OM-1 Birds in Flight AI Detection AF | OM SYSTEM Settings

[@EspenHelland]

Since making this video I’ve started to use C-AF without tracking and had slightly better results.

[@tonysvensson8314]

Haven´t you figured out how to set up a dual back button focus with and without the bird tracking? I´m getting started to get frustrated not to find a solution to this problem. All other methods to change AF set up on the OM-1 is to slow for my way of wildnature photography. I´ve tried to programe a button to a C- mode but it takes to long time to stop focusing and push another button to change mode and then take up the focusing again with the tumb. I want to do as tjey do on the Canon r3-r7, the Z9 and sony A1- just move the tumb 2cm and push the back button nr 2 for changing from bird focus to common c-af. Is it realy impossible on OM-1?

[@pesto12601]

Was just going to comment on that.. most OM photographers recommend not using Tracking and Bird AI together.. thx for updating!!

[@albutt7132]

But why because page 120 of the Om-1 ii manual states this for subject detection. “When a setting other than [Off] is selected, [*AF] ([*AFMF]) is set to [S-AF] ([S-AFMF]), and [C-AF+TR] ([C-AF+TRMF]) is set to [C-AF] ([C-AFMF]).” So the camera does it automatically when bird detection selected. Thats how I read it but perhaps I’m wrong.

[@DavidRedfield-gp]

On the OM1 ii, you can't select tracking AND bird detection

[@mmcok6261]

Hello Espen: After having been waiting for several months for the ON-1, it has finally reached my hands, I must say that despite the fact that I have been using digital cameras of different brands for many years (one of them was the Olympus E -20p), the OM-1 has been a camera that has really amazed me with the HUGE amount of settings it has... making me feel like an absolute beginner... There have been many times when I have had to "reset" this camera when I was totally blocked... and it is evident that for someone who has been using NIKON cameras for more than 20 years (and continues to do so), to use the OM-1 properly could be quite a problem. Fortunately there are people like you who do these great tutorials, which help those like me to take advantage of a camera like this. Thank you very much for a job so well done. Cheers Manuel

[@EspenHelland]

Sorry must have missed you comment. Hope you've been getting on well with the OM-1! Thanks Manuel

[@pdemkovich]

Thanks!

[@rhiwderinraytube]

Thank you so much for this, Espen. The OM1 is so different from the EM series menus especially the AF settings. It is great to have a practical step by step guide to what to use.

[@EspenHelland]

Glad you found it useful, thanks Ray!

[@johngdinesen1]

Nice and instructive. The Black grouse pics are outstanding.👍👍

[@TerryD23]

Very helpful thank you!! Love my OM1

[@jimmyjohansson8477]

Mycket bra Espen, jag har väntat på denna del när du visar inställningarna! Tack

[@EspenHelland]

Takk så my Jimmy!

[@narinthip3058]

This is fantastic works Espen!!! Cheers.

[@JanicevD]

very clear tutorial on this subject - thanks so much!

[@EspenHelland]

Glad it was helpful

[@wernerwehner5541]

Hello Espen, best regards from Germany. Thanks for your great contribution. Warm greetings

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you Werner :)

[@tommcleish3541]

I have been lucky and have had my OM-1 since launch. For wildlife and birds in flight it has been very very good.

[@EspenHelland]

Awesome!

[@andaeszti1977]

Thanks Espen! Great video about settings. I hope that I can make so good pictures from birds like you do👍

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you 🙂

[@eddielopez1323]

Thank you for the video. I'm waiting for my new camera to come in today. Super excited for its arrival.

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers Eddie! I’ve changed one thing since this video, I’ve turned off tracking and found it to be slightly better.

[@catherinetremerryn]

Thank you vv much, this fantastic . About to set up - fingers crossed.

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers, hope it worked out for you :)

[@thomaskeler4020]

Well done, Espen! I really enjoyed Your vid from a real professional bird photographer. After waiting for the OM-1 for so long, i finally got the camera just one week ago 😊. And i must confess, the new bird detection is doing very well.

[@EspenHelland]

Great to hear! Hope you’re getting the most out of it

[@Yotengri]

Great video!🎉

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you 🙂

[@victorfeinstein1815]

Thanks a lot!!! Now I have to try your settings and hope my hit rate will rise.Keep sharing with us your knowledge.

