My photoblog is available here: flightlevel42.co.za/photoblog.html
This channel will feature photographic equipment information, reviews, how-to videos in photography and vehicle repairs as well as other interesting content I might create. A work in progress amidst my real work...
At last someone who can speak with authority. I have read review after review complaining about the awful Olympus menus. As an ex Nikon shooter I could never understand how they were bad. Nikon are not as good in my view. In fact I think the menus are good and your advice will make them even easier to use. Have downloaded your guides which at first glance look great. Agree with everything you have said. Really good stuff all round.
Thank you. I will continue this series soon. Have just been very fortunate to be kept extremely busy by real, professional photography clients these past few years. More to come as time permits.
I have recently picked up a 2nd hand EM5 mark ii am hoping I will be able to convert your EM5 mark iii guide to better understand the mark ii system. But already with watching this video and associating the letter to the camera function, so simple but would never in a million years have thought of it myself with out it being pointed out :)
Cannot say as yet. Apologies for not getting to this immediately but we need our production tools for work daily so are loathe to try and evaluate something within a few minutes that may impact our output. We have a national holiday in our country tomorrow and I will load the 3.5 on one camera body to see what the effect is (if any).
Agree 100% I've taught loads of students with many different brands of camera. They all have their own quirks and the menus are all pretty much the same level of complexity
Is there any further information about this yet? This video has caused me not to update my E-M1X and E-M1iii yet because I’d prefer to wait until the problem has been fixed. But having said that, (a) I haven’t seen anyone else talking about this problem, (b) I’m primarily a stills photographer, so a video issue wouldn’t be a great problem in general for me, and (c) I’d like the new firmware features, especially on the E-M1X. It’s been six months since this video was posted. There are promises of further tests soon in the comments but nothing to see, and I haven’t even read about this problem elsewhere, let alone heard that Olympus has addressed the issue in any way. So I’d greatly appreciate an update.
We did not have the issue on our M1X or M1.3 as mentioned elsewhere so you can happily update those. However, OMDS have just released a firmware update for the M1.2. We will be looking at the new firmware released for the M1.2 in the next few days and will update our test video and publish it. We have, luckily, been very busy the past months so apologise for the delay - our revenue comes from assignments so we tend to focus on that. ;-)
If the meter still operates, no effect will be noted on the photos as the camera captures the image through the lens in the middle. If the meter is damaged, the camera could still take photos if the aperture dial was set to a setting other than A. To test the meter, put the dial on A and go outside. Advance the film wheel until it locks. Hold your hand over the lens and press the shutter. If it does not fire with your hand covering the lens, and it pops up the red warning in the viewfinder that is correct. Now take your hand away from the lens, if it now fires when you take your hand away from the lens then the meter is still working.
Hello. Jose from Puerto Rico. Amazing.. I just subscribed to your channel. You said something that struck a chord: Don't let the negative talk influence your purchasing decisions. After hearing all the negative reviews concerning the Olympus cameras; I went out and bought a Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II second hand and I love it. I still own an Olympus OM4-T I purchased way back in 1986. I have to send it for repairs. The point is that I don't have a problem with the menu system. You just have to go out and shoot and experiment with it. That's the only way to learn the camera. I'm looking forward to reading the content of the booklets you mentioned. Thanks so much for such a great video.
Hola Jose! Thank you for the subscription. Also, welcome to the E-M1 mark ii AND OM-4Ti owner's club (There cannot be too many of us still!). I love both cameras and often just pick up the OM-4 and other OM cameras to enjoy the feel of the mechanism. The E-M1 series is just as enjoyable to use. All best wishes for your journey with the M1.2
Personally i have NEVER understood how people are always saying that the Olympus menus are confusing and not easy to use. When I hear that, it translates in my mind as "oh, just another person that doesnt want to be bothered to actually learn their camera"...... The Olympus menu system is not at all bad, and they are easy to use. Thank you for making the video.
