Olympus OMD E-m1x camera setting for wildlife photography

[@nickcrispe1321]

As an E-M1Mark ii shooter, I found this very helpful. It led me to re-examine some of my own defaults, but it also confirmed that I'd gain little by upgrading to an E-M1x.

[@ronaldbak2092]

Thanks for your great video, I used many of your settings on my e-m1x for my wildlife and bird photography here in Florida and they worked out great for me. I find the more I use the e-m1X, the more I like it and it's hard to put the camera down. I move from canon EOS-1D pro digital bodies into micro 4/3 and don't regret the decision one bit, at 67 years old, I can't carry the heavy gear around anymore and the e-m1x camera rocks.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Good to hear.

[@outlookthailand5094]

My E-M1X arrived today and this video was very helpful in setting it up. Informative & easy to follow, thanks for sharing Mike

[@charlesking3481]

Since owning Canon gear for over 35 years I have this week for the very first time changed to brand, Olympus and so far been very impressed not only for quality but what it will do, especially for Bird and wildlife photography which I do mostly. Your video has to be the best instructional I have seen, top rate 10/10 ! ... getting to grips with the settings and very well explained in layman's terms. I have the M1 mk 3 which has virtually the same menu settings as M1 X maybe the features not as good as the M1X but I can always upgrade later. Just like to say I have always been a great fan of your wildlife shots seeing them in the BPE and PSA exhibitions over the last 20yrs or so.. with the awards you gained is very well justified in my opinion. Thanks again for fantastic video and saved me a lot of hard work to get the correct settings!.. Charles Whitfield King.

[@myoung9739]

Thanks Mike. E-m1x arrived yesterday and just setting up now.

[@jpdeardenphotography]

Fantastic video. Thanks Mike really enjoyed and have tweaked my settings. Only 1 discrepancy is at 18.27 Lens I.S priority it does work with olympus lens as such increases the image stabilisation to 7 stops with 12-100mm F/4 the camera and lens work together. As for the 100-400mm that lens has I.S switch but does not work with the camera but still helps. Other than that really helped me with my setting

[@jamesellis8163]

Great videos Mike. I have found the set up videos very useful. Keep up the good work👍🏻

[@richardbedford6166]

Great work, Mike!

[@SerielThriller]

Could you do a setting video for your Sony A1? Cheers.

[@ovidius8229]

Thanks for everything you do. Your videos help a lot. I have a Panasonic G9 (original). I know you are using, or used one. Do you think that replacing it with an E-M1X would be an upgrade for bird photography?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I only use the G9 for video, but I do not think it will be an upgrade. Not much in it.

[@ovidius8229]

@@MikeLaneFRPS thank you very much

I have found that if you use RAW and the extended zoom function you will only crop the wive finder but not the sensor. My eyesight is a bit poor so I find that very useful. In post you can return to the uncrpped sensor

[@brumtaffy]

Hi Mike, I’m loving your channel. I’m about to get the Olympus EM1X. I’m wondering which memory cards do you recommend please? I understand they need to be supercharged! I think I might have seen you walking about at Trittiford pool. Hope to see you around and about in Brum, when we’re all able to get out a bit more!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I am using Sandisk cards. 300mb speed extreme pro. There are so many different specs for memory cards it is getting confusing. I would like another spare, but am waiting to see what the next camera I buy requires. Yes I was around Trittiford recently.

[@j.guerrero6643]

Thanks Mike, good explanation

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

Thank you very much... 👍👍👍🙏🙏 Amazing Video... 👌👌👌👍 Health and Greetings from Spain... 👋👋😃 "Saludos... gracias y buen vídeo... 👋👋👍🙏👌😃 "

[@MDMiller60]

Thanks Mike. When you set your picture mode for Natural (affecting the jpg), you said you set sharpness for +2. Since that is used for the preview and you want to check sharpness, and you go to 1:1, isn't that making your preview sharper than it really is? Thanks.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Yes it is. I do not edit in the camera though. I check and edit on the computer. Even with sharpeness set to +2 if a picture is out of focus you can see on the camera it is not right.

[@dreamworker3789]

Hi mike, great video and i have learn many things, bud how i change my aperture when i have choise C1 ? Best regards Bernhard

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

That would depend on what settings you saved as C1. When I saved C1 I saved it so the front dial changes the aperture. You could also choose the rear dial. You set it up as you want it and save it.

