Capture Lightning Photos With Olympus LIVE COMPOSITE

[@robinwong]

When I was making the video I forgot to mention the most popular method of capturing lightning - using Time Lapse, which can be very cool as well, allowing you the option to make a time lapse movie of the lightning. The drawback of using this method is, if you want to merge multiple lightning into a singular shot, you need to do that in post-processing/PhotoShop. Live Composite does everything in camera, it is almost like cheating.

[@spogmcardle9146]

Robin the other week I used time lapse to shoot the meteor shower, but as the sunrise was happening I tried to change both the aperture and the shutter speed but it wouldn't let me. Is this correct or do I have to do something different? Thanks, love your channel. I put the timelapse video on Peter's facebook page.

[@jcak552]

I have done this in the past but did not know the true limitations, I assumes those are for the newer cameras? I have the M1mkll... and I do not under stand the 60secs part. The most I have seen is 4?

[@Ed-bj5eq]

I cool idea for next oly cameras would be to include the possibility of saving all the LiveComp individual photos as a time lapse too 😊

[@idzakaiasan]

Hi Robin. Just goy my new OMD EM10ii in the mail. Been following your channel for a couple of weeks and loving it. Is it possible to capture the lightning using burst mode? I know that perhaps you are leaving it to luck that the sensor takes a lightning strike with each burst, but if it is possible at all, how will you do that?

[@KVenturi]

I swear to God this dude is the happiest looking dude I've ever seen, I don't even have an Olympus but just watching you lightens up the mood. (Pun intended).

[@robinwong]

Thanks man, appreciate it. Using Olympus cameras makes me happy.

[@bartomiejbanka573]

@@robinwong Ha haaaa !!! :D Feeling the same, Robin.

[@akshay_9146]

Took me three freaking weeks of non stop trial and error to capture lightning on my canon sx60 HS 5 years back. Ended up capturing a proper shot on my birthday of all days and ever since then it has been smooth sailing. Live composite is a god send.

[@davebellamy4867]

Storms tonight in England. Lightning is way over the horizon at the moment! LIVECOMP mode is set. I'm even less of a storm chaser than you Robin!😅😂🤣🌩🌩🌩⚡

[@BloodmoonPyke]

Robin, how do you have only 23k subs? Your tutorials and explainations are way better than some of the biggest photography channels out there. Detailed, compact and how you describe things is absolutely top notch :D I have a Lumix G81, so its a bit hard to find some settings in my camera (glad that Olympus and Lumix are naming most of the settings by the same or almost same name), but still your videos are very usefull and inspiring to me! Keep up the good work and always be safe in times like these :)

[@robinwong]

Thanks, you are being too kind. I am not too concerned about the numbers of subs to this channel, it will grow, no matter how slowly. I am more worried about reaching out to the right audience, and looking at the comments here, I am glad I have such wonderful people watching my videos. That to me is more important.

[@deborahburd5876]

Nators Terra totally agree, his explanations are thorough and understandable a very good instructor indeed.

[@alan.macrae]

Totally agree!

[@markusbolliger1527]

Thank's a lot Robin for your very instructive demonstration of what can be achieved with LIVE COMPOSITE! It helps me a lot to exploit the whole potential of my new E-M1 Mk III - the most practical and useful camera I ever owned!

[@alan.macrae]

@robin wong - Watched this tutorial end to end a couple of times yesterday. I'm a long time Nikon shooter, as you know, and just got my M1-Mk III on Tuesday. Took it for a spin last night shooting some fireworks in live comp mode. I'm thrilled with the results. Thanks for the excellent tutorial about this feature and the many others you've posted in here. I never would have tried this without your instruction.

[@1957PLATO]

Live comp helped me to shoot my only photo of lightning in my life. Thanks, Olympus.

[@robinwong]

I am sure more opportunities will come along!

