E-M1 Firmware Update 3.

0 Information

Supplement to Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M1

Copyright 2015 Darrell Young, All Rights Reserved

www.pictureandpen.com
Using Firmware Update 3.0
The information this author received from Olympus on how firmware update 3.0
works was changed just as Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 went to press.
Therefore the first printing of the book had incorrect information on firmware
3.0, applying the updates benefits to Sequential L mode shooting when it fact
Sequential H mode must be used to make it work.
All eBook versions of the book were updated with the correct information,
and the second printing will correct the information for the printed book.
This document adds to the information in all formats of the books with a
somewhat deeper discussion of how the new firmware update 3.0 affects the
autofocus and AF modes of the E-M1.

Using 10 FPS Burst Shooting with First Frame Autofocus

If your subject is moving from side to side in front of you in consistent lighting
conditions, so that you can pan your camera with the subject, the 10 fps
Sequential H settingavailable with S-AF mode onlymay be useful. The
autofocus, exposure, and white balance will be locked on the first frame, so make
sure the subject is not moving toward or away from you or moving through areas
with widely differing light levels or color temperatures.
The important thing to understand about shooting at 10 fps is that you must
be using Single AF (S-AF) mode to cause the camera to shoot that fast. Otherwise
the frame burst rate will not reach 10 fps, even though you have set the Custom
Menu > C. Release/[FPS] > [Sequential] H fps setting to 10 fps.
Using S-AF mode is a signal to the camera that you want maximum speed
and it will use autofocus only on the first frame of the series of images you take and
will give you 10 fps, as long as available light permits the shutter speed to be
high enough to support a speed that fast.

Using 9 FPS Burst Shooting with Full-Time Autofocus

If your subject strays from a parallel path, moving toward or away from you
instead, it may be better to use C-AF mode with the Sequential H setting, which
shoots at up to 9 fps (firmware 3.0 update required). Although 1 fps slower, the
camera updates the focus so that you can shoot subjects moving toward or away
from you and still capture sharp pictures.
The E-M1 does not update the exposure value or white balance in Sequential
H mode, even when using Continuous AF (C-AF) mode; only the autofocus is
updated. Exposure and white balance is still tied to the first frame.

 The critical thing to understand about using the new firmware 3.0 speed is
that the camera must be using Continuous AF (C-AF) mode in order to achieve
up to 9 fps with active AF. No other mode, including C-AF+TR, allows you to use
the new firmware 3.0 features.

Figure 1: 37-AF-Point frame on monitor and EVF screen during C-AF Sequential H shooting

When shooting in C-AF mode, the camera uses 37 AF point, phase-detection

autofocus (PDAF). Figure 1, image 1, shows the actual locations of the 37 AF
target points. While you are actually firing the camera in Sequential H burst
mode, you will see a faint focus area frame in the EVF or monitor, outlining the
37 AF point area (figure 1.0, image 2). In other words, the camera will autofocus
using the outlined area seen in image 2, all the time you are holding down the
shutter button and firing the burst of images. You may have to train yourself to
look for the outline as the frames are flying into the camera.
You will also see the orange card access symbol flashing while the camera is
shooting the burst of frames (upper left of monitor or EVF).
I enjoy the fact that the E-M1 provides phase-detection autofocus in C-AF
mode, with both Micro Four Thirds and older Four Thirds lenses. It uses 37 of the
81 available focus points because only the 37 points have on-chip, phase-
detection capability (figure 1, image 1). If you allow the subject to stray outside
of the framed area seen in figure 1, image 2, it will no longer use phase-detection
(PDAF) autofocus. Instead it will use contrast-detection (CDAF) autofocus, which
may not be as efficient at updating the focus with a rapidly moving subject. The
framed area seen in figure 1, image 2, represents the 37 AF point area shown in
image 1. Try to keep your subject within the framed area seen in image 2.
The 37 AF point frame seen in figure 1, image 2, will not show on the monitor
or in the EVF when you are shooting bursts in Sequential L mode. This outline
frame is part of the new firmware 3.0 for Sequential H burst mode shooting only.
By adjusting the Custom Menu > C. Release/[FPS] > [Sequential] H fps setting,
you can choose from a range of 5 fps to 10 fps. However, the camera will not use
the 10 fps setting when it is shooting in C-AF mode. Instead, the camera will

shoot at up to 9 fps only, even though 10 fps is selected, but with continuously-
updating AF instead of first-frame-only AF.
Settings Recommendation: I set Custom Menu > C. Release/[FPS] >
[Sequential] H fps to 10 fps and leave it there. When I want up to 9 fps with active
autofocus, I simply use Continuous AF (C-AF) mode. When I want 10 fps first-
frame-only autofocus, I simply set the camera to Single AF (S-AF) mode. I also
leave my cameras C-AF Lock setting set to Normal.

