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[OM] Living with the EM-5

Subject: [OM] Living with the EM-5
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:06:31 -0400
Some rather random observations:

1. We were wandering around downtown Belfast, ME a few days ago when Carol 
pointed out to me the interesting 
light/reflection/shadow things in/on a restaurant across the street. The 
resultant image is nothing too special, 
although moving the car would help. 
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=Travel/NorthEast_2012/Miscellaneous&image=_9171055oof30.jpg>

What was noteworthy was my reaction to her comment, I was momentarily puzzled, 
then started to reach for the S100 on my 
belt before conscious reason took over to point out that I had the E-M5 with 
14-150 hanging around my neck. The camera 
and normal lenses are simply light enough to forget I have them on.

Where I required a hand strap for previous DSLRs, I find I don't need one with 
the E-M5. And I've gone to a simpler, 
lighter neck strap, too.

2. The EVF is hopeless for fall colors; the bright reds and yellows just don't 
show up. It's disconcerting to see a 
shot, put the camera up to my eye, and see something flat colored. The rear 
screen is better, but with only the little 
netbook+ along, I'm not entirely convinced I caught what I hoped to catch, and 
won't be until I see them at home.

3. Battery life is an issue. I've had to switch in a spare three times, I 
think. The Oly battery pooped out at about 250 
shots one day, and after about 200 and some video clips another day.

I can certainly understand both why battery drain is high, both the usual live 
view power consumption and the five way 
IS. I can also understand the decision about battery size; I don't see any way 
to maintain the lovely form factor with a 
bigger battery.

I wouldn't want to do without any of those things, but the price is the need to 
carry a spare battery. When I bought the 
camera, spare Oly batteries were not only rather expensive, but out of stock 
everywhere I looked, including the 
OlyAmerica store.

I don't have a real sense of how the life of the two Wasabi batteries I bought 
compare to the Oly. Most days, I start 
with the Oly. The one day I started with Wasabi wasn't a heavy shooting day, 
and didn't push it. Oly's insistence 
unpublished coding of battery communications with camera and charger meant 
'decoded' batteries weren't yet available. So 
I need separate chargers for the two different sorts of batteries.

More an issue of retraining myself than a big problem. Spares are small, light 
and easy to carry in pocket or bag. Sure 
glad I bought and brought them. :-)

4. I like the form factor and overall ergonomics of the camera. The two buttons 
above the screen are a little fiddly. I 
don't like the on/off switch. If it protruded just a little above the camera 
back, I could switch it with a quick 
movement of my thumb. As it is, I have to make a more careful movement that 
digs down to catch it.

I've recently turned off Auto Off, as I would find the camera wasn't ready at 
inconvenient times. But that means using 
the power switch more often to save battery power. Maybe I can just ignore it 
and leave the camera on all the time, 
relying on Sleep Mode to save battery power, as I have done on the 5D and 60D

5. AF and AE in video mode are less than perfect with tricky/complex subjects.

6. Body memory is finally adjusting, most of the time, to the reverse direction 
of the zoom ring. The fly by wire focus 
direction is a menu setting, but the physical zooming action is reverse to the 
Canons.

7. I tried putting AF on a button separate from the shutter half-press. But the 
physical layout of buttons just wasn't 
working for me the way it does on the 60D. I've now got AF on the shutter 
again, and the Fn2 button next the the shutter 
release set to switch between AF and MF, and that's working pretty well for me 
so far.

Ramblin' Moose

-- 
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
-- 
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