Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

01 Camera Setup and Control Reference

Image © Alan Hess

Congratulations! You’ve purchased, or are about to purchase, one of Olympus’s professional-level, mirrorless, interchangeable lens, Micro Four Thirds format cameras: the OM-D E-M5 Mark III. To simplify references to the camera, we’ll use E-M5 III in the remainder of the book.

As is true for most of today’s professional and semi-professional cameras, there are multiple ways to access a single function. We will cover the ways we find to be the most direct and easiest to use for each function, as we feel that is the best way for us to help you navigate this extremely versatile system.

While no professional digital camera is inexpensive, the E-M5 III provides passionate photographers with a camera that has excellent resolution, an interactive electronic viewfinder, easy-to-use physical controls, and deep custom menu configurability, all at an attractive price. The E-M5 III’s strong body is also splash proof, dust proof, and freeze proof. It should remain a reliable camera for years of faithful service.

Figure 1.1: Olympus E-M5 III front view, with M.Zuiko ED 14–150mm f4.0–5.6 II lens

The small size of the camera allows great portability for a full photography system. The entire system—including lenses, an additional battery pack, a flash unit, and accessories—can be contained in a small camera bag, allowing you to carry a full range of equipment without wearing yourself out.

The 21.8-megapixel imaging sensor (20.4 megapixel effective, which when combined with the advanced features of the in-body image stabilization can record 50-megapixel images), OLED electronic viewfinder, fully articulated and touch-sensitive live view display screen, 10 frames-per-second shooting rate (30fps silent sequential shooting), 5-axis image stabilization, phase-detection plus contrast-detection autofocus, and a Digital ESP metering system allow you to take complete creative control of the scene in front of your lens.

Figure 1.2: Olympus E-M5 III back view

The E-M5 III is one of the most configurable cameras ever created. The deep menu system allows for custom configuration, making the E-M5 III an ideal camera for photographers who want absolute control over every aspect of their photography. On the other hand, the camera offers fully automatic modes that allow a new photographer to create outstanding images without excessive camera setup. You can start with the E-M5 III as a new photographer and grow into the camera, gradually learning about custom features and relying less on automatic features over time. Or as an experienced photographer, you can take immediate control of every aspect of digital photography with full camera cooperation and assistance.

This book will explore your incredibly feature-rich camera in great detail, using everyday language. We will cover virtually every button, dial, lever, switch, and menu setting, giving you how, when, and why information so that you can become a master of your new, powerful imaging instrument. Your passion for excellent photography can be fully expressed with your E-M5 III. It’s time to take control of it!

Figure 1.3: Olympus E-M5 III (Black) with the accessory M.Zuiko ED 12–45mm f4.0 PRO lens

How to Use This Book

The upcoming sections and chapters are best read with your camera in hand, ready for configuration. There are literally hundreds of things that can be configured on this advanced, mirrorless, interchangeable-lens, compact (MILC) camera.

This chapter will give new E-M5 III users a place to start. Later, as you progress through the book, we’ll look at all the buttons, switches, dials, levers, and menu settings in detail. You will be able to fully master the operation of your E-M5 III.

This book is a super user’s manual that goes way beyond the small manual that comes with the camera. It covers not only how a certain function works (like the basic manual), but also when it is best to use certain features and why the features are best configured in particular ways. You will find a Settings Recommendation feature at the end of most sections, in which I offer suggestions for the best use of the various setting choices for different styles of photography.

There are sections for all the visual display touch screens and for each menu system in the camera, giving you a detailed examination of virtually every aspect of the camera’s control systems.

Because the E-M5 III is a camera made primarily for advanced and professional users, this book assumes you have knowledge of basic things like depth of field; lens focal length and angle of view; and how the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity control exposure.

I sincerely hope this book is useful to you and greatly expands your understanding of your new E-M5 III camera.

Charge the Battery

When you first open the box that contains your new E-M5 III, you should charge the camera’s battery. The battery may have enough life in it for an hour or two of use, so it may not be critical to charge it immediately. However, for extended configuration and use, it is best to have a fully charged battery in the camera.