[@EspenHelland]

Happy too, cheers Victor!

[@alanryder]

Very useful Espen. I had similar settings to yours but I have not had the opportunity to try them out yet - I will definitely give your settings a go and see how I get on. Many many thanks for sharing.

[@EspenHelland]

Happy too, cheers Alan!

[@raytaylor3090]

Hi Espen, another great video. I read through the comments and some people were saying a very complex setup for birds in flight, I beg to differ, every new camera needs setting up, my OM1 took weeks of tweaking but once done you don't have to do it again. I used the Canon 1DXii before and setting it up was very similar in time. I love my OM1 I would never go back.

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers Ray, yeah I don't think it's that complex. There's lots more in depth on other systems out there.

[@sarajcory7425]

Birding changes: possibly switching from an Canon R5 to the OM-1. Actually, I have them both now. Have yet to drag them out for a side by side comparison. Thanks for some tips on set up.

[@EspenHelland]

Cool! Would be interesting to hear your thoughts

[@ryantang8146]

Great tips on the bird AI detection setting. Just wondering whether you can do custom settings for video for the OM-1. Have not found ways to do it yet. Also, previously with the EM1-X, you could map the multi selector to S-af if you press down the multi selector, do you know whether OM-1 can do the same ? Greatly appreciate your help.

[@javierramos2280]

Soy un seguidor tuyo hasta el punto que me he comprado una OM1 , me gustaría saber tu configuración para aves en vuelo. Saludos

[@HotGates]

Great video love my OM-1 just a couple questions I'm fine with birds in flight but when you have a Egret walking around in the water what settings would you have S-AF small focus point and would you turn off AF Scanner? thanks;)

[@Raysnature]

Looking forward to getting my OM-1, whenever that will be. At the moment I use the lever (I have a 1X) for on off switching as I like to be able to do that with one hand as I bring the camera to the eye. If the battery is that much better so I can walk around most of the day with it switched on maybe I could get some functionality back again.

[@EspenHelland]

I like to setup quick sleep mode to 8 sec to save battery, then save it to my menu so I can turn it off for certain situations.

[@richardfink7666]

I just sold my Nikon equipment and switched to"Olympus". And because I don`t have the patience to wait for the OM1, I bought an EM1 III for the meantime. I hope it was a good decision.

[@davelock3166]

Ditched my heavy Nikon gear last year for Olympus. Best decision I have made. NO MORE HEAVY TRIPODS!!! Much more mobile for bird photography. I have the M1X, which is similar to the Mk111, I will not immediately give it up for the OM1, because the only advantage is the better AF, and bird in flight only makes up part of the photographical process. DXO noise reduction is the gamechanger for image quality for M4/3. Enjoy the switch - you will wonder why you didn't do it before.

[@richardfink7666]

@@davelock3166 I took a look at the OM1 wih the 100-400/5.0-6.3 just for fun....I didn´t want to switch! But.....

[@zouseo7]

I sold all my Nikon gear too! Waiting for OM1

[@davelock3166]

@@zouseo7 Hope the wait isn't too long!

[@EspenHelland]

The EM1iii seems like a great camera as well! You can always change later on

[@stevepersighetti3400]

Great video, many thanks. I must try and get to grip with some of those menu settings! What do you use for your RAW conversion?

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers Steve, I use Lightroom

[@stevepersighetti3400]

@@EspenHelland Many thanks. :)

[@keithgypps3432]

Another great video, thanks Espen, particularly useful for someone like me who is struggling a little with the OM-1 having changed over from Canon. Will you be doing a specific OM-1 course to purchase on your website or do you think the current course is suitable for OM-1 owners? It would be great to see a video on settings for wildlife photographers straight out of the box as it were. Thanks for all your efforts for us newbies..

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Keith, I will do something specifically for the OM-1. There's a lot of settings that are the same in the current course, but some are found at a slightly different part of the menu. There will also be new stuff specifically for the OM-1. Just taking my time to really get used to my preferred settings first.

[@adinew8920]

Thanks...

[@wayneemery5709]

Nice one basically same setting as me very nice pictures. 👍

[@EspenHelland]

👊 thanks Wayne!