[@Hannemanneke]

Thanks Robin! Didn’t know until I saw this video my older E-M10 has Live Composite option too… I’m definitely gonna try it 😀

[@andrewbensch]

Fantastic, thanks Robin, I can't wait for some lightning so I can give this a try!

[@robinwong]

Go and catch a lightning!

[@cmalc8]

Lightning photo at 5m01s is the best one I've ever seen. 👏👏👏

[@extremelydave]

WOW!!! As I type this you have 457 likes and ZERO thumbs down!! I don't think I have ever seen that on any youtube video Robin!! I told you before, you ROCK!!!!

[@robinwong]

Thanks Dave, appreciate your constant support, and I shall continue to do my best!

[@davebellamy4867]

That's a nice big balcony you have there Robin! Bigger on its own than some overpriced properties in the UK!

[@davebellamy4867]

5:30 It looks like maybe you're using a standard 25mm or even the 45mm lens here and not a wide angle because the storm is in the distance.

[@marekbiniek9791]

Cześć Robin - dzięki za pomocne wskazówki - pozdrawiam

[@mimstyle]

I'm impressed how many ideas you have with your videos!

[@robinwong]

Thanks! Photography is a never-ending journey, as long as I enjoy shooting I will not run out of ideas.

[@frankgheron9112]

Thanks Robin ... all your posts are very well done and allow a technology challenged photographer like me to learn something new. Many Thanks!

[@robsonluis3346]

Excellent! Thank you very much!

[@RoyJenkinsPacker]

Thanks for sharing Robin, Rest well.

[@robinwong]

My pleasure to be able to share!

[@davebellamy4867]

8:41 Best photo ever!🤪😂😉

[@EduardLopezArcos]

Great! Thanks and good night! 😀

[@robinwong]

Cheers

[@mxyptlk]

Superb explanation Robin....clear and concise... thank you...

[@Paul_anderson_creative]

Excellent... I think am EM5-iii is on my list! KL has the best lightning I have ever seen.. take care and thanks!

[@lacijeszi309]

Many thanks Robin! I just now understand exactly how to works the live composite!

[@tariqalkindi8045]

Thanks Robin great work

[@henriklauritz1992]

thanx again. im looking forward to try it myself!

[@3dtrip870]

As always Robin, great video, with a joyful tone!

[@andrearusso3192]

I love your video guide. I love Olympus. Tankyou!

[@michelplassan3322]

After watching a few of your KZbin clips went and bought the EM 5 MKIII. From using Canon 6D to Sony RX10 MK4 in the past and now Olympus I would like to thank you for all the great ideas on using the EM 5 MK3. So decapitated to hear that Olympus have let you down. Olympus should thank you for the great work achieve for them. Thank you and looking forward to your next KZbin clips.

[@tom5216]

Excellent video Robin. Thanks

[@robinwong]

Thanks Tom!

[@luca.m.gennari]

Amazing tutorial Robin, as usual!

[@im2p]

Phantastische Bilder! Danke.

[@mybraem]

Hallo Robin, great tutorials and your explinations are fantastic. This helps me get to know my Olympus camera's much better! Thank you very much!!

[@РоманКор-з9г]

Awesome feature, very cool photografer!

[@catherinetremerryn]

Brill! Thank you.

[@christopherrusted3273]

Excellent description.

[@alan.macrae]

Thank you Robin! The M1-Mk III will be in my kit on Tuesday, along side my Pen-F.

[@LaMadameNomNom]

Wow!!! Impressive ♡♡♡♡

[@23Jboy]

thanks for upload Robin

[@robinwong]

Cheers

[@EKB480]

Thanks man! Great explanation Long live Olympus

[@rolandrick]

Dear Robin, many thanks for this. Exactly what I’ve been looking for. 👍❤️🖖👍👍👍

[@1Tosya]

Спасибо Робин!

[@imunain]

Thanks

[@photonray]

Well done! Thank you for this crispy clear expanation.

[@Jwitherow1964]

Your a great teacher

[@monialarklove2861]

Very nice video. Thank you and greetings from Germany.

