Olympus V314060BU000, V207010BU000 User Manual
Setting Up the OM-D EM-1
The EM-1 has more option than you can shake a stick at. As I
was getting to know the camera, I noticed how easy it would
to duplicate functions let alone making it complicated to reset
everything when needed. And there are unintended
consequences when making many customizations - changing
one function may not allow something else to work as
designed.
Products that can be configured to user preferences are nice,
but they are a double edged sword.
If someone else uses your product or you need assistance with figuring out a situation, can they
figure out your set-up without hindrance.
If you make many customizations, can you remember what is assigned to do your customized
functions.
If you have to do a reset (which happens all too often with software/computers), how easily can
you make all of the customized changes so you can get back to operate the product as you
desired, or can you adjust to the default settings if needed?
For these reasons - I'm more inclined to learn how the designers originally set-up the product and use
the product this way, while only making minimal changes.
Any or all of these changes are all subjective to the individual user, so any discussion about right, wrong,
my way or the highway, or my way is better than yours really doesn't apply. I'm not only showing you
some the change I've made but why I chose to implement some of the way I did.
The DP Review's "USER Guide: Getting the most out of the Olympus EM-5" is mostly applicable to the
EM-1 as well, so it is very good place to start. My write-up here is complimentary and doesn't replace
what they've done. I have reiterated the Super Control Panel as I still often use it. A couple of caveats
about their user guide, the buttons and dials are a little different on the EM-1 (and covered pretty much
here), the Faster Viewfinder is not applicable to the EM-1.
Super Control Panel (SCP)
A great thing about Olympus digital cameras
is the Super Control Panel (SCP) - from this
panel menu you can quickly see current
settings and in a few clicks you change many
settings which is far better than scrolling
through menus. Settings include : ISO, Flash
mode, Flash intensity, sequential shooting,
white balance, picture modes, sharpness,
contrast, saturation, graduation, B&W filter,
Picture tone, Color space, Button function assignments, face priority, metering modes, aspect ratio, AF
mode, and image stabilization.
SCP Set Up
To set up SCP so that when you push the OK button (center button the multi-selector on the back of the
camera) go - Menu button > Custom Menu (the gears) > Menu D > Display/Sound/PC > Control Settings.
And in each of the modes you shoot in, make sure Live SCP is checked. There are also other options for
each mode, if you leave these checked and do not see the SCP when pressing OK, press the Info button
to rotate screens to get to the SCP.
Wow- why would you need anything else? For many, the SCP is more than enough. For others, when
shooting it is very handy to make changes without moving your eye from the view finder making quick
changes without breaking stride.
Hence - 25 buttons, dials, and levers on the EM-1 camera body, making many default changes from the
camera body possible! Twenty-five! And we want customization???
Buttons, Dials, And Levers
Olympus spent some time on these, and
they really seem to make a lot of sense at
the defaults.
"The Lever"
The EM-1 has the "Lever" (I guess Olympus
could not find a better name - located by
the AEL/AFL button) that changes several
functions of the camera when moved from
position 1 to position 2. The "Lever" also
has 5 modes making various possibilities
available. A unique and different concept
from any other camera I've used - but
implemented extremely well - well enough
that I have chosen to use it. I currently have the "Lever" at Mode 1 (default setting).
The functions of the front and rear dials change depending on which position the "Lever" is in, 1 or 2 and the shooting mode you are in. Using Aperture, Shutter or Program priority modes with the "Lever"
in position 1 the front dial changes aperture or shutter speed respective to the priority mode and the
rear dial changes the exposure compensation.
ISO and White Balance Settings
By moving the "Lever" to position 2 I have instant access to make ISO changes with the front dial and
WB changes through the rear dials, including in Manual priority mode, without removing my eye from
the viewfinder.
It took me little time to get used to. This works very well because ISO and WB are settings I change a lot
less often other settings, so although not as nice as some other pro cameras with dedicated individual
buttons - this is very functional. I do need to get in the habit of moving the lever back to position 1 after
making an ISO or WB changes so that the dials return to the defaults I expect them to be at.
However, the choices for the "Lever" also effect the HDR and AF/Metering buttons of the top left side of
the camera! And you can make changes to how the "Lever" effects changes making the camera even
more customizable (complicated?).
The HDR and AF/Metering buttons on the
top left side of the camera are multifunctional themselves.
HDR and Bracketing
When the "Lever" is set in position 1 and
with a press the HDR button:
the front dial changes between in-
camera HDR photos, 3-frames 2.0
EV, 5-frames 2.0 EV, 7-frames 2.0
EV, 3-frames 3.0 EV, 5-frames 3.0 EV bracketing modes, and also turns on High Speed Sequential
shooting
the rear dial changes from single image, high speed sequential, low speed sequential, or set the
self-timer for 12 seconds, two seconds, or set a time interval and the number of photos to be
taken with the rear dial.
When the "Lever" is set in position 2 and a press the HDR button:
the front dial changes Auto Exposure (AE BKT), White Balance (WB BKT), Flash Level (FL BKT),
ISO (ISO BKT), or ART (ART BKT) bracketing.
the rear dial changes and turns off/on bracketing and changes between 2 - 7 frames with 0.3
EV, 0.7 EV, or 1.0 EV changes between frames (except 7 frames only goes up to .7EV).
Auto Focus and Metering modes
When the "Lever" is set in position 1 and with a press the AF button:
the front dial changes between ESP, Center-Weighted, Spot, Spot Hilight, and Spot Shadow
metering modes.
the rear dial changes between S-AF (Single Auto Focus, locks focus once,), C-AF (continuously
focus until the focus button is released), Manual Foucs, S-AF MF (locks focus and allows manual
focus fine tuning), and C-AF TR (consciously focus and tracks subject)
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