[@marklaurendet1861]

Really liked those rim light shots How quick does the OM-1 come out of sleep mode compared to previous models? I still miss a lot of shots with the EM1.3 because of the wake up time, and I only take static bird shots when I can.

[@Raysnature]

I've found this an issue with 1X too. It's frustrating bringing the camera to the eye and it's not quite ready.

[@EspenHelland]

I think similar, I keep quick sleep mode in my menu and turn it off when it gets in the way.

[@lindakessemeier4470]

Are you shooting in manual mode? If you were to us Shutter Priority mode, what would you set your shutter speed to for BIF?

[@smkunder1]

Very helpful video, only thing I can’t seem to figure out is what function lever is doing when using your settings?

[@EspenHelland]

I have it switch between 1 focus point and all the focus points. When I can't get a good result with AI detection I turn it off and switch to 1 focus point

[@deborahhammond8576]

I’ve just set up my camera like this. Should I be putting this in a C menu

[@borjeolsson6831]

Thank you very much, Good info

[@EspenHelland]

Thank a lot!

[@alandimery3379]

I am thinking of switching from Canon to the OM-1. So your enthusistic videos are wonderful for me. Can you tell me please, is there a crop on any of the video modes. As most of my subjects are far away I enjoy the extra reach of a crop of 2x for example. I notice it has a 'one push telephoto' function, but it is not explained. Thanks

[@ponymoore6140]

Excellent! Cant wait to get my Olympus gear, except for that very complex menu. What is that camera strap, Espen?

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks, it's a peak design one

[@elduderino4983]

Why not using the af-limiter? So you would not focus on the rocks or seeweed from above. I always forget this option as well. So useable in many situations like trees in the back

[@EspenHelland]

Yeah the AF limiter is great in certain situations, but for this the bird would fly really low until it came close to the cliffs and then fly up fast, I found it better to focus early, track it and keep pressing focus if I lost it.

[@richardchapman8855]

To preface my remarks I would like to say that I have been an Olympus shooter since the original OM-1. I have fallen in love with each Olympus camera I've owned. I've had an OMD OM-1 for about six months and the love isn't happening. I was really eager to get the OM-1 since I do a lot of bird photography. On the plus side the viewfinder is a big improvement over the 1X and the battery life is quite good. It seems to have slightly better noise performance, but not enough to be obvious. The algorithmic features are much faster as is the shooting speed. The battery life is quite good and being able to run it from an external power source is great. However, from the point of view of ergonomics I disagree with a lot of the reviewers; I am not impressed. The front buttons are too close to the lens to get your finger in easily the lever on the AEL switch has turned into a tiny nub, and the front and back wheels are uncomfortably stiff; they actually feel kind of cheap. In general I find the ergonomics of the E-M1X and the E-M1 mkII to be much, much better. The big disappointment for me was the auto-focus. While it seems to be focusing quickly I find that most of the images of BIF are soft or out of focus. It puts nice white boxes around the birds but the pictures often turn out fuzzy. The biggest problem is with birds flying toward me. Bird detect in this scenario seems essentially useless - even for large raptors. I think that my hit rate with my six year old Nikon D500 is actually higher. For stationary birds the pictures don't seem as crisp as those with the 1X. . I know that a lot of reviewers have been ecstatic about this camera. Perhaps I received a dud, or perhaps I haven't found the exact right settings but the OM-1 and I are not best friends yet. I think that if you have a 1X or a MKIII and you think an improved viewfinder is worth nearly 3K go for the upgrade. Other than that save your money for a good lens.

[@EspenHelland]

That's a shame. I agree with the dials being a bit far in, but once I got used to it I don't actually notice it anymore, even with gloves over winter it didn't hold me back. I love my OM-1 and I think the auto focus is amazing for photography. Won't get everything, but easy to switch to c-af with a single point when it struggles.

[@systemanaturae105]

Useful video. Still waiting for my pre ordered OM-1 consequently unable to set up. Also waiting for my pro 150-400 TC x1.25 lens to be sorted out by OM Systems. Great shame I do not have this combo as already missed x3 overseas wildlife trips !! Lucky I still have my EM1 mark iii cameras and 300mm f4 and 100-400mm backup lens. Peace 😊😊

[@EspenHelland]

That's a shame, but look forward to when you get it! It's such a good camera!

