What features do you never use?

Any and all features related to video.

Video: have had my EM1.3 for over two years and have never shot video, same with my EM1.2. The myriad of possible video settings have made it too confusing and bothersome to bother playing with. All my video is shot with my phone, and all of those are under 60 seconds and total under 15 minutes/yr

Good question. These are the features I don't use or need ever: P Mode, WB BKT, Art BKT, ISO BKT, Art Modes except B&W.  These I seldom use but are must have: video, Bulb, live composite, focus limiter, 2x eZoom, B&W Art mode,  multi (2) exposures, anti-flicker. Most everything else (short of going through then entire manual) I pretty much use regularly I think.

Here's a few that come to mind.

• electronic shutter
• video
• custom in-camera JPEG rendering
• exposure compensation
• saving in-camera JPEGs
• white balance bracketing
• AF modes
• AF illumination
• interlocking spot focus and automatic exposure regions
• wireless communication
• white balance bracketing

Let's start with what I do use : Modes A, M and B, AF, (IB)IS, focus bracketing.

What I never use are: P, Auto, Art, Scenes, Video, auto ISO and whatever fancy features are within the menu. Oh well, customization is a fancy feature that makes sense.

OM-1
- Subject Detection because it's not reliable, I've found.
- Live ND because it's not strong enough to abandon filters entirely if you shoot in sunlight.

ALL MODELS
- Burst
Almost never because that's spray and pray which doesn't fit my mindful method of photography. I also don't want to waste time deleting unusable images.

• Automatic/Program modes
  Almost never

-Scene Modes
I can figure out how to schoot scenes as good as any camera
-Custom modes (copying someone else's settings might as well use Automatic)

-Video
Very seldom.

-Flash
I think it's unethical to use flash on wildlife, which is a lot of my photography.

Self-destruction.

I never ever use that feature

Very interesting thread - in a sense, it's asking "How did you learn to press the shutter?" For my part, that would be looking through the eyepiece of my Dad's OM-1 (the original one), and with a shutter of say 1/250, getting the exposure in the middle by adjusting the aperture.

What don't I use? I've never moved the focus point using the buttons on any Olympus camera - have always focused on my subject, half-pressed for focus lock and recomposed.

I guess the key thing I don't use enough is my brain - try as I might, I would like to approach photo opportunities with a bit more thought as to conditions and what I want to achieve. at least that one is in my control to put right.

FWIW, I own up to using P mode (never iAuto though), but make much more use of A these days. Auto ISO, yup, and it's that kind of area that i should be thinking more about.

Thanks to the OP for starting this.

I never use Custom settings or Raw, I sometimes use IA then check it's exif in preparation for an A shot, we all have preferences and the resulting image is proof of your expertise,  Fortunately, I do not use a state-of-the-art camera, If I did my list of never used settings would be a mile long.

PhotoMac503 wrote:

-Custom modes (copying someone else's settings might as well use Automatic)

That's not what custom modes are for. Custom modes are for fixing YOUR settings into memory. Settings such as button assignments, focus settings, file size and types, how memory cards are used, and a whole bunch more. That way, if you change settings during a shoot, you can reset the camera to your defaults (or one of your defaults if you use more than just C1) without having to manually change each setting back. This is especially important if you shoot genres that require different mixes of settings.

For example, on my E-M1.3, C1 is where I keep my default settings. I did watch a few videos and read a book or two for advice, but every setting I chose I selected myself. No matter how I change camera settings during the day, I can always get it back to my defaults by selecting C1.  That way, when I pick up the camera I know how it will be set up and there are no surprises.

My C2 is just like C1 except that I have the camera set for Monochrome (with my preferred sub-settings), which gives me a quick way to go from one to the other, which I do quite often.

I reserve C3 and C4 for special occasions, and I set them up beforehand. Usually, I copy C1 to C3, make the necessary changes, then copy C3 to C4 and switch from Natural to Monochrome. I like have two matched pairs of settings.

My C1 and C2 do a good job for family pics, travel pics, hiking, etc. For macro, astro, etc., they don't work as well, so they get the C3/C4 treatment.  When I take photos for work (I am a civil engineer, so project site photos and construction photos), I set up C3 for lower resolution JPGs instead of RAW+JPG and I ignore C4.

Most of the time, I use aperture priority. Some of the time (like the photos I took during our church service this morning for the church website), I shoot manual.  So, early this morning, I copied C1 to PASM, switched to M, made a few setting changes, then copied these settings to C3 and C4.  Finally, I changed C4 to Monochrome and I was good to go.

Frankly, I would like the ability to save 8 to 12 sets of settings, then recall the ones I want to C1/C2/C3/C4.

Due to the capability as well as complexity of the camera nowadays, we can highly customize our camera for various application.

AF, focusing area, metering mode, shooting modes, the related Menu setting, the button setup, Q.Menu setup (Olympus might not support Q.Menu), burst or single shoot etc, which can create a very specific shooting environment.

Through C I can set up the shooting environment and saved it to a C mode. Just recall that C when I need it and am ready to go instead of length setup for the same. Return to normal non C mode I can return to regular shooting immediately.

I use C modes a lot on my cameras. Because there are limited C modes (4~5 only), and I always can find something more useful than last setting, I keep on changing the content of C modes a lot. I have to stick a sticker behind the LCD to remind me what they are.

Exactly what I do on all my cameras.

Albert Valentino wrote:

Video: have had my EM1.3 for over two years and have never shot video, same with my EM1.2. The myriad of possible video settings have made it too confusing and bothersome to bother playing with.All my video is shot with my phone, and all of those are under 60 seconds and total under 15 minutes/yr

Same goes for me. On my older cameras I would routinely press the Record button while reaching for Fn2 or whatever. After missing some critical shots by accidentally hitting Record, I got into the habit of programming that button to do something else, right after unboxing the camera.

I do use video on occasion at default settings (and I do not know what my defaults are ), but shooting video gives me anxiety about missing out on some photography opportunities.

On a recent whale-watching trip, I rigged my GoPro 9 to my camera's hotshoe so that I could film and take photos at the same time. Peace of mind.

The Ghost of Caravaggio wrote:

Here's a few that come to mind.

• electronic shutter

I'm curious - why don't you ever use electronic shutter?

• white balance bracketing

One of those mysterious modes - what is it even for? Same goes for S-OVF. What does it do?

• wireless communication

You aren't missing much. It will fail you right when you really need it, e.g. controlling your camera from your phone. I only use dedicated remote shutter releases now.

Cheapo Marx wrote:

... the LCD screen.

On DSLRs I'm forced to use it for some settings changes and for chimping; on mirrorless I do everything via the EVF.

Same. I even work the menu and preview photos through the EVF.

I adore fully articulated LCDs because you can shut the damn things.

I like articulated LCDs because they protect the screen from scratches, but tilting screens like the E-M5's or PEN cameras are a lot better for ground-level shots, especially with telephoto lenses. With articulating screens you'd lose the subject easily.