Super Control Panel or Live View Screen?

After Initial setup of your new camera, in which you select a language and then set the date and time, when you turn your camera on, the first screen that appears on the monitor is the Super Control Panel (figure 1.4, image 1). This panel allows you to control things like the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, autofocus, and several other key camera functions. It is a very convenient screen, and we will consider it in detail in the chapter Screen Displays for Camera Control.

When the Super Control Panel is displayed on the monitor, you will need to use the electronic viewfinder (EVF) to compose your pictures. If you want to use the Live View screen (figure 1.4, image 3) to compose your pictures instead of the EVF, you will need to press the LV button (figure 1.4, image 2). Note: On the E-M5 III, the LV button is identified by the symbol on the button cap. This LV button can have any one of 29 different functions assigned to it. Assigning any of the other 28 functions to the LV button will result in the LV button not working as described here. The factory-default assigned function is Live View, and hereafter, we’ll refer to this button simply as the LV button.

My camera’s Live View screen is displaying my current subject. The LV button toggles between the Super Control Panel and the Live View screen, as shown in figure 1.4. Regardless of whether the monitor is displaying the Super Control Panel or the Live View screen, the EVF will not display any image or information until the eye sensor detects your eye (typically when your face is about one and a half inches from the eye cup). When the EVF brightens to show an image or information, the monitor will go dark.

When the Super Control Panel is active you can bring the camera to your eye and use the EVF to compose and take pictures. While the Live View screen is active you can use either the Live View screen or the EVF to compose and take pictures.

Figure 1.4: Switching between the Super Control Panel and Live View screen with the LV button

If the monitor is showing either the Live View screen or the Super Control Panel, and you place your eye near the viewfinder, the E-M5 III will instantly switch the subject display to the EVF and turn off the monitor. When you remove your eye from the EVF, the camera will immediately turn off the EVF and turn on the monitor.

Settings Recommendation: If you prefer to compose your images with the viewfinder and not hold the camera out at arm’s length to compose with the Live View screen, you may want to leave the Super Control Panel active to have quick access to its settings. To use the Super Control Panel, press the OK button (we’ll discuss later how to use either the touch screen or the Arrow pad to change listed settings). However, if you like to compose with the monitor (Live View), then you may want to leave the Live View screen active.

Initial Camera Configuration

When you first acquire an E-M5 III camera, either new or used, you will want to configure several functions that all camera users should set up according to their needs, especially with a new camera. This section lists the most important camera settings for immediate configuration.

This section is not comprehensive because there are literally hundreds of settings you can customize and configure on the E-M5 III camera. However, let me suggest some of the more important settings you may want to consider configuring before shooting for the first time.

Instead of repeating material found elsewhere in the book, I’ve listed the menu setting and the page number where you can find deeper information about that function. Place a bookmark here until you have examined and configured these basic functions. Afterward, you can use the camera for active picture-taking while you are studying its many features in this book.

Here are the most critical functions for immediate configuration:

Date and Time:Page 545

Language:Page 546

ISO:Page 18

Metering mode:Page 481

White balance:Page 495

Color Space:Page 504

Basic Picture Modes:Page 129

Image Format (Record mode):Page 170

Autofocus (AF) mode:Page 356

Manual focus (MF) assist modes:Page 378

After you’ve mastered those functions, review the following functions and learn how to enable and modify them. They can help you to efficiently expand your image quality and productivity.

Image Stabilizer:Page 420

Face Priority for autofocus:Page 368

Autofocus illuminator light:Page 367

Frames-per-second speed:Page 181

High ISO Noise Filtration:Page 466

Long Exposure Noise Reduction:Page 466

Beep sound:Page 455

Image review:Page 549

Image display rotation:Page 310

Grid display:Page 446

Touch Screen activation/deactivation:Page 77

Playback screen types (image review):Page 435

Live View screen types:Page 75

Copyright and Artist Name for image metadata:Page 513

Image file naming system:Page 507

EVF and Eye detection sensor:Page 521

Now that you have configured your camera’s initial functions, let’s examine the various buttons, dials, levers, and switches on the camera and briefly discuss the functionality of each one.