[@timcannady3213]

Off-topic question, but possible to share a little about the strap you're using? I'm new to this large of a camera and am using the factory strap, and it's bouncing around all over while hiking. Especially with the 100-400. Thanks :D

[@EspenHelland]

I use a peak design strap, it’s pretty good though I don’t use it all the time I find it a bit uncomfortable when I have a backpack on as well. I sometimes use cotton carrier chest mount

[@joanantonim.p.2400]

👌👍👍🙏 Thanks 👋🙋

[@keithhider2170]

Hi Espen, great video, thanks for this. Just one issue - you say to set autofocus to CAF +Tracking. Did you mean this? I think you meant CAF+MF. On my OM1 the subject detection doesn't seem to work in CAF+Tracking (although this seems counter-intuitive) but seems to work fine with just CAF+MF - or am I doing something wrong?

[@EspenHelland]

I've used tracking the whole time and it's worked really well for me. I'll double check and test the two different options a bit more though. Weird that it's not working at all for you.

[@keithhider2170]

@@EspenHelland I've persevered and it does work with tracking but I think I get better results just using bird detection and CAF+MF setting. Still new to the camera so may change my view over time.

[@jensdejgaardjensen7370]

Like allways a very good an informativ video with good photos 👍 I often struggle with the choice of which shooting mode A,S or M, most of the time I`m using M, what it`s your choice ? and the iso setting fixed or auto ?

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers, I use manual with mostly manual ISO as well

[@alandimery3379]

Great video, thanks. I used to have a Panasonic G9. This had an in built 2x tele, by using the centre 8k of the sensor, for 4k video. Does the OM1 have this feature please?

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks Alan! No it doesn't, that sounds pretty cool though

[@reneklitschnig755]

I really appreciate your explanations on the settings of the OM1 for bird photos... I have a question, do you work in mode A or M... and is the ISO setting set to ISO Auto or not? Thank you for your feedback... René

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you Rene. I’m almost always in manual and manual iso as well

[@AlexVisualMoments96]

js that an external monitor u r using and if so does it magnify the size of the text

[@janvangastel6763]

Thanks for this great video. Question? Does the OM-1 work as well with the Pansonic Leica 100-400 lens? I want to switch from G9 to OM-1, but preferably without having to buy a new lens as well.

[@EspenHelland]

Thank you Jan! I think there will be some limitations, but best to check with OM what exactly they are. You can always start by getting the camera and replace the lens in time.

[@garylayton3596]

Which strap are you using please.

[@EspenHelland]

Peak design

[@3dtrip870]

I know that a lot of people think this doesn't matter that much, and in many ways I agree, but I would still like to see a 43 megapixel om systems camera. I am very happy with my 20 megapixel E-M1 iii, but if an OM-1X (E-M1X ii) came out with 40+ megapixel, I would be willing to spend $3000+ for it. That being said, I think this is where OM needs to go. If they want to become one of the most sought after nature wildlife cameras, they will do 3 things to compete with Sony/Canon/Nikon: 1) Keep the similar performance to OM-1 (maybe 24 frames per second would suffice), 2) bump the megapixels to compete with the R5, and 3) keep putting an emphasis on improving video features. Look, I am extremely happy with what I have, but I want my investment to keep winning financially, and imagine how many people would prefer the lightweight portability of micro 4/3, but the detail and flexibility of having larger files for cropping, and higher res video and/or more video fidelity: i think this is the winning formula for OM, and micro 4/3 as a whole

[@EspenHelland]

Maybe they'll focus on that next, It would be good to crop a bit more, but with such good reach I don't tend to crop very much most of the time.

[@888chop]

Tx for very useful video. One question. With the EM1 m3 you used to be able to set a button to toggle between two different sets of focus points, say all or small group. Can't seem to do that now. Button only seems to reset to "home", but pressing again doesn't take you back to the setting before. This would make fast switching more difficult?

