OM-D out of focus infrequently.

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Sam tran
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p.1 #1 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Having the OM-D for a few weeks, and with the latest firmware version, I sometime experienced with the camera out of focus problem, not often but three times within 4 weeks. It happened while I mounted the 12mm/f2 lens. Just removed the battery and put it back, the problem goes away. I don't know whether if anybody else also has the same experience, and if so how do you fixed it from happening again. Other than that, it's a pure joy to carry it with me more often than my 5D body & lens.

Thanks,
Sam

Nov 24, 2012 at 08:40 AM

Makten
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p.1 #2 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

What is the "camera out of focus problem"?

Nov 24, 2012 at 11:24 AM

FlyPenFly
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p.1 #3 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Weird, I have two OM-D's with the 12/2 and 25/1.4. Never had a focus problem on over 3000 shots.

I do use all the focus modes except C-AF. I use small box selected point focus mode the most though.

Nov 24, 2012 at 12:12 PM

Makten
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p.1 #4 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

FlyPenFly wrote:
Weird, I have two OM-D's with the 12/2 and 25/1.4. Never had a focus problem on over 3000 shots.

I do use all the focus modes except C-AF. I use small box selected point focus mode the most though.

Do you shoot in low light? This has only happened to me in near darkness (but where a decent SLR would not miss).

Nov 24, 2012 at 12:33 PM

FlyPenFly
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p.1 #5 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

I prefer to shoot frequently in low light.

I've had far more problems with PDAF cameras.

CDAF is freaking fantastic for accuracy.

except for the obvious tripod shot, these were all ISO3200 or ISO1600 with a slow shutter.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Nov 24, 2012 at 12:44 PM

Sam tran
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p.1 #6 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

I've had out of focus shots for no reason, several times with the 12/2 and 20/1.7, but never with the 25/1.4 or 45/1.8. And it's not because the camera missed, it just didn't find focus even if I got the green square and everything. Is this what you refer to? Makten
Yes, it's exactly happened as you described. I didn't even get the green box to select a point to focus. I don't have the 25/1.4 and didn't have any problem with 45/1.8 either. The problem existed even when there is plenty enough light. Sometime I even use ISO 2000 when in low light but problem still happened. Other than that, the OM-D and lens is incredible fast focus & shoot with incredible sharpness. I really in love with my OM-D - and will be in Lust when a new OM-D full frame arrived!

Nov 24, 2012 at 12:51 PM

FlyPenFly
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p.1 #7 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Focus may be tied to your JPEG live preview settings so you may want to see if those are out of whack.

Nov 24, 2012 at 01:02 PM

Makten
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p.1 #8 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

FlyPenFly wrote:
Focus may be tied to your JPEG live preview settings so you may want to see if those are out of whack.

WHAT?!?!?!

What did they smoke when they made AF depend on JPG settings? In fact these problems have mostly happened when I shot B&W.

Nov 25, 2012 at 02:27 PM

cputeq
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p.1 #9 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Makten wrote:
FlyPenFly wrote:
Focus may be tied to your JPEG live preview settings so you may want to see if those are out of whack.

WHAT?!?!?!

What did they smoke when they made AF depend on JPG settings? In fact these problems have mostly happened when I shot B&W.

It's only theory at the moment, since AF-C seems to get somewhat better depending on what JPEG settings the OMD is on.

I have no idea if this is actually true (and Fly did say "may" be tied', but it's something to at least try

------------

To OP - try cleaning contacts of lens and camera?

Nov 25, 2012 at 02:29 PM

FlyPenFly
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p.1 #10 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Makten wrote:
FlyPenFly wrote:
Focus may be tied to your JPEG live preview settings so you may want to see if those are out of whack.

WHAT?!?!?!

What did they smoke when they made AF depend on JPG settings? In fact these problems have mostly happened when I shot B&W.

Well CDAF is based off a video signal. The imaging processor on the camera probably only has 1 live feed it can stream and analyze.

It's all theory though but people seem to indicate CAF works much better under certain JPEG settings versus others.

Nov 25, 2012 at 02:55 PM

Makten
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p.1 #11 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

I've tried some more and I can't see that my JPG settings does anything with AF. But I have got A LOT of shots out of focus with the 12/2 in low light. Enough for me to finally motivate me to sell the camera.

Dec 01, 2012 at 12:01 PM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #12 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Or you could just man up and rid yourself of all AF lenses. MF is for real men!

Dec 01, 2012 at 12:47 PM

Jonas B
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p.1 #13 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

I didn't recognize the problem so I put the E-M5 with the 12/2 on a tripod and turned the light off giving me 3sec at ISO200. My shelf, using AF, looked nice and sharp enough (there was nothing to complain, more or less identically, about when compared to a manually focused shot). Then I turned a halogen on, got 1/8 of a second instead and repeated it. First AF and then MF and the two images came out virtually identically. IBIS on in both cases.

Now that was one single test only but it served to keep my confidence up. Sample differences? Some cameras don't like some copies of the lens? You aren't selling the camera for some other reason? Are your low light situations very different from my setup above?

Dec 01, 2012 at 12:49 PM

Jonas B
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p.1 #14 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Bifurcator wrote:
Or you could just man up and rid yourself of all AF lenses. MF is for real men!

I recall when you described yourself as a man, or a man's man, in the size of XL... I have AF lenses only in my bag for the moment.

Dec 01, 2012 at 12:51 PM

Makten
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p.1 #15 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Bifurcator wrote:
Or you could just man up and rid yourself of all AF lenses. MF is for real men!