Camera Control Reference

This camera control reference is designed to help you locate and understand the purpose of each of the buttons, dials, levers, and switches on the camera.

Many (if not most) of the buttons on the camera can be configured to offer alternate functionality. Likewise, but to a lesser degree, the functions associated with some dials and levers can also be customized. In fact, the E-M5 III is the most configurable camera I have used in over forty-five years of photography. You can truly customize this camera to work the way you prefer, configuring both external controls and internal functions.

If you have a problem locating one of these buttons, please refer to the Control Location Reference section in the beginning of this book.

Let’s examine each of the external camera controls in alphabetical order. We will examine each of the internal functions in later chapters.

Buttons

Arrow pad buttons: The Arrow pad buttons are normally used to scroll through camera menus, pictures, and various screens. The Arrow pad has four buttons, including one each for up, down, left, and right. As you read through the instructions for configuring many of the camera functions in this book, you will often read scroll to the right, or some other similar instruction. This is a reference to using the Arrow pad buttons. The Arrow pad buttons have some programmability through Custom Menu functions, as described on page 390. You can select from as many as nine tasks for each of the right and down Arrow pad buttons. These tasks are listed in the downloadable appendices, found at www.rockynook.com/OlympusEM5III.

AEL/AFL/Protection button: The AEL/AFL button is fully programmable and can accept most tasks listed in the downloadable appendices. You can find instructions for how to assign a task to the AEL/AFL button on page 387. Its factory default task is AEL/AFL, which locks autoexposure (AEL) and autofocus (AFL) when you press the button, and unlocks it when you press it again.

Erase button: When you want to rid your camera’s memory card of an unneeded picture or video, you can display that image or video on the monitor, press the Erase button, answer Yes to the query, and press the OK button to delete the picture. This is not a programmable button.

INFO button: The Info button is used to enable or disable the menu help system. It is also used to scroll through and select various screen overlays for Live View or EVF shooting (e.g., Live Histogram, Level). Throughout this book, you will find that the Info button is used to choose various individual items within groups of items. This is not a programmable button. You can also press the OK button to open the Live Control when the Live View screen is showing your subject. Live Control is, essentially, the Super Control Panel superimposed on top of the Live View display, and it allows you to select many of the camera’s most important settings. You can use the Arrow pad or the Rear Dial to select a specific Live Control item, and then use the Front Dial to configure that item.

ISO button: Pressing the ISO button allows you to use either the Front Dial or the Rear Dial to select from a span of ISO values, including Auto.

Lens release button: This non-programmable button has one function: releasing the lens lock so that you can change lenses. To remove a lens, press and hold the Lens release button while turning the lens in a counter-clockwise direction until it stops. Then pull the lens straight out of the body. To mount a different lens, do not press the Lens release button. Insert the new lens by matching the red dot on the top of the lens with the red dot on the left side of the camera’s lens mount. Turn the lens in a clockwise direction, without forcing it, until it clicks. It should turn very easily. The camera and lens are then ready to use.

LV button: The LV button is fully programmable and can accept most tasks listed in the downloadable appendices. You can find instructions for how to assign a task to the LV button on page 388. Its factory default task is to activate the Live View display on the monitor. The LV button was discussed in a previous section of this chapter titled Super Control Panel or Live View Screen?, on page 6. It is used to toggle between the Super Control Panel and the Live View screen on the monitor.

MENU button: The Menu button is primarily used to access the menu systems (e.g., Shooting Menu 1, Setup Menu, Custom Menu). Press the Menu button and the Menu system will open. Scroll up or down with the Arrow pad buttons to select one of the camera’s menus, and then scroll to the right to access that menu. The MENU button is often used to cancel actions, and to return to the main menu from within a function. This is not a programmable button.

Mode dial lock button: This button is used for one thing only: to lock the Mode Dial so that it cannot accidentally be moved from the current Mode Dial setting (e.g., P, S, A, or M). It works like the button on a retractable ball-point pen. Press it once to lock the Mode Dial and press it again to unlock the Mode Dial. This is not a programmable button.