[@EspenHelland]

I agree I’ve passed this message on to OM system that it would be really useful feature, so hopefully in a future update

[@SkylarkFields]

Thank you for this, Espen, as it has helped me decide this camera is not for me after all, as an amateur wildlife photographer! I thought it would be great to have that eye detection, etc. but it's way too complicated with all those settings! I'll stick with my current camera, which to be fair did seem complicated but I guess now I am used to it, it isn't!! Shame about the OM-1 though, as it sounds absolutely brilliant!! I'm glad I watched though or I may have made a very expensive mistake! 🙂

[@jvnature]

Its not complicated.. What camera you now have?

[@SkylarkFields]

@@jvnature I have a Fuji XT-2. It doesn't have half the options that Espen showed in the menu of the OM-1!

[@EspenHelland]

Most of these settings you set once and forget about it. There's always a bit of a learning curve whenever you change systems or do anything differently. But if you're happy with your current system that's all that matters 🙂

[@SkylarkFields]

@@EspenHelland Thank you. I do have a gripe or two with my current one....perhaps I will give the OM-1 some more thought. I've seen so many reviews on it, and all seem good. 👍

[@_systemd]

@@SkylarkFields just buy it already. Buy two of them.

[@AlexVisualMoments96]

these settings would they be set for birds diving as well

[@EspenHelland]

I think so, but depends how fast it goes and if it'll get picked up. a diving bird tends to be very fast

[@LauraJohnson23sVideos]

Interesting video. Some lovely captures of the Fulmar. I would be interested to know how the om1 would perform using a panasonic 100-400 in terms of the ai autofocus and fps. I have searched around but can't find anyone using the camera with the lens I have. I am considering the om1 over my Panasonic G9 that I currently use. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers Michael, sorry I can't be much help there. Maybe ask OM System if there are any features that would be unavailable. It might be that it can't take advantage of 120fps, and possibly some of the focus abilities but I'm not 100% on this.

[@LauraJohnson23sVideos]

@@EspenHelland thanks for the reply Espen, it's appreciated

[@skipsaunders5974]

I used to have the Panasonic 100-400. I sold it, as the pictures were a bit soft....and also because it couldn't accept the 1.4x extender. I bought the 300 f4 pro instead and the sharpness differences are mindblowing. I'm currently using both the 300 f4 pro and the BWL. So, I've moved way beyond the Panasonic lenses and couldn't (wouldn't) make any more comparisons....but if that info helps; my advice would be to sell the Pana 100-400 and get one of the sharper lenses currently available for that telephoto range.

[@petertreen2660]

Hi Espen. Is it possible that the AI bird detect would work with dragonflies?

[@EspenHelland]

It’s possible, might not be as accurate but definitely worth a try.

[@godsinbox]

Can you help with the metering modes. when shooting a black bird on a bright sky the ESP metering is too dark, causing clipping. ETTR manually is ok but easy to forget when then shooting a white bird. is there another metering mode that follows the focus and only exposes where the focus actually is?

[@EspenHelland]

Not sure, I tend to get my exposure by putting on highlight alerts. If anything gets over exposed it turns red and I dial back the exposure before taking my image.

[@geoffreypain5960]

Are you shooting BIF in aperture priority of manual?

[@EspenHelland]

Full manual, but I would shoot in shutter priority if not. Another option is manual with auto iso.

[@deborahhammond8576]

Hi Essen. Really pleased to be able to ask questions if an Olympus expert. I am currently Canon full frame but my wrists and fingers now suffer too badly from the weight so I am thinking of changing to the OM1 when they are available. Money is a major issue and I cannot afford any mistake. Looking at the 12-40 and the 40-150 but even with tele converter that’s not enough for my birds. Is the 300 you use with image stabilisation. Is the in camera IS good enough without an Is lens for somebody with old weak wrists. Thanks for any help and advice you can give

[@EspenHelland]

Hi Deborah, yes the 300mm is with IS as well, but even if you got the 100-400 or the 40-150 the camera still has amazing IS built in and you would hardly ever have to worry about camera shake. I agree the 40-150 isn't ideal for small birds, I would try to find a used 300mm f/4 or the 100-400 instead if birds are your main subjects. I have the 12-40 and it's a great lens as well.

[@mikerowe1323]

I've heard indirectly from OMDS that sensitivity has no effect when using AI Bird Detection. Have you found it actually makes any difference?

