NoTan2
Rookie
- Location
- Newcastle NSW Australia
- Name
- Paul
I'm normally disinclined to ask questions, preferring instead to just search for the answers. This probably stems from starting computer programming in the late 1970s when there was no internet, books or magazines on computers (at least not in small town Australia) and nobody to ask as I had the only (home built) computer in town, and this was before Commodores and Apples became available. It was either work it out myself or fail. 🙂
After searching for a few weeks, however, I'm still no closer to finding an answer that makes sense to me.
Just for the sake of some background, I received my first camera in the 1950s, and eventually progressed to some SLRs including a fantastic OM-1n as well as a Mamiya C220 which I still have. After a period of inactivity, I then bought a Nikon Coolpix, D70s and then a D7000. I decided that I didn't feel like carrying the weight of the D7000 on an upcoming overseas trip and acquired an E-M5 Mk1 with 12-40, and an E-P5 and some other lenses. This served me well for some years.
Then we booked an overseas trip for 2020. At the same time, my daughter asked me to buy a battery for her TG-5 at the local camera store. Sitting on the shelf was an E-M1 Mk2 as well as the just released Mk3. I then made a big (financial) mistake and asked to hold the Mk2 and realised that the grip suited the 12-40 better than the E-M5 and negotiated a good deal. But then, of course, the overseas trip had to be cancelled and the poor E-M1 was subsequently left unused in disappointment.
Anyway, I've recently revived my interest and decided to attempt to use the E-M1 as it was intended. I've heard a few people talking about getting it set up the way they like and have experimented with their ideas.
Which leads to my question...
I've owned lots of cameras which allow the user to set up multiple autofocus points. On the E-M1, the manual calls it AF Target Mode and you can choose a single AF target, 5 targets, 9 targets or All targets. There is no shortage of articles which explain how to choose a mode (simple) but I haven't found one which explains why you would want to. If I choose, say, 5 targets and half press, the camera selects a different focus point (from the 5 available) seemingly at random each time I half press. Since most cameras offer this functionality, it is clearly useful but I just don't get it. If I want to focus on something, I don't want the camera deciding to focus on something else - so I only ever use single target.
What am I missing?
After searching for a few weeks, however, I'm still no closer to finding an answer that makes sense to me.
Just for the sake of some background, I received my first camera in the 1950s, and eventually progressed to some SLRs including a fantastic OM-1n as well as a Mamiya C220 which I still have. After a period of inactivity, I then bought a Nikon Coolpix, D70s and then a D7000. I decided that I didn't feel like carrying the weight of the D7000 on an upcoming overseas trip and acquired an E-M5 Mk1 with 12-40, and an E-P5 and some other lenses. This served me well for some years.
Then we booked an overseas trip for 2020. At the same time, my daughter asked me to buy a battery for her TG-5 at the local camera store. Sitting on the shelf was an E-M1 Mk2 as well as the just released Mk3. I then made a big (financial) mistake and asked to hold the Mk2 and realised that the grip suited the 12-40 better than the E-M5 and negotiated a good deal. But then, of course, the overseas trip had to be cancelled and the poor E-M1 was subsequently left unused in disappointment.
Anyway, I've recently revived my interest and decided to attempt to use the E-M1 as it was intended. I've heard a few people talking about getting it set up the way they like and have experimented with their ideas.
Which leads to my question...
I've owned lots of cameras which allow the user to set up multiple autofocus points. On the E-M1, the manual calls it AF Target Mode and you can choose a single AF target, 5 targets, 9 targets or All targets. There is no shortage of articles which explain how to choose a mode (simple) but I haven't found one which explains why you would want to. If I choose, say, 5 targets and half press, the camera selects a different focus point (from the 5 available) seemingly at random each time I half press. Since most cameras offer this functionality, it is clearly useful but I just don't get it. If I want to focus on something, I don't want the camera deciding to focus on something else - so I only ever use single target.
What am I missing?