Movie button: The Movie button is fully programmable and can accept tasks listed in the downloadable appendices. You can find instructions for how to assign a task to the Movie button on page 386. Its factory default task is REC, which is used to start and stop the camera’s video recording functions.

OK button: The OK button is used extensively to confirm configurations of camera functions. It can also be used to choose items. When you are done configuring a camera setting you will usually need to press the OK button to lock in your changes. Additionally, you can edit recorded images by pressing OK when a Playback image is displayed on the screen. This is not a programmable button.

Playback button: This non-programmable button is for reviewing images and movies. You will press this button to examine images and videos saved on the camera’s memory card. When you take an image, the camera defaults to a half-second display of an image after taking it. Therefore, unless you increase the image display time, which could interfere with using the EVF for follow-up shots (the just-taken image will display in the EVF), you will use the Playback button often to examine your images and videos.

Preview button: The Preview button (on the front of the camera) is fully programmable and can accept tasks listed in the downloadable appendices. You can find instructions for how to assign a task to the Preview button on page 279. Its factory default task is Preview, which lets you see the depth of field for the current aperture setting as you look at the EVF or Live View screen.

Shutter button: The Shutter button is primarily used to release the camera’s shutter to take a picture (full press). It is also used to initiate autofocus (half press). The autofocus function can be relegated to the AEL/AFL button instead of the Shutter button for back-button focusing, as described on page 353.

Next let’s consider each of the camera’s four dials and what they do.

Dials

Diopter adjustment dial: The Diopter adjustment dial changes the optical power of a lens that’s located in front of the camera’s EVF so that you do not strain your eye when you are looking into the viewfinder. It works sort of like a pair of glasses to bring the image you see on the EVF into sharper focus for your eye; however, it does not correct for astigmatism. If you look into the EVF and feel eyestrain or get a headache after using it, you should adjust the Diopter adjustment dial until the view is comfortable for you. You may have to use a different diopter setting for each eye (necessary, of course, only if you use the right eye part of the time and the left the remainder of the time).

Front Dial: The Front Dial changes the aperture setting when the camera is set to Manual (M) mode on the Mode Dial. In other modes it is usually used to set +/− Exposure Compensation. When you are examining a Playback image on the monitor, you can use the Front Dial to advance to the next image or go back to the previous image. The Front Dial is sometimes used to select a single item from a list of items, such as sub-functions in the camera’s menus. The Front Dial has a measure of programmability, as described on page 395 under the Custom Menu’s B > Button/Dial/Lever > Dial Function setting. You can change which dial (Front or Rear) does what, and which direction you turn it to accomplish its task.

Mode Dial: The E-M5 III is a multimode camera. It has a Mode Dial on top that allows you to change how the camera works. You can select from modes that turn your camera into a fully automatic (AUTO), point-and-shoot camera; or a fully manual (M), user-controlled camera; or various modes in between. In addition to the normal P, S, A, and M exposure modes, the Mode Dial offers various specialty modes including: ART Mode (exotic filters), SCN mode (scene modes for inexperienced photographers), B Mode (Bulb Mode, for long exposures—typically, those longer than 60 seconds), C Mode (Custom Mode, for selection of one of the specific custom settings you have previously created and saved), and Movie mode (video recording). Some of the modes on the Mode Dial can be programmed to a degree with the Dial Function of the Custom Menu, as described on page 395. However, the Mode Dial itself is not programmable.

Rear Dial: The Rear Dial changes the shutter speed setting when the camera is set to Manual (M) mode on the Mode Dial. In other modes it is used to set the current controllable setting. For instance, when you use Aperture-priority (A) mode on the Mode Dial, you will use the Rear Dial to set the aperture. When you use Shutter-priority (S) mode on the Mode Dial, you will use the Rear Dial to set the shutter speed. When you are examining a Playback image on the monitor, you can use the Rear Dial to zoom in and out of images, and to display indexes of the Playback images. The Rear Dial can also be used as a substitute for the Arrow pad buttons when moving in and out of functions in the camera’s menus. The Rear Dial has a measure of programmability, as described on page 395 under the Custom Menu’s B > Button/Dial/Lever > Dial Function setting. You can change which dial (Front or Rear) does what, and which direction you turn it to accomplish its task.