[@EspenHelland]

That’s interesting. I haven’t tested the different sensitivities with bird detection and found a difference no, I’ve just set it the way I would set it as if it would normally have an effect.

[@chetanunindracusin664]

Great

[@tonysvensson8314]

Hi! Have you figured out how to set up dual back button focus the way that´s popular in the EOS R5 and R7? I have tried but I can´t figure it out. I want to have ordinary C-AF on one back button and C-AF + animal detection with all AF-points on another back button. I think it takes to long time to have a separate button that i have to press to change focus settings because i can´t have the focus active while I press the another button to change focus settings so I first have to lift my thumb an press the "change button" and the start to focus again. It would be much faster just to move my thumb 2 centimeters to back button number 2.

[@EspenHelland]

Sorry for late reply. You're right it would be much faster, I haven't worked out a way to do it either, I don't think you can unfortunately.

[@foorichard1712]

How do you put on the camera strip?

[@EspenHelland]

Not sure what you mean by camera strip?

[@bamsemh1]

Could you do a deer, pet, rabbit, hare and such setup too? I have bif on c1 and pets on c2, but I'm not sure if my pets are correct 😬 Om-1 with oly 100-400mm here 💪

[@EspenHelland]

I tend to just change to the dog/cat mode whenever I come across a mammal, but will have a think if anything else needs changing.

[@bamsemh1]

@@EspenHelland so basically same settings as birds, just change subject focus and slow shutter a bit down? All depending on the action of course. I go shutter 1/800 when birds in trees or animals eating in the fields 😊

[@rafaelsegui4845]

Hello. Just asking. How muchbetter is this om1 compared to the em1 mII that I already have. Is it worth the upgrade? Thanks in advance

[@EspenHelland]

It’s a big improvement. If you can afford it I would upgrade

[@rafaelsegui4845]

@@EspenHelland done! Fingers crossed...

[@rafaelsegui4845]

@@EspenHelland should I also upythe sd cards? Currently using a lexar uhsII with 150mb/s writing speed on slot1 and on slot2 a lexar uhsI.

[@rafaelsegui4845]

*upgrade, sorry

[@SamsonCBLau]

Thank you for your help, just upgrade to om1 for EM1X, it is great for us to use.

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers, happy too :)

[@witekmiasik4238]

Witam. Czy takie porady dostępne są w języku polskim? Pozdrawiam.

[@EspenHelland]

Sorry no, unless you can try auto subtitles?

[@Bionicaddicts]

300mm arrived today! Sold my R6…..awaiting delivery of my OM-1 …. 🤞 I made the right decision .. Yikes 😬

[@EspenHelland]

Cool! Hope it's been working for you!

[@michaelhall2709]

Sorry, but this was the first video you’ve produced which I felt was not very clear or helpful in getting the camera set up to perform specific tasks - the presentation just seemed too rushed and perfunctory to be very useful. Still waiting to get the camera, so I’ll try looking at it again once I have it in hand. Some great bird photos, btw.

[@EspenHelland]

Hopefully it'll be easier with the camera in front of you. cheers

[@formermpc10]

This is just a recitation of lists found elsewhere.

[@skipsaunders5974]

I don't know where you are finding a repetitive list. There are other presentations of setup for BIF, but this one is particularly well done IMHO.....

[@Wreneagle]

Somehow Espen needs to get his hands on a 150-400...

[@EspenHelland]

yes 😃

[@simontorr4317]

I’ve got the om1 but can’t get the quality at 8000 or 10000 iso like you do, even using Raw and workspace AI. What’s your secret 😀

[@EspenHelland]

haha! No secret, I expose to the right and use Topaz Denoise, but OM Workspace is almost just as good. There's definitely noise present, but often fixed in post.

[@Sunrazor]

Don't really get it. Canon, Sony and Nikon all have very fast wildlife cameras. That handle iso better and are not that much bigger. Why settle for a smaller sensor? The lenses are not cheap either.

[@bamsemh1]

Shouldn't the sun be behind you? 😬

[@Wreneagle]

He specifically said he wanted to test AF in backlit situations...

[@EspenHelland]

Nah, I love shooting backlit :)