Just bought an Olympus E-PL1

[boBQuincy]

When playing with aperture settings it is good to remember about diffraction. This can cause unsharpness and gets worse as the sensor gets smaller. Micro 4/3 may see effects starting at f/11. I was doing some testing with the G3 (14-42 kit lens) to see how bad diffraction could be. At f/22 it is not good!

The photo on the left is f/8, the one on the right is f/22, both at 100%. Not my most interesting photo but it gets the point across.

 

[digiMom]

boBQuincy, that's something I wasn't aware of. Thank you! (One more thing to worry about )

Seriously, thanks for the tip, very helpful.

 

[Pugrpooh]

The learning continues...

I did not have time to shoot this evening. I will try to get out soon, though. I'm trying to recall concepts from my two photography classes that I took about 7-8 years ago. I remember basics about shutter (fast stops motion, slow blurs it) and aperture (small - like f16 - for wide depth of field, large - f4 - for shallow). Changing ISO with a click of a button is something I'm not used to. At least at first, I'll probably stick with 200. I have some idea about white balance. The basics on old school metering. So I have a bit of a learning curve, but at least an idea. And working in visual communications, I've had the opportunity to see some pretty impressive photography.

With that said, I found a bit of interesting information about how the camera focuses. I found this here: http://www.drmartinwilliams.com/photography/using-olympus-pen-e-pl1.html. Look under "Autofocus Not Always Selecting Correct Subject." Any comments/thoughts/experience on this?

You can try shooting in P mode instead of Auto. I used that most of the time until recently when I started using Aperture priority more. In P mode, you can change some of the settings, unlike in Auto. I ventured into Shutter priority mode at the Taylor Swift concert (using the 40-150mm lens) and I was more than pleased with the results.

 

[digiMom]

Olympus has made two versions of the 14-42mm lens for the Pens. The first one came with the E-P1 and E-PL1. I think with the E-PL2 they introduced the next generation of the lens. I think I've read that some people now were receiving the 2nd generation lens with the E-PL1's. Do you know which one you have?

I'm 99% sure I have the first one. The 40-150mm lens has threads, though.

You can try shooting in P mode instead of Auto. I used that most of the time until recently when I started using Aperture priority more.

Some of my shots have been in M mode. It actually freaked me out a little. I had been shooting indoors. Then when I took it outside, it was totally overexposed like the shot wasn't being metered. I quickly got out of that mode because I wasn't sure if letting all that light get to the sensor would damage it. Is that supposed to happen?

I haven't used iAuto too much. Seems weird. So what I've been referring to as 'Auto' are the P (with no adjustment) or Scene modes and Art filters.

Thanks again for your help and advice. ~Kathy

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Some of my shots have been in M mode. It actually freaked me out a little. I had been shooting indoors. Then when I took it outside, it was totally overexposed like the shot wasn't being metered. I quickly got out of that mode because I wasn't sure if letting all that light get to the sensor would damage it. Is that supposed to happen?

You have to adjust the exposure compensation. There is a bar on the LCD screen that goes from - to +, turn the wheel (not sure exactly where it is on the PEN) until you get to 0 while in M mode in any given situation. This will give you the proper exposure, it's a built in exposure meter essentially. You can do this in the other modes as well, except Auto and preset modes.

 

[digiMom]

 

[digiMom]

Good Morning. Some more advice would be appreciated...

It's gotten really cold here. Like around freezing in the mornings and 10% humidity. I need a refresher on how to handle my camera under these conditions. Should I just not use it outside when it's cold like this? I remember something about putting it in a ziploc when coming back inside to avoid condensation on it. And not opening any compartments until the camera is back up to room temperature. Anything else?

Thanks again!

 

[Pugrpooh]

Good Morning. Some more advice would be appreciated...

It's gotten really cold here. Like around freezing in the mornings and 10% humidity. I need a refresher on how to handle my camera under these conditions. Should I just not use it outside when it's cold like this? I remember something about putting it in a ziploc when coming back inside to avoid condensation on it. And not opening any compartments until the camera is back up to room temperature. Anything else?

Thanks again!

I'm not sure but I'm thinking you don't really have to worry about it. If it were a problem, there would be a lot more talk about it on the different photography forums. As it is, I remember a post where someone asked about using his camera in the bitter cold, like around 0, and it didn't seem to be a problem. They did recommend having a spare battery kept close to the body for warmth because the cold would drain the battery more quickly.

 

[digiMom]

I'm not sure but I'm thinking you don't really have to worry about it.

Thanks for the info. I did my own web search and found the same advice. That's good news.

I'm looking for info on the firmware. I've never really dealt with firmware and updates, so have a general idea of what they are and what they are for but no real hands-on experience. I looked in the menu and my body is version 1.1; the two kit lenses are 1.0. Do I need to update any of these? If so, can you give me a link with info? Thanks.

I took more shots yesterday at our zoo. Some came out great; some were awful. I experimented with a lot of different settings. Most of the animals were indoors, so I used a higher ISO (800) and S mode. I think camera shake was a huge factor. I gave my s95 to DS (11) and he got some good ones, too. I'll post some later when I have time.