C-AF Lock Setting

Additionally, for maximum performance when shooting at the new high-speed
9 fps, active AF, Sequential H mode, Olympus recommends that you set Custom
Menu > A. AF/MF > C-AF Lock to Normal.
This allows the C-AF performance to be more stable because it prevents the
camera from being distracted by an object that temporarily gets in between the
camera and your subject. Basically, C-AF Lock set to Normal allows better subject-
tracking performance.

Setting Summation
Here is a best-use summation of the new firmware 3.0 update for clarity:

Sequential High (H): The camera will take a continuous series of pictures at
up to 9 fpswith autofocus updated for each framewhen C-AF mode is
used only (firmware 3.0 update required). It can also shoot at 10 fps with
autofocus locked after the first frame (no AF updates) when using S-AF
mode. The exposure and white balance are locked on the values determined
from the first frame of the burst series in either C-AF or S-AF modes.

Sequential Low (L): The camera will take a continuous series of pictures at
up to 6.5 fps. Autofocus (PDAF or CDAF), exposure, and white balance are
fully active for each picture in the series, based on which autofocus mode
you have selected (e.g., S-AF, C-AF, C-AF+TR).

C-AF Lock: Set to the Normal setting for superior subject tracking when
using C-AF mode.

Setting Your Camera to Use the New Firmware 3.0 Features

The critical settings to use the new 9 fps mode are considered next. Use the
following 12 steps to set up your camera for high-speed burst shooting.

Figure 2: Selecting Sequential H mode with the Sequential shooting/Self-timer/HDR button

1. Press the Sequential shooting/Self-timer/HDR button (figure 2, image 1),

which will open the Sequential shooting/Self-timer/HDR screen (figure 2.
Image 2).
2. Rotate the Rear dial to highlight Sequential H mode (figure 2, image 2, red
arrow). You can also use the Arrow pad left and right buttons to select the
mode.
3. Press the OK button to lock in Sequential H mode.

Figure 3: Setting [Sequential] H fps mode to 10 fps

4. Select C. Release/[FPS] from the Custom Menu and scroll to the right (figure
3, image 1).
5. Choose [Sequential] H fps from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3,
image 2).
6. A small window will open and offer you choices from 5 frames per second
(5fps) to 10 frames per second (10fps). The factory default is 10fps. Choose
10fps so that you can use either 9 fps shooting with active AF, or 10 fps
shooting with first-frame-only AF (figure 3, image 3). Of course, if you want

 to use a slower burst rate and still have active autofocus, you can choose a
slower rate (i.e., 5fps, 6fps, 7fps, or 8fps).
7. Press the OK button to Set the frame rate.

Figure 4: Setting the autofocus mode to C-AF

8. Press the AF/Metering mode button (figure 4, image 1) to open the

AF/Metering screen (figure 4, image 2).
9. Use the Rear dial or Arrow pad buttons to highlight C-AF mode for 9 fps with
updating autofocus, or select S-AF for 10 fps with first-frame-only autofocus
(figure 4, image 2).

Figure 5: Setting C-AF Lock to Normal for better subject tracking

10. Select A. AF/MF from the Custom Menu and scroll to the right (figure 5,
image 1).
11. Choose C-AF Lock from the A. AF/MF menu and scroll to the right (figure 5,
image 2).
12. Select Normal from the up/down menu and press the OK button to lock in
the setting.

Now, go shoot some 9 fps high-speed images bursts with your new firmware
3.0 upgrade!

Authors Conclusion
Please check back at the Downloadable Resources site where you got this
document. There may be an update to this information later. Also, other
documents on other subjects may be added for E-M1 users. Here is the link:

http://www.rockynook.com/OlympusEM1

Also, please join my non-public Master Your Olympus Facebook group, set up for
readers of my books only. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MasterYourOlympus/

I would enjoy discussing Olympus tech with you for years to come. Thanks for
buying my books!

Keep on capturing time

(Last updated: 03/05/2015)