Thank you for your input on this channel and for taking the time to comment. I share your view on folk who comment as you say - however, if it is a rival brand camera owner that can be overlooked. What is really puzzling is when "reviewers" with many thousands of subscribers blink at the camera they have just picked up and mutter "Where is the ISO button? Oh I hate Olympus camera menus!" while they poke every available button they can find instead of using the super control panel or the OK button. It is then so obvious they have not read the manual. The first step, I think, in doing any review, of any product, would be to go through the manual and use the item for a few weeks. However it seems in the rush to be "first" many "review" videos get made within an hour of getting a review item. Odd.
I concur entirely . I found the menus on EM10 ii really easy to live with . Sure, I have lots of options , which is why I like it over the later upgrades . I also require a flip screen and touch focus , both of which are now a lot more common on other cameras , but they weren’t before. Size is also a factor and so I could go on. As for pixels, well, 16 is more than enough for me. In short, this little gem works for me. Yes, I have used Nikon and Canon, along with others , my Olympus is the most enjoyable of all the great cameras I have used and it’s menus are not an issue. Thanks for sharing your insights here.
Thank you for watching and engaging. As explained in the booklets, I am an English speaker and found these to be useful memory tips: "H" is where the images are "held" (i.e. on the cards) so H is the card settings,. The "J" is where you set battery ("J" for juice...the English colloquial way of saying 'energy') options. Information (i.e. display/EVF) is under the "I" menu. All modern cameras are highly complex and none of them are easy to pick up and use without - in my view - time spent with the manual and going through things step by step. But then I admit I am old codger who reckons a manual is a useful bit of kit for any new appliance, tool, camera or vehicle. I never try and use any new bit of equipment without first going through the manual and following the suggested procedures. I have found strange things that - seemingly - are not logical (or well hidden) on all camera menu systems. Most have, in my experience, things scattered around in a hap-hazard manner with sub controls hidden (and never hinted at) beneath others. Try find bracketing quickly on a Canon camera - if you do not know it is hidden within the exposure compensation menu option and only appears after you twirl the front dial, you will spend a lot of time being frustrated. But then a Canon pro user will not think twice about finding that. We will never - in my opinion - get an ideal and the menus from one brand to another will probably never get anywhere near uniformity. I think what we have as the fundamentals for each brand will remain for a long time as, as I said in the video, once you are used to it you expect continuity (as a working professional) and just changing the menu structure is not something any brand will embark on lightly for this very reason. A good coffee (or your preferred beverage) a few free hours, the manual and pushing buttons and figuring things out on the new camera is how I always welcome any new camera I get - even if it is a new OM-D.
Excellent video!, I have been Olympus since 2005 with the E500,and now the EM1X x 2. A really cool thing now is My Menu, where I store my most used options. ANY modern camera these days takes weeks if not months to get used to the menus, time has to be spent to really appreciate any new complicated machine. I too have enjoyed your EM1X settings pdf.thank you , and Cheers!
Hi Andre. As mentioned, these guides came about as we needed to have documents on hand for staff using the equipment in our studio/on assignment. As we do not use M10 models, I never had the need to do one on the range.. Much of the logic should be similar however and I will try and do one on the M10 as soon as I have a chance between assignments.
Excellent video Mark, I like the quotes from Mitani (sp?) about the knives analogy, thanks 👍🏻. The booklets are great too. I have no issues with Olympus Menus myself. One small point... you might want to pick the brains of some of your type layout / graphic design colleagues... Using ‘underlining’ in heading and sub-headings isn’t really done 😱. Just read any professionally made book or magazine and it’s just not there 😄. Cheers, Keith
Hi Keith. Thank you for engaging. As mentioned, these are working documents from our studio so will readily admit my failings as a graphic designer - the graphic design side was not front of mind. A colleague got a copy of one of the guides and suggested I give these guides a wider readership. Nevertheless, thanks for the tip. Will try and apply it in future.
Thank you so much for the guides, Mark. Although I'm a little familiar with the menus of my EM1 III and EM5 III, there's always something new to learn. I can never say I'm a master of them or what they can do. Mahalo!