I would like to get a nice travel tripod. I wanted to get a relatively inexpensive one to tide me over until I can budget a decent one. I know cost/sturdiness/lightweight; pick two. Anyway, I tried an ~$30 one from Walmart that had some decent ratings online. It was awful and is going back. Completely unusable; the center column wiggles with nothing on it let alone a camera. Then the head wiggles or sticks. It's going back. If anyone has a suggestion I'd appreciate it. I'd like to take it to DW. I just need it to be sturdy, light and cheap (Sorry, couldn't help myself.) Anyway, I think you know what I mean. I'd like to keep it under $50, although I'd stretch that a little if there's a good choice out there that's a little more. ($70???) I'd like to it to be easy to cart it around and hold the camera steady for twilight/fireworks shots. I'll still probably use my s95 for indoor shots. It''s just easier at this point. I thought about getting a faster lens, but just can't afford it right now. Renting one seems kind of silly.

I've done some online research about my "adapter" idea and have abandoned it. It just sounds like a good way to hurt the lens. Does anyone use a UV filter? How about others, polarizing, etc? I don't think I'm going to pursue those at this point unless someone thinks otherwise. I used UV filters with my film slr lenses. The micro lenses just don't seem to lend themselves to them, though.

One last thought. I'm going to go into the menu and put a delay on the shutter button to try and eliminate/reduce camera shake. Has anyone else done so? Any info on good setting and results?

Thanks again for your help with getting this started. At some point I'll abandon this thread and join some of the others I've been reading. Photo Sharing: Olympus, 4:3, Micro 4:3. I just want to get "better" first.

Thanks again. Your time and advice are appreciated.

 

[digiMom]

Worthwhile?

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-PL1-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/0470879505

 

[JoeDif]

One last thought. I'm going to go into the menu and put a delay on the shutter button to try and eliminate/reduce camera shake. Has anyone else done so? Any info on good setting and results?

Thanks again for your help with getting this started. At some point I'll abandon this thread and join some of the others I've been reading. Photo Sharing: Olympus, 4:3, Micro 4:3. I just want to get "better" first.

Thanks again. Your time and advice are appreciated.

The shutter delay works really well for tripod use. I'm not sure it would be worthwhile for handheld use.

Stop on over to the Photo Sharing Olympus link anytime!!! We are a friendly bunch

 

[digiMom]

First off, Go Packers!!!

Now that I got that out of my system ...

Here's some shots. After looking at what my settings were (what? duh!?) I think I know what my issues were. I would still appreciate feedback on what I did wrong, though. I was on S priority.

First one:

In the aviary. Low light, but natural light coming from windows high in the ceiling.

f/14, 0.77 sec, ISO 400, 145mm focal length

f/9, 1/4 sec, ISO 400, 145mm focal length

 

[digiMom]

Some more stupid settings. I put my lens against a glass to get the shot.

f/5.6, 0.77 sec, ISO 200 150mm focal length

f/5.5, 0.77 sec, ISO 200 140mm focal length

 

[digiMom]

This is outside. Probably my cleanest shot. Unfortunately, I cut his feet off. Below is 100% crop. I still think I'm choosing the wrong settings, though. I had some blurry shots, too.

f/4, 1/15 sec, ISO 200, 40mm focal length

PB190278-01 by kdtenaglia, on Flickr

 

[digiMom]

I really like this shot. I know it shows some blur, but I kind of like it. It was through piano wire, so I had to manually focus.

f/10, 1/4 sec, ISO 400, 150mm

(Yeah, I realize I'm putting this lens at it's furthest focal length, which isn't always the best choice. But I wanted to see what I would do.)

 

[digiMom]

I took some outdoor shots, too. Here's a couple.

f/4.8, 1/40 sec, ISO 800, 82 focal length -0.3 step (?? when did I do that? )

f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO 800, 40mm

I had set the ISO up in the cat house. I'll put a few of those up next...

 

[digiMom]

Here you go. It was really dark in here...

f/4.8, 1/50 sec, ISO 800, 82 mm

f/15, 1/15 sec, ISO 800, 111 mm, +0.3 step (must have bumped it)


I have more, but that's it for now. Thanks in advance for any feedback...

 

[JoeDif]

Here you go. It was really dark in here...

f/4.8, 1/50 sec, ISO 800, 82 mm

f/15, 1/15 sec, ISO 800, 111 mm, +0.3 step (must have bumped it)


I have more, but that's it for now. Thanks in advance for any feedback...

I really like the cat house photos!! Good aperture choice in the first to knock out some of the background. In the second, since DOF wasn't an issue, f/8 - f/11 would have worked also and it would have upped your shutter speed as well.

 

[digiMom]

I really like the cat house photos!! Good aperture choice in the first to knock out some of the background. In the second, since DOF wasn't an issue, f/8 - f/11 would have worked also and it would have upped your shutter speed as well.

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I actually have some blurry shots that a faster shutter speed would have helped. Some would still be OK on a computer screen, but once you look at them closer you realize they wouldn't print well. As I looked through the photos, I think I could have made better ISO choices, as well. Any thoughts on choosing an ISO in different situations would be welcome.

 

[Pugrpooh]

I really like this shot. I know it shows some blur, but I kind of like it. It was through piano wire, so I had to manually focus.

f/10, 1/4 sec, ISO 400, 150mm

(Yeah, I realize I'm putting this lens at it's furthest focal length, which isn't always the best choice. But I wanted to see what I would do.)

I like this too because it appears like he's ruffling his feathers and you get the sense of motion from the blur in the wings. Your cat photos are nice too!

I think you did a good job with the slower shutter speeds. You'll invariably get motion blur or camera shake on some shots and you can try higher ISO's to get the faster shutter speed, but you'll have the tradeoff of noise in the photos. You can take care of the noise though with some post processing.

It just takes a lot of practice to get an idea of what settings would work best in certain situations. Keep up the good work!