Finally, let’s consider each of the camera’s two levers and what they do.

Levers

Fn Lever: The Fn Lever is designed to give the camera more than one basic way of doing things. You can configure some of the camera’s functions to work one way when the lever is set to position 1 and another way when the lever is set to position 2. This is a programmable lever, with specific functionality, as described on page 405.

On/Off Lever: This non-programmable lever has only one purpose: turning the camera on and off. If left in the On position, the camera will turn itself off after a specific period of time, which you can set with the Custom Menu > J2 > Auto Power Off function, as described on page 538. If the camera has shut down while the lever is in the On position, you will have to move the lever to the Off position and then back to On to bring the camera back to life.

Unusual Icons in Menu Names

Olympus uses unusual icons in some of its camera menus, in some cases making it hard to understand exactly what a menu selection means. For instance, at the point of the arrows in figure 1.6, images 1 and 2, you can see an icon that represents image quality.

Figure 1.6: Unusual icons in menu names

You will see several icons of this type spread throughout the camera’s menu system. Some will be intuitive and others not. Because I do not have access to the Olympus icons, I have substituted words where an icon is used.

For example, the icon that represents the camera’s image quality (figure 1.6) is called Record Mode by the Olympus Instruction Manual. Therefore, when I refer to the image quality menu in this book I will use the words Record Mode in brackets, like this: [Record Mode].

In figure 1.6, image 2, you can see the same odd graphic used in a menu item that contains several more names. When I refer to the menu shown at the point of the red arrow in image 2, I will use: G. [Record Mode]/WB/Color.

Throughout the book, when you see a word in brackets as part of a menu name or function name, please remember that the word is used in place of the icon and represents the specific functionality that the icon is supposed to impart.

Contacting the Author

You can join Darrell’s non-public Facebook group, Master Your Olympus (MYO), at the following web address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MasterYourOlympus/

Additionally, Darrell has created a public Facebook site that allows members to freely associate with general Olympus camera users. It is called Olympus Digital Camera & Photo Enthusiasts (ODCPE), and is found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ODCPE/

These two Facebook groups, one private and one public, will allow us to stay in touch, display photographs created with our Olympus cameras, and learn from each other.

Online Resources

The Olympus webpage for the E-M5 III (https://www.getolympus.com/e-m5-mark-iii.html) is a growing source of information for this camera.

You will also find a series of downloadable resources for this book, as well as a list of any errata corrections on the following webpage:

www.rockynook.com/OlympusEM5III

Author’s Conclusion

Now that we have completed some basic camera configuration and discussed the external controls on the E-M5 III, let’s proceed into a detailed examination of the camera’s various control screens. Many of these screens have selections that are touch sensitive, allowing you to choose that setting either with a touch of your finger or by using the Arrow pad buttons and scrolling around.

02 Screen Displays for Camera Control

Image © Alan Hess

The E-M5 III has very deep text menus to configure hundreds of camera settings, which we will consider in other chapters. The camera also has quite a few visual and touch screen displays for people who want to make basic camera adjustments with the built-in monitor’s touch screen.

The E-M5 III is unusual in that it presents you with multiple ways to configure your favorite settings. Many settings can be adjusted visually, with the screens discussed in this chapter, or by using the text-based menu system. In some cases, the menu system lets you configure things more deeply and offers more settings than the visual screens. Therefore, as we discuss the individual settings on the visual touch screens in this chapter, there will often be references to later chapters with even deeper configuration settings in the menus.

We will also explore various controls that allow the camera to use the visual side of the user interface, such as the Exposure (P, S, A, M, B), Scene (SCN), AUTO, and Art Filter (ART) Modes; the video recording system; and the metering system.

To start our exploration of the camera’s visual/touch interface, let’s first examine the important touch screens you may use nearly every time you take pictures, depending on your style of photography.