[@HerrThomasE]

It's so cool!!! Thanks you very much for explaining it.

[@RJPhotographics]

Amazing. Light additive blending. That definition alone helps :D

[@robinwong]

Thanks. It is not easy explaining Live Composite so I tried to break it down to simpler words.

[@tonycastillo8210]

Awesome video, thanks for teaching us this outstanding tool

[@cavalloi56]

Beautiful video congrats

[@dennisjg51]

Hi Robin, enjoy your good videos. As a note for new M10-iii owners - DO NOT USE THE new dial "AP" option to operate Live Composite or Live Time as within that operation, you cannot then set ISO or Aperture. To shoot Live Time or Composite with Mkiii, one needs to still use the "M" (manual operation) and scroll to the Live Time or Live Composite...then it works perfectly. Seems Olympus made a stuff up here, I have contacted them and their comment was "AP is for beginners!!"

[@moiragardner2047]

Wonderful and so well explained.

[@davebellamy4867]

With Robin in the city, he has some nice background for the base exposure. If the background is really dark at the start, I wonder if this is a problem. Maybe not because the star trails photo looks great and it's a kind of manual type mode.

[@davebellamy4867]

I just tried it. Yes it is a problem if it's dark. One problem is focusing. If you do it on manual clutch, the end stop is beyond infinity! Especially on the 12-40mm f/2.8. So it's really tricky in the dark! Usually there are no stars out. We in UK usually get 100% cloud cover if there are storms.

[@michaelmoritz1048]

Great video. Will definitely try this.

[@robinwong]

Yeah give it a try!

[@edwaedwa6935]

Thank You!!!

[@mgs.915]

I’ve been wanting to buy a mirrorless camera and narrowed down the om5 mkIII high on that list for screen and weather sealed! When I saw that first example of the lighting my face dropped 😮 I was amazed with how good it looked!

[@guzman_uy9420]

Great thank you. I hope do it right next time!

[@robinwong]

I am sure you will

[@philippedugout2278]

Thanks Robin, another very useful vid from you 👍👍

[@robinwong]

Thanks, glad I can share!

[@f1pitpass]

thanks Robin! I am just getting to grips with an m1 and this is just what I need for lighting trails!!!

[@Rafaga777]

Thanks for the video and the tips. And now waiting for some lightning...

[@Leptospirosi]

Thanks!

[@XxCaptRedBeard]

Thank you for the super detailed tips! I hope you're staying safe Robin! Amazing pictures, as always!

[@AndrewSowerby]

Great shots and tutorial. I haven't played with this feature yet, not even for car light trails. Looking forward to trying it out.

[@davebellamy4867]

I just found LIVE COMP on the EM10 mark ii in Manual mode. I noticed two good things. If I go into another mode and come back to Manual, it is still in LIVE COMP mode. If I switch off the camera and switch it on again, Manual mode is still in LIVE COMP. Very useful. Maybe we have storms tonight. We did have a lit of rain earlier but the lightning didn't come. Then this video came up. Coincidence?

[@garryneil753]

Wonderful tip. Thank you!!!

[@robinwong]

Glad I could share

[@blaed011]

Nice video, Robin. The Live Composite is a great feature, among other great features found on the Olympus. I've taken a few star trails using this method. Simple with great results. I need to wait for a lightning storm and give this a try!

[@robinwong]

No worries, since you already know how it works, shooting lightning will be a breeze. You just need the lightning and some luck!

[@thanyadejnimmanwudipong5610]

Terrific teaching video again Robin. Despite its innovation in camera maker Olympus is absolutely failed in terms of making user know how to use all its potential. Until ... of course you are Olympus visionary. I think Olympus should bundle your video as part of the package with each camera sale. You are great teacher that make complicated stuff easy. Olympus should pay you for life.....

[@ralphdiaz9726]

Thank you for this! Very informative!

[@CheikoSairin]

Wow, this is very cool tips and technique. Big like for the video, Robin. Thanks. Stay safe. Greeting from Singapore.