Glad to help! Remember, of course, as explained in my short video on the Super Control Panel, you control the camera for most purposes from the SCP and should seldom ever need to do deep menu dives once the camera is set up the way you need it to be. Most controls are easy to find on the SCP and that is what I use for most shot to shot changes.
Well thank you for all this information! I rarely go into the menus once my settings are chosen but i wasn't aware of some of its logics before watching your video. Quite useful. Having used Sony, Panasonic and Canon menus, I don't think one is more intuitive than the other, it all boils down to a question of habits in my opinion...
Thank you for engaging. Indeed, as I mentioned in the video - get to know it, understand its logic and all menus have their own ease and flow. Luckily on the OM-D series we have the SCP that can be used to do 98% of the shot to shot changes and settings we need. It is so good, I see other brands are copying it with "i" and "q" button option driven menu changes now.
A wonderful articulation on this topic. I have both Canon and Olympus equipment. I've shot exclusively with my Olympus gear now for about 3 years. I can say without doubt the Olympus system is the one that has provided me the most enjoyment. It is great to shoot with, provides everything I need to produce my images and is always they one I reach for when I go out. Loved your "knives" analogy. The internet community seems to be stuck on the gear mantra and has lost focus on the final product, the image. Any camera made in the last several years is capable of producing wonderful images in the right hands. In the wrong hands, the gear simply doesn't matter. Thanks for a sensible commentary on the topic.
Thank you for engaging and your generous comments. As for the "knives" analogy, I was present to hear the great man himself say that at a Photokina event many, many years ago. It has always stuck in my mind and spurred me on to do the best I can with the tools at hand. It has saved me buckets of money and cured me of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) many times!
I want to thank you for the guides. I have the EM1 & EM1 Mark II. I'm always looking to get more out of my cameras and appreciate your detailed guides. It's very much appreciated.
Thank you for the E-M1 Mk II guide -- very useful with detailed explanations and your reasoning behind your settings! One question: I bought my E-M1 Mk II new (the 12-40 kit) in December from Olympus EU Shop and it came with firmware 3.0. I have not upgraded because there might be this issue with the video stabilization. I am not much of a video shooter and I don't have or intend to buy the 100-400. Are the few other improvements from firmware 3.0 reason to upgrade? PS: I am Olympus shooter since the late 70's -- OM-1n and OM-4 in good working order, E-1 (same) and also E-M10 and E-M10 Mk II. Love them all. And the OM-D system's programmability is unparallelled once you've got your head around it. As you say -- just R.T.F.M. (and your guides)! / Greetings from Sweden
HEJ. Välkommen till kanalen Olympus resenär! (and that is as far as my friend in Gothengerg was able to help me! ;-) Glad to hear there is another person with OM bodies and E1, E3 etc on the shelves at home...still use them all regularly just for the feel and the memories they evoke. As to the M1.2 and firmware, in FW 3.1 they tweaked the speed and stability of the EVF after you power up the camera (Worth it) In 3.2 they added the ability to control the EVF/rear display auto switch so that it behaves according to your wishes when you have the screen flipped out. Often, as I am sure you have found when doing low level/high level work with the panel to the side, the movement of your hands near the EVF sensor can make the display shut off. In this firmware you can control it to ignore the EVF sensor with the panel flipped away from the body This is definitely a worthwhile update in my view. As for the rest, the improvement to the stabiliser in 3.3 was good enough to notice for all uses. In 3.4 it is great for stills but I am still not convinced by the video performance in our usage so have stayed on 3.3 purely for that reason. If you are mainly a stills shooter (or do not walk with the camera while recording on uneven ground/use locked-off tripods or gimballs for video) then I think you will be happy to go all the way to to 3.4.
@@southernshutterbug1436 So you have a friend in Gothenburg - that’s where I was born and lived until just a few years ago. Thank you for your comprehensive answer! I think I will upgrade directly to 3.4 via Olympus Workspace. If needed, I should be able to downgrade to 3.3 using the flash technique described in your December post (although it seems unlikely I will). Let me add that I have been in the Pro Audio business for many years as distributor for high end audio interfaces (Lynx Studio Technology since 1998). When it comes to updates, especially firmware upgrades, I have always advised customers to think carefully before doing anything. Is it really needed? Here the golden rule applies - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In this case, however, an upgrade really seems justified.