[@gregm6894]

Thank you for this excellent, informative video. However, I have to disagree with you about the DTC (Digital Teleconverter). If shooting only RAW files, then certainly the DTC has no bearing. However, I am a Jpeg shooter, I have shot professionally for many years, and my images and prints have won awards, including those shot using the DTC, and I see several good reasons to use the DTC. I have carefully examined shots using the DTC and shots cropped in post process and there is no discernible difference in quality -- but there generally is a time saving advantage to using the DTC when tight deadlines are in place. First and foremost, a big part of my photographic enjoyment comes from composing in camera -- rather than later in post. If I need a tighter FOV to compose a shot but my lens will not allow it, the DTC gives me that flexibility -- it is extremely handy for birds where my Olympus 100-400mm become effectively a 1600mm f/6.3 (35mm FOV) lens with the press of a button. Secondly, lets say you compose in camera at a wider FOV with your subject placed at or near a 'Rule of Thirds' intersection point. Then you crop to a tighter composition later in post, you have just moved your entire composition toward the edge of the image circle, which is generally not the sharpest part of the frame. The DTC, on the other hand always crops to the center of the image circle, which by definition is the sharpest area of the frame -- so you have placed your image in the center area of the lens where sharpness is maximized. While the second point is perhaps hair splitting, I believe it is valid. The DTC was a Godsend when I was shooting 'break-out' sessions at Corporate conferences. In a small conference room, I wanted to minimize my potential to be a distraction to the attendees -- the DTC allowed me get close ups without lens changes, when image upload deadlines did not allow time to post process.

[@wildcat1065]

Hi Mike. Do you find there is any benefit to using the EM1x over the EM1 mkii apart from the vertical battery handgrip ? Since the big firmware upgrade on the mkii I have bought a used mkii as a second body but end up taking it in preference as it is smaller and lighter and functions very much the same. There are rumours of a birds in flight Af mode on the EM1x coming so I am keeping it for the time being but at the moment I feel the 1x has been an unnecessary expense and I can't understand why Olympus has done this to their customers. Like you, I use the c1/c2 settings a lot but I have one of them set to focus stacking.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The 120fps video is the main reason I keep using the M1x, although now I use the Panosonic G9 with 180 fps even more. I lobe slow motion video of wildlife. The em1 Mk3 has 120 fps too so if money was no problem I would swop..

[@sue.Hoo123]

Mike Lane FRPS I have the G9, as you now mainly use Olympus for stills can you explain why you prefer it over the Panasonic? Thanks

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

@@sue.Hoo123 . Sue the main reason I use the G9 is for the 180 frps video. Without that I would not have bought it. I prefer the Olympus for stills because I am used to it after 3 years of use. It is always easier to use a system you are familar with. I do feel the AF is better on the Olympus. Locks on first time more often. I was going to do a KZbin comparison between the two, but no time so far.

[@sue.Hoo123]

Mike Lane FRPS thanks for that, I’m tempted to switch to the M1 mkiii, but find the menu complicated after the G9, but you running through it has helped lots 👍. I have the Oly 40-150 Pro lens and am so impressed with the quality of the build as well as the optics, so if the camera bodies have that same feel I’ll be happy.

[@ImagesWithPassion]

Sharpness setting + RAW: by setting the sharpness to +2 you are doing the right thing, but not because the image will be displayed as sharp as possible on the LCD for you, as mentioned. My setting of +1 does the following: contrast af, will look for the best contrast edge within the AF area AND it will do so by processing/evaluationg JPG images (downsized to AF area). So selecting a high sharpness level, on jpg, makes it easier for the contrast AF to be spot on target. It will not affect the RAW file.

[@davidosborn3356]

Hi Mike. Just a thought, but can you amend custom settings or do you have to start from fresh? I can’t find any reference to making an amendment and I’m a bit concerned about playing in case I loose my previous settings.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Hi David, I might be misunderstanding the question as my answer is too easy. Yes. Make the amendment and save it. So if you have already saved as C1. Switch the camera to C1 the saved setting will load. Make an amendment and save as C1. The only setting that is less obvious is if C1 is saved with AV mode and you want to amend it to TV or M mode. This can't be changed within the menus. So you set the camera to say TV mode and then Recall C1. Recall means load so it will load all the settings you saved as C1 with the exception of AV as you have set the camera to TV. Now you can save as C1 or C2 etc.

[@gileselliott]

What a pragmatic and practical guide to the Olympus menus.

[@jakesdewet3567]

I have shot Nikon almost 30 yrs as well as Fuji Film XT4 and XH1/2s and recently bought the EM1x as part of my Olympus system for wildlife. Ergonomically a great camera and I can compare it to the Nikon Big bodies that I shot for many yrs, D3/3s/4/4s and D5. The EM1x apart from the Pro Capture is one of the most disappointing cameras I ever bought. The EVF is poor, the focus system for action C-AF is poor, the Tracking is almost not usable for BIF, the only reliable focus is small single point. Fortunately I bought an OM-1 for a big discount price. Apart from the small form factor of the outstanding Olympus lenses and the OM-1 from a Wildlife and BIF perspective, the EM1x based on what I stated and not meeting my needs, is a great disappointment. My Nikon D500 and Fuji XT4 offer significantly better focus, they might not have the "speed" and frame rate but it counts for nothing if the focus system is so limiting and unreliable.