[@robinwong]

Thanks! Go try shoot a lightning.

[@micha5645]

Thank you! 👍

[@jesseespinosa3325]

love your videos! I used my tough tg-4 for this in a downpour last summer! using the oi share app from my dry car!

[@geoffjackson6899]

Another great video Robin. I've watched it several times and have managed to get some good lightning shots using this technique. I am heading out to a local rainforest this week and am going to try live composite to capture fireflies. Here's hoping fireflies make enough light to trigger the live comp.

[@GrazyBat]

Nice !

[@davidchok2025]

Hi Robin, great video. But for newbies like me - would like to know whether the first shot & subsequent shots are the same exposure time. Thanks

[@desertfrag]

OM-D 10 Mark II user here. Live Composite won't work if the camera can't focus and create the first base shot which is typical in dark settings when attempting to capture lightning. This requires the user to set focus to manual to avoid the camera attempting and failing to focus. I don't recall seeing this mentioned. It was very frustrating.

[@ruuddirks5565]

I don't have an Olympus, so my first idea was time-lapse. Good to mention it separately.

[@robinwong]

Time Lapse works too, just not compositing the multiple lightning bolts into a single image in camera.

[@dsdave07]

Should I kick the tripod near the end of the sequence, or just any time?

[@robinwong]

Timing is not the problem, as long as the tripod does not tip over.

[@ridealongwithrandy]

Amazing shot Robin, I just wish we had lightning here in the desert southwest of California.

[@bensneen]

Such a great video! I have a question. what about motion? When the clouds move would they not blur like in a long exposure?

[@davebellamy4867]

Yes they would. I'm guessing that Robin's clouds are lit up instantaneously by the lightning mainl so they appear sharp. Mostly. In that case, you're likely to get some multiple images of the cloud boundaries - and I think there are some on the photos 4:58 and it looks cool anyway.

[@davebellamy4867]

I tried tonight. All I got was clouds! The clouds got in the way. I'm low down, not high up like Robin. I'm in a valley and in a 2 storey house, so you don't see much of the storm until it's nearly on top of you! Still, it was fun trying - kind of!

[@jmoffitt36]

I had such a good one going last night and then a there was a really close lightning strike . It was a flash then boom. It completely blew out/over exposed my comp. It was so loud my hair stand up and made my heart skip a beat

[@josephreagh2111]

I have really got to start taking advantage of features like this! It's supposed to be storming all this week where I live. =)

[@jmoffitt36]

I had such a good one going last night and then there was a really close lightning strike . It was a flash then boom. It completely blew out/over exposed my comp. It was so loud my heart skip a beat

[@mattisulanto]

Great video! I have Live Comp also on my Lumix G90, but finding proper lightning is a major problem😀

[@robinwong]

In my dreams I saw some tornadoes. Unfortunately we don't get that in Malaysia. Or fortunately, depending on how you see it.

[@mattisulanto]

@@robinwong I think they are better kept in dreams😀

[@QippysChannel]

Wow what an i interesting mode to have, i think that’s such a good and useful mode , I used to just use bulb , but this is something else 👍

[@danieldemayo6209]

This is awesome. Is there anyway to record the live preview with an external device?

[@MDMiller60]

You said to focus after the base shot. One, since the screen is very dark, it may be difficult to find the focus point you want. Would it be better to focus before you begin? Two, if you wait until you shot the ambient first, and waited until after, you may not have been in focus for any foreground you wanted. Three, I thought the first shot was to include any foreground. Wouldn't you want to make the exposure at 1 sec, but adjust the aperture and ISO to make that base shot proper? Question, after the base shot lit to what you want for the foreground, can you (carefully) change the ISO and aperture for the lightening, then fire the second shot?

[@steveschnetzler5471]

Thanks, I wondered how to do this better. Now, how to keep from getting hit by lightning when doing this, I guess I need a long lens.

[@robinwong]

Just don't climb to the top of a building!