Note: In the other chapters of this book, I use numbered, step-by-step instructions to describe how to sequentially use the menu screens and subfunctions. In this chapter, I use paragraphs instead of numbered steps because describing how to use a visual screen requires a lot of words. Using the step-by-step method would not have allowed me to break some of the long, descriptive paragraphs into sections, and would have made the text difficult to read.

Super Control Panel

The Super Control Panel (figure 2.1A) is one of the first screens the camera will display when a new E-M5 III is turned on for the first time.

Figure 2.1A: The Super Control Panel

As described in chapter 1, Camera Setup and Control Reference, you will need to set the camera’s date and time as one of the first steps. The red arrow in figure 2.1A points to the current date and time. When you first turn on the camera it will list the month, day, year, and time in this location (abbreviated and in the form most used in your geographic area).

The Super Control Panel is a visual form of a few of the camera’s text menus, exposing some important settings for easy access. It contains 27 settings or functions that you can adjust, and each of them has a secondary screen. By default, if the LV button is not in Live View mode when the camera is powered on, the Super Control Panel will be displayed, but in a status-only mode. You will need to press the OK button in order to make adjustments. Be aware that if the monitor remains black after powering on the camera, it simply means that the EVF Auto Switch has been turned off. To turn it back on, press the LV button for a full two seconds, press the Arrow pad down button, and press the OK button (this sequence is displayed in the viewfinder). If you prefer to work with the Live View image on the monitor while you are making adjustments, then press the LV button to open the Live View Super Control Panel—which is simply the normal Super Control Panel superimposed on the Live View image. In a later section, we’ll talk about the Live Control panel, which can be displayed instead of the Super Control Panel, or even added as a readily available option to access in a cycle of control panels.

Using Camera Controls

When the Super Control Panel is active, press the OK button, and one of the settings, usually ISO, will be highlighted. When any function is highlighted—indicating that the screen has moved from status-only mode to interactive mode—you can scroll around the Super Control Panel with the Arrow pad buttons or the Rear Dial until the function you want to adjust is highlighted.

When a function is highlighted, you can either turn the Front Dial to see the choices scroll by in the highlighted area, or you can press the OK button to enter the secondary screens for that Super Control Panel function.

Using the Touch Screen

If you prefer, you can use the touch screen to access the features on the Super Control Panel. If nothing is highlighted on the Super Control Panel, you must double-tap the screen to wake it up. When it is awake, simply touch one of the settings to highlight it. Double-tapping a setting will open a secondary screen in which you can make adjustments. Secondary Super Control Panel screens are not touch sensitive, so you must use normal camera controls (e.g., Arrow pad, Front Dial, and OK button) to change the settings. We will discuss this in more detail under the Touch Screen subheading, on page 77, later in this chapter.

Let’s examine each of the functions in the Super Control Panel.

ISO Sensitivity

The ISO function changes the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the greater the sensitivity, and vice versa. Higher ISO sensitivities can add grainy digital noise to the darker areas of your image; therefore, keep the ISO as low as possible for the current lighting conditions.

Figure 2.1B: Choosing an ISO sensitivity value or AUTO

The camera recommends ISO AUTO or ISO 200 as a base—you will see Recommended ISO displayed on the Super Control Panel and Recommend displayed on the secondary screen when you have ISO AUTO or ISO 200 selected (figure 2.1B, image 2). Of course, the ISO is variable, and you can change it to meet your needs.

To access the ISO sensitivity function, use the Arrow pad buttons to highlight the ISO position, as shown in figure 2.1B, image 1. You can turn the Front Dial to select a new ISO sensitivity value, or you can press the OK button to enter the secondary ISO screen (figure 2.1B, image 2).

When the secondary ISO screen is active you will see a range of ISO sensitivity values at the bottom of the screen (figure 2.1B, image 2). Use the Arrow pad buttons to scroll left or right and select an ISO sensitivity value, which will be highlighted. In figure 2.1B, image 2, you can see that 200 is selected. The range of displayed ISO values runs from LOW (ISO 100) to ISO 25600. You can also select AUTO, which allows the camera to select an ISO value depending on the ambient light conditions. AUTO is a great choice when you do not have time to adjust the ISO yourself. However, be aware that the camera will use high ISO values to get the picture in dark conditions, regardless of whether ISO noise is introduced. For the best quality, control the ISO sensitivity yourself.