@@johannesleyman2628 Pleased you found value in the guide and in my reply. My friend in your old hometown gave me the grand tour when I visited in the late 90s. The Operaen (Think that is how it is spelled?), Hasselblad works and some fine dining. One of my favourite photos taken on my OM4Ti is of the harbour with the red and white harbour master building and a sailing ship moored at the quay. A beautiful town and very historic with regard to photography. If there is anything else I can do to assist with your enjoyment of you M1.2 do not hesitate to ask.
Hey I'm sorry if this is rude. I'll delete this if it is. I made a video about how to reinstall previous firmware using lightsnowdev.com. The instructions on the site were fine but you shouldn't delete the folder that is in the SD Card. Instead rename that folder to DCOLYMP. That was the only way I was able to get it to successfully take the BIN. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qq04h7qXADo.html
I tried to downgrade firmware from 3.4 to v.3.3 or 3.2 on my E-M1 II. But nothing happened. IBIS has working is not correctly for me - maybe better on static work, but worse when I moving with a camera. I created a folder DCOLYMP on SD card. Renamed the downloaded file to E1259999.BIN and put it inside DCOLYMP on SD card. Battery charged to 97%. I press and hold the "OK” button and start the camera. Camera is started as usual… LED is not turn on. I tried to change SD-card and change card-slot, delete or leave the ALBM folder on SD card, reset camera settings, etc...
Thank you for engaging and your comment. Apologies for the delay in responding - we have, for the past 10 days, been in a remote country area doing a documentary. I find it interesting that you have also found the same issue as have I and (now) more than a dozen other users - this is exactly what we are seeing. When moving, footfalls and other movements are not as well stabilised as before on the M1.2. For holding on one place and slow panning it is better but for the usual work we do it is not an improvement. On the flashing issue, you need to format the card on a computer so there is nothing else on it. Then set up the card as per the instructions on the site referenced in the description and follow the steps detailed.
@@eduard7485 Dear Souther Shutterbug. Big, big thank you for trying to help by shining a light on this. I wish I had come across your channel before upgrading. I read a lot but did not see anything that made me hesitate. Now trying to downgrade to 3.3. I get same results as @@eduard7485 Nothing happens except the camera starts as usual. After you sharing that the card has to be formatted in the computer. I formatted using my Mac, same results and I am now wondering if I have to use a PC for this. The camera does not "see" the info on the card so nothing happens. Since you got it to work there has to be something I am missing. I did not see that info on the firmware site so I am hoping there is something more that is assumed to be common knowledge but that am not aware of. I often use an external. recorder or a display. HDMI out I now random. Sometimes black screen, sometimes showing the screen info in the recorder mode, sometimes not. And occasionally working fine. The "no respons black screen" has become less frequent. Function buttons have assigned themselves different functions that has no relation to what's been assigned in the menu system and do not respond to changes. Multifunction for example has seized to give alternatives. Resetting has not helped. Once again thank you for trying to help.
@@eduard7485 Cameras do not handle anything other than a plain FAT files system so please ensure the SD card is formatted for FAT (Not FAT 32 or NTFS) before writing the files/folders to it.
@@eduard7485 Cameras do not handle anything other than a plain FAT files system so please ensure the SD card is formatted for FAT (Not FAT 32 or NTFS) before writing the files/folders to it.
This is exactly the issue we have found on all samples now tested of the M1.2 (M1.3 does not exhibit the same issue) . The footfalls are now easily noticeable whereas before they were not so easily seen. As most of our function work involves handheld work and following of action on foot - and at rural weddings over uneven ground - this was a problem for us. We are now running all M1.2s on the FW3.3 to mitigate the issue. Panning movement is, however, devoid of the previous settling motion when lateral movement is stopped. so that is a win. However, as we do not use panning much, that is less of an issue in our use.