[@Bassbarbie]

I've shot it from inside a car - was not ideal, but the storm went right over me and there was no way I was going to stand outside with a tripod.

[@deborahburd5876]

Wonderful video and explanation...thank you so much...Question so when you are setting your focus point you do not focus on the sky but a solid subject, correct?....thank you

[@philsheath]

Hi Robin, great video as usual, you say the camera takes many images, so do these add to the cameras shutter count!

[@ponksheadi]

Fantastic. I want to give a try and post a photo if it works for me 👍

[@laragwaysailoilo2898]

More lightning plz

[@kevinlowe7552]

Hi Robin. I can’t believe it but I still cannot even find live composite mode

[@emmanuellegac1789]

Procap H or L is also a solution to avoid looooooong series of pics on the memory card. I used it the other day, pushing the button at mid step, camera starting to make a loop and then when I saw lighting, push the button furthers. It helps a lot even if I had some over exposition even with 200 iso set up.

[@robinwong]

With Live Composite, it is just ONE photo saved.

[@jeffcassar8062]

Hi Robin I enjoyed this video about the lighting but I would like to know what lens to use as I live facing the ocean and get to see plenty of strikes maybe a wide angle I am shooting with a 14-150 lens. Please advise on my lens choice.

[@jairaj7592]

Great tip Robin. Was really wanting to get a simple but powerful explanation on live composite mode, and here comes your "Hai I am Robin Wong" style explanation, which is one of the best I come across in KZbin world. Not just flattering, but a fact which many of your subscribers will certainly agree with me. By the way, for my EM1 2, I should use M mode and then turn down the shutter below BULB and then to LIVE COMPOSITE mode. Later, fixing the shutter spend is through MENU, where as the APERTURE is through the "dial". Any tips of that SHUTTER timings, from your experience.... What should be those values, based on the type of shoots....? Know that am asking too much ...if time permits, can please ....

[@robinwong]

Thanks for the kind words, appreciate them a lot. The adjustment of shutter speed, aperture and ISO are for the exposure of a single image. As long as you can achieve the right exposure you should be fine. I set the ISO to 200 (depending on what you shoot, in this case, the lightning), aperture near widest (somewhere around F2.8) and shutter speed at that time, to get the correct exposure was about 1 second. You may adjust it to get the best exposure you intended for your image.

[@jairaj7592]

@@robinwong , I got you now. Seems , I will first click a normal frame and see what the metered settings and then can move to Live Composite mode and deal with those settings. Now have to practice all these tips.... practice.... practice... practice...

[@williamepperson1893]

I was wondering, using the m.zuiko ed 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 ii, OM-D E-M1. I am trying to take volcano eruptions at Mt Etna in Sicily, and the light is not available long enough to get a good shot. What is your suggestions, I never use the manual mode as I wear progressive eyeglasses and don't trust what I am seeing in the viewfinder. I would like to try and set the camera up to use this live composite method and maybe a manual focus from my tripod..

[@noelhobden6172]

Robin, I wish I'd discovered you while I was in Malaysia! I spent nearly 2 months in Melaka and it would have been awesome to have put your tips and tricks to use while I was there or even do a workshop with you in KL. For now, I'm in lockdown in Thailand!

[@lbetz7908]

SO when shooting lightening, which focus point setting do you use? In the demo you were pointing at a building and changed it to single point, but when shooting lighting, and the focus point is the sky how do you get the camera to focus on the darkness? I liked the info on live composite - the ISO/ shutter speed being short as well as the explanation as to what Live Composite means! Other camera settings? DO you use auto white balance? Shadow? Single point or all point focus? Thanks in advance :)

[@desertfrag]

I just commented on the focusing issue. Please refer to my solution if you haven't already figured it out as it appears the author isn't replying any more.

[@Galimatias19]

Hello, what are the models that have this live composite mode?

[@randomstuff53078]

Would it be easier to get lightning photo using pro capture feature ?