with a P12-32 and a P35-100. Never noticed a focus difference when compared to my OMD's.  Great little camera.

MinAZ wrote:

in a recent shoot, for instance (backlit portraits with a cherry tree in full bloom in the background - a somewhat tough) the PL6 with the 17mm f/2.8 lens missed AF in 70-90% of the shots. This was despite using touch to focus, eye detection set on nearest eye, and verifying that either the green box or white box (face detect) is on the faces. The camera quite often simply focused on the cherry blossoms instead of the faces.

Try a smaller focus box and see if it helps. I use an EPL5 and EM5, both with the smaller box, and touch screen to set the placement of the box. Works fine for me.

Even  the pancake 20mm, which can hunt til it gives up in a low contrast and dark scene, will quickly focus when I use the touch focus to tell it where to look.

I can't back this up with actual experimental results, but I have both the PL5 (much the same as a Pl6) and the PL7, and don't really have focusing issues to the extend you describe. When I do miss the focus point, it's been user error I tend not to use face detection, but that's only because most of my photos aren't of faces.

jalywol wrote:

MinAZ wrote:

I'm on my third PEN, each time I hope it gets better. The latest iteration is the E-PL6. It's not a hopeless camera but in the final package, it fails to impress, mainly due to Autofocus. This is in contrast to the OM-D cameras which I generally feel are very good in this regard. This is a shame because I do like the diminutive size and form fact of the PENS. But the while the PL6 focus really quickly and gives a reassuring beep when it achieves focus, depending on the subject up to 90% of the shots can be out of focus. in a recent shoot, for instance (backlit portraits with a cherry tree in full bloom in the background - a somewhat tough) the PL6 with the 17mm f/2.8 lens missed AF in 70-90% of the shots. This was despite using touch to focus, eye detection set on nearest eye, and verifying that either the green box or white box (face detect) is on the faces. The camera quite often simply focused on the cherry blossoms instead of the faces.

The higher contrast area is going to get the focus.

You need to take some active control over your focusing technique in situations with a busy background.

1) Use the smallest focus box set to center box only

2) Turn off face detect

3) Turn off touch to focus

4) Put the focus box over the exact point you want to focus on, half press the shutter, then recompose to your liking.

This should give you a very high keeper rate.

These cameras are very sophisticated, even the EPL6, but you still have to tell them what you want them to do when the scene you are shooting has many complex subjects in frame.

Oh, one other thing: You may want to consider getting the VF-4 viewfinder as it makes a very big difference in accurate placement of the focus box (for me it did, anyway).

I never had a problem with my EPM2, which I think uses the same focusing algorithms as the EPL6, but I always used center smallest box focus point to achieve focus, and recomposed after that.

Interestingly enough, while this technique works equally well on both Oly and Panasonic cameras, when I use the smallest box on the Sony A7, it misses focus a lot. On that series of cameras, the medium sized box works far better. On the M43s, the smallest is the way to go, though.

-J

Pretty much the way I use my EPL6. I don't take too much portraits with it thou. Im happy with the purchase, the only real focusing problem is when I use the bodycap lens, that thing is a PIA to get the focus just right.

If you are getting that low a hit rate, either the camera is faulty or you are actually working against how the system anticipates focus rather than working with it. And this is not a negative value statement about you. It often happens when people switch between cameras or systems--they expect it to work they way their brain thinks it should when actually they need to adjust their thinking to figure out how the camera works best.

Can you achieve a higher hit rate? Maybe not if the camera is faulty. Also maybe not if you are not really wanting to work differently with the system. That doesn't mean it's a bad camera, but it is one of the cheapest most trimmed down cameras in the line so I'm not sure the fault is that your expectations are too high or your camera is not set up optimally or not working properly.

Cheers, Seth