Strange ... did a similar Test right now with my E-M1X (FW 2.0 and Pana 10-25 at 17mm) and E-M1 Mark II (FW 3.4 and Oly 12-40 at 17mm), IBIS set to M-IS 2 and everything was fine, no wobbling etc. My test included Filming across a scenery and around an object. Did also a Test with M-IS 1. What Video / IBIS settings did you use ?
On video we used Sensor shift and digital (M IS-1) with excellent results until FW 3.4. Further tests have now been done and a new video will be posted soon. We have, however, reverted all our M1.2s to FW3.3. We also have now tested the M1.3 body with the FW update but it seems fine as does the M1X. However, they have (I understand) a different stabiliser mechanism.
Not very scientific and kind of reckless to assume there is a problem across the board! Neither my E-M1 MkII or E-M1X show any problems they seem fine to me. I think further testing is needed to make a statement like you are.
We have now conducted further tests with four other samples (Two loaned for the purpose from amateur users). A new video is underway with the results. As stated in the description to the video, we use the equipment daily. This is what we noted and we are reporting on our experience under our working conditions, Other use cases may not be the same, which I accept.
@@southernshutterbug1436 Like I said, I haven't seen any problems with my two cameras and know others that have no issues either. So I don't understand the problem? You are the only one that I've seen on dozens of Olympus and Micro 4/3 forums and websites to bring up this issue?
@@gregs4163 The issue for us, in our conditions (now tested on six E-M1.2 samples-4 of which we loaned in to test)) is that footfalls are now more easily noticeable whereas before they were not so easily detectable by a casual viewer. I have now had e-mails from other users in the past 24 hours who have also noted the same aspect. As most of our wedding work at rural homesteads is most often on uneven ground, this was an immediate problem for us. On carpeted floors in developed conference venues it is not too much of a problem. Nevertheless, we are now running both M1.2s on the FW3.3 to mitigate the issue for our application. Other users may not face our conditions so may not need to do the same. . I have noted in the follow up tests that panning movement is, however, devoid of the previous settling motion when lateral movement is stopped. so that is a win if one pans a great deal. We have now seen that we do not have the same footfall issue on our M1.3 and M1X on video. Still imaging stabiliser performance on all models is, as usual, top-notch. Thank you yet again for your engagement.
I do see some wobble at the edge of the old E-M1, second clip. Is that perhaps what they were trying to improve? It's a well-known artifact of walking with IBIS with shorter lenses. The new one is so strangely twitchy, but other reviewers haven't seen this.
Thank you for the interaction. From the patchy information released about the improvement I and other users believe they were trying to improve panning performance. If you panned then stopped on older FW and models there was a slight move back against the direction of the pan once you stopped the pan in some cases before the update. The wobble at the edges is, as you say, something we know of on IBIS systems. We found a way to mitigate that so were not too bothered by that. I have had a chance to do some more comparisons on our M1.2 cameras and the M1.3. I have arranged to loan a few more copies from folk in our city to compare against our cameras and the various FW versions. I hope this may give a more representative result and eliminate any issues our particular examples may have given us in the initial results we see here. I hope to do the comparison check in the first week of the new year, all being well.
Hi. I suggest you find the developer's e-mail (it is on the "about me" link on the blog section of the update site) and send him an e-mail to assist with this.
No need to panic. You may be happy with the results - test and see. We are not. I have now had mixed reports from other users - it seems not to affect every camera (and not everyone uses the video facility) but would appear to be something that well-used examples (above 40 K shutter cycles) are seeing. I have two colleagues in different parts of the world that have seen a similar issue on their cameras as well - all the cameras involved are beyond 40K cycles. Two nearby local users with lightly used examples (less than 20 K and 12 K) say they think it is better but cannot be sure as they seldom use video. It would be good to have some comment from Olympus/JIP - hence me asking for their input. I am going to loan and test three different age cameras from other local users against my two examples in a side by side test as soon as possible. to try and confirm one way or the other.