I actually prefer MF, but the OM-D is a terrible camera for that, in my opinion. And the M lenses I tried on it performed worse than the native MFT lenses.

Jonas B wrote:
I didn't recognize the problem so I put the E-M5 with the 12/2 on a tripod and turned the light off giving me 3sec at ISO200. My shelf, using AF, looked nice and sharp enough (there was nothing to complain, more or less identically, about when compared to a manually focused shot). Then I turned a halogen on, got 1/8 of a second instead and repeated it. First AF and then MF and the two images came out virtually identically. IBIS on in both cases.

Now that was one single test only but it served to keep my confidence up. Sample differences? Some cameras don't like some copies of the lens? You aren't selling the camera for some other reason? Are your low light situations very different from my setup above?

What distance was this at? For me it seems to happen at ~5 meters or more, where the light on the camera won't reach the target. So it ends up confirming focus, but nothing is in focus.

I have several reasons for selling the camera. This was just the straw that broke the camels back.

Dec 01, 2012 at 12:55 PM

Jonas B
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p.1 #16 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

It was about 2m between the shelf and the camera. Focusing and confirmation worked normally. I'll repeat it some day with a longer distance just to if I can learn something.

Then you should sell it. I have been on the fence for some time but right now I'm having a good time with the 12/2, the 25/1.4 and, since this week only, the 75/1.8 in the bag. I would prefer a FF sensor with as good 24, 50 and perhaps 125mm lenses but the lack of decent combination of EVF, size and weight and as nice lenses holds me back.

Dec 01, 2012 at 01:02 PM

Jonas B
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p.1 #17 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Just did a quickie and judged the result by reviewing the images at 7 and 10x enlargement using the camera's viewfinder. E-M5, tripod, IBIS on, 12/2, f2, 5m, ISO200, AF first at 1/8s and then 1/2s, in both cases followed by a manually focused comparison shot. I got the same result as in my post above - virtually identical and in focus images in all four cases.
Again, these results are from one single try only.

Dec 01, 2012 at 01:11 PM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #18 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Bifurcator wrote:
Or you could just man up and rid yourself of all AF lenses. MF is for real men!

Makten wrote:
I actually prefer MF, but the OM-D is a terrible camera for that, in my opinion. And the M lenses I tried on it performed worse than the native MFT lenses.

I was of course just kidding (maybe

) but what's this? I'm looking to get the OM-D and shoot only MF so clue me in brother. What's the deal, something systemic with the OM-D?

Dec 01, 2012 at 01:54 PM

Makten
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p.1 #19 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Jonas B wrote:
Just did a quickie and judged the result by reviewing the images at 7 and 10x enlargement using the camera's viewfinder. E-M5, tripod, IBIS on, 12/2, f2, 5m, ISO200, AF first at 1/8s and then 1/2s, in both cases followed by a manually focused comparison shot. I got the same result as in my post above - virtually identical and in focus images in all four cases.
Again, these results are from one single try only.

I think there are several important differences between your test and my OOF shots. First of all, it's possible that ISO 200 works better since there is lower noise (but of course also lower signal). Your shutter speeds also indicate that light was much stronger, since I'm down at 1/4-1/8 or so at ISO 1600 and f/2. That's really dark. Thirdly, shooting off a tripod makes the camera stable when focusing, which could also improve performance.

Edit: I don't mind that the camera can't focus properly under those conditions, but then I want to know that before tripping the shutter so that I can choose to use MF instead.

) but what's this? I'm looking to get the OM-D and shoot only MF so clue me in brother. What's the deal, something systemic with the OM-D?

The problem is the same for all similar cameras. You can't focus AND compose at the same time, which ruins the photographic experience for me. Technically, the OM-D is very good because you can use IBIS while focusing with the magnified view.
Further more, the sensor is too small to give decent results with old FF glass in my opinon. I just don't see the benefints over using an APS-C camera or modern AF lenses. All of the MFT glass I have outperforms even super expensive Leica M lenses on the OM-D.

Dec 01, 2012 at 03:30 PM

Jonas B
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p.1 #20 · OM-D out of focus infrequently.

Makten wrote:
I think there are several important differences between your test and my OOF shots. First of all, it's possible that ISO 200 works better since there is lower noise (but of course also lower signal). Your shutter speeds also indicate that light was much stronger, since I'm down at 1/4-1/8 or so at ISO 1600 and f/2. That's really dark. Thirdly, shooting off a tripod makes the camera stable when focusing, which could also improve performance.

Edit: I don't mind that the camera can't focus properly under those conditions, but then I want to know that before tripping the shutter so that I can choose to use MF instead.

And even then, MF is worthless with the 12/2 because of only a few discrete distances to choose between. The scale is also way off and the 1 meter mark is more like 5 meters IRL.

If you want to get something close to what I got, try shooting handheld outdoors under street lights and nothing more.

I understand what you mean. Now I don't think 3 seconds at ISO 200 and 1/4 or so at at ISO 1600 is very different, and especially not so at 5meters.

The Zuiko 12/2 is a weird animal. You can focus it just fine manually if you avoid switching to the scale letting the focus ring stay in the AF position. Then there are no discrete steps but the lens instead acts as any other AF lens. Try it.

I hear you about the green light signal though. There is obviously something Olympus should have done better. In the end I also understand it as you sell the camera mainly for other reasons. I see the 12/2 as a good lens (optically) but a nice try only (mechanics) to make a hybrid focusing lens. That lens itself will never be a reason for me to sell the camera though.

regards,

Jonas

Dec 01, 2012 at 05:57 PM

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