I am looking for a bit of advice about using the EM5. I was lucky enough to find dolphins yesterday on the way back from my dive. I had about a 10 minute encounter with two bottlenose and snapped as many photos as I could. However, almost all of them were out of focus. I was shooting on Shutter Speed Priority at 60 and 80 with the camera set to auto focus. That is what I used to do with my old camera, a g12, and never had any issues. So my question is: what is the best focus setting to use for quick moving open ocean species like dolphins, mantas, and whale sharks?
Alex,
I have also noticed a problem with the EM5 focusing with my 12-50 lens when shooting macro. I was night diving in Raja Ampat. My shutter speed was set to 1/250, with 200 ISO, (on full manual setting) but I had quite a lot of difficulty with subjects that had very low contrast. Even using my Sola 800 at full power didn't help.
I ended up focusing on something else close by, locking the focus, and then "rocking" to adjust the focus. Is that just the nature of the EM5?
I was a previous D200 shooter (Subal housing).
I found using the record button to auto focus and having the shutter in manual focus works well. Thumb the record lever (in a Nauticam housing), "rock" if necessary and then press the shutter button. Explained here in a previous thread.
I found using the record button to auto focus and having the shutter in manual focus works well. ...
I've been doing the same and like it for macro but when trying to track fast free swimming damsels, wrasse, etc the time between focusing with the record or function button and switching to the shutter is too long. I think it would be interesting to transfer the shutter release instead of auto-focus to the record/function button. That way you can use half-press to get approximate focus followed by sliding forward/backward to get critical focus in macro and still use the regular half-press/full-press for the fast swimmers, but I don't think this can be done.
Bart
Bart
I've been doing the same and like it for macro but when trying to track fast free swimming damsels, wrasse, etc the time between focusing with the record or function button and switching to the shutter is too long. I think it would be interesting to transfer the shutter release instead of auto-focus to the record/function button. That way you can use half-press to get approximate focus followed by sliding forward/backward to get critical focus in macro and still use the regular half-press/full-press for the fast swimmers, but I don't think this can be done.
Bart
Bart
I think you're right. I was actually replying to "divingdoc" who mentioned auto focusing issues in macro.
I use S-AF (single autofocus) with the small focus point and have little trouble with quick subjects or macro, especially when I use a focus light but even without that assistance.
The lastet firmware release makes the small focus point easy, and adds a lower ISO setting. For those who have not yet updated, see coroander's post here:
I didn't mean to imply that I had trouble with focusing. The S-AF is very fast so I haven't really missed C-AF. It's just that I think for quick swimmers the standard half-press/full-press on the shutter would be easier then having focus and shutter on separate buttons, which is what I used on my last trip. I should get to experiment more this Spring, including the small focus point.
Bart
Caroline,
I think your shutter speed is too slow - try 1/100 or 1/125 as the out of focus may actually be motion blur.
Karl
I was thinking the same as Karl. I would go with at least 1/160 or 1/200