Here is a site that contains a link to a platform built by a German student that allows you to download older firmware versions using an SD card, similar to Lumix's firmware update process. Use the "forward" button to proceed through each step. www.mu-43.com/threads/firmware-update-without-a-cable-success-achieved.96390/ actual site: lightsnowdev.com/Olympus/update.html
Hello. The link to download the BIN files and for step by step instructions is at the bottom of the video description. Click on "show more". I have found that comments with links seem to disappear after they get posted so I placed it up there. I have now performed the process twice. One thing I would suggest is to first back-up your settings/MySets using the Olympus camera updater software. Then, once you have re-flashed the older FW you simply connect to the updater software again and re-load the MySet/Custom Settings again by picking the last backup from the list the software will display when asking which backup you wish to re-load. As I have had various reports and feedback from different users (some are happy and others have found the same thing) you may only want to do this if you are not happy with the "improvements". If they are not a problem on your particular example of the camera,, then you may wish leave it with t he latest firmware?
Thank you, this is very helpful - greatly appreciate your comment and detailed description of the procedure. By the way, have you also encountered this issue in your EM1 MK3s? Or has it been only in your MK2s?
@@omidnoroozian I am not upgrading my E-M1 Mark III - and certainly not the the M1 X (the only one where the BIN files are not available to re-flash the FW) until I am satisfied that this is not something that affects all three models so cannot say, in our case, if those exhibit a similar issue. At the moment, on the older firmware, they are working as we are used to having them operate. I will keep that as is for now until we have the time to spare.
Video was the immediate issue that affected our day to day usage of that camera. I will be doing a full range of tests shortly to check video and stills after re-"updating" one of the M1.2 bodies - as I cannot re-set the M1.3 or M1X to earlier firmware I am unwilling to try it on those. Subjectively it appears that even the still image modes are affected but only when moving the camera around. It seems to take slightly longer to "settle" after it has been moved.
This is concerning. Did you do a before and after comparison, ie are you sure the mk ii has not developed a stabiliser fault that you only noticed when you did the side by side comparison?
Hi. Thanks for your comment. We did not have any issues prior to the upgrade. Our cameras are in daily use. We noticed immediately. In the interim, we have reverted to the older firmware using the SD card flash technique and normal service has been restored on that camera. I will shortly post a video on how that is done. In the interim I will "upgrade" the other M1.2 body and see if it has the same issue (Now that I know how to re-grade the upgrade.)
@@wildcat1065 I have copied most of the folk I know at various Olympus branches worldwide (I have never had any sort of official contact point/priority with the company) but no replies yet - it was a weekend after all . That said, more and more e-mails are going without reply these days and its hard to know if the folk I had on record are on holiday leave or no longer part of the family.
Indeed. Not what we have come to expect. Possibly a few glitches in the rush to get it all done before the handover? It was coded under Olympus' auspices but will likely now be up to JIP to resolve. If they do, a few developers are not getting year-end holidays...
@@southernshutterbug1436 better not to bring out a firmware update than a flawed one. This is a little bit disheartening - let's hope they fix it quickly
I suspect this indicates that they already reached optimum performance with stabilization, and any changes from here are going to involve trade-offs. If the camera strongly holds a steady frame, it will be great for walking but poor for panning. Make that hold of a steady frame less strong and you improve planning, but worsen walking. The best way to handle it could be to to make it a mode that the user could switch between, selecting the ideal setting for each situation.
@@StephenStrangways Thank you for the input. Exactly what I suspected when seeing the effect - you cannot fiddle with one aspect of stabiliser behaviour now without a trade-off on another. I agree it should be made an option - after all, what is one more bit of fine tuning among all we have to date anyway?
Thank you for this Stephen. I have given it a go on the basis that the "upgraded" camera was basically not useful anyway so I had nothing to lose. Pleased to report it works perfectly, even retaining our settings - I will do a quick video on this later today as there are one or two tips and tricks I discovered to make the process error-free and faultless. Suffice to say that I now have normal service restored with firmware 3.3. Jonathan Boeck (the developer of the site) rocks!