When you have selected the ISO sensitivity value you want to use, press the OK button and the camera will return to the Super Control Panel with the new selection displayed.

Note: Olympus considers ISO 100 (LOW) to be an extended ISO value in the E-M5 III. The recommended base ISO is 200. When LOW is selected, you will see ISO LOW displayed on the main Super Control Panel and Extension displayed on the secondary ISO screen. This simply means that LOW approximates ISO 100, which is outside the normal ISO range for the camera. Do not worry, ISO LOW works great, and I use it much of the time to capture low-noise images when the ambient light allows it.

All ISO values from 8000 to 25600 are considered extensions; the ISO value will be shown on the Super Control Panel and the word Extension will be displayed on the secondary ISO screen.

Settings Recommendation: I usually leave my camera set to ISO 200, and I find that it has low noise for everyday photography. When I shoot landscapes on a tripod, I often set it to LOW (ISO 100). The camera does well up to about ISO 1600, even though the Micro Four Thirds sensor is small. I would use ISO values above 1600 only in emergencies because the noise levels may become objectionable. You should test this for yourself to see where your noise tolerance lies.

White Balance

The E-M5 III offers a wide range of preset white balance (WB) values, plus several custom WB settings, for a total of 13 WB settings.

As you may know, WB affects how the camera records color in the ambient light. White should record as white; it should not have a tint. Other colors should be recorded as they appear in real life.

This is a very important setting for people who shoot JPEG files. It is difficult to change the hue of a JPEG image after the fact, and the change lowers the quality of the image due to compression losses when the file is modified and saved more than once.

A photographer who shoots in RAW does not have to worry as much about WB because it can be changed after the fact in computer software, with no damage to the image. However, it is still good for RAW shooters to use the best WB because it saves time in the post-processing workflow (the digital darkroom).

Let’s see how to select a WB value from the Super Control Panel.

Figure 2.1C: Choosing a WB type

First, let’s examine where the WB function is located on the Super Control Panel. It is highlighted in figure 2.1C, image 1. Use the Arrow pad buttons to select that setting, and press the OK button to enter the secondary WB screen. Alternatively, you can turn the Front Dial to scroll through the WB values shown at the bottom of the secondary screen without entering the secondary screen.

On the secondary screen, you can select a WB value by scrolling left or right with the Arrow pad buttons to highlight the WB value you want to use, then pressing the OK button to lock in a value. I chose AUTO (figure 2.1C, image 2). A note regarding the WB Auto setting: On the secondary screen, you have the option of pressing the OK button to instruct the WB Auto feature to Keep Warm Color, which means the camera will not attempt to correct for the warm colors caused by incandescent lighting (figure 2.1C, image 2). Use the Arrow pad buttons to change the status of this feature between On and Off.

There are several preset WB values, as follows (in order of appearance on the secondary screen): WB AUTO; five named WB values for specific light types (Sunny, Shadow, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent); Underwater; WB Flash; four custom Capture WB values that you can use for capturing ambient light readings from a gray or white card; and CWB (custom white balance), which allows you to directly set a Kelvin (K) WB value from 2000 (cool blue) to 14000 (warm red). For a detailed study of each of these WB types, see the Custom Menu chapter under the Custom Menu > G. [Record Mode]/WB/Color > WB function on page 495. The Super Control Panel WB screen is a lite version of the interface that shows these function settings in the WB Custom Menu, as discussed on page 495. In this chapter, we will discuss how to select settings. In the Custom Menu chapter, we will discuss how, why, and when to select a specific setting.

Fine-Tuning the WB

Notice the A±0 and G±0 selections to the right of the WB function in figure 2.1D, image 1 (available for any of the WB functions except CWB). These selections allow you to fine-tune the currently selected WB value if you want to change the hue. A stands for amber, and G stands for green. The A represents the A-axis, with positive numbers representing increasing amounts of red, and the negative numbers representing increasing amounts of blue. Similarly, the G represents the G-axis, with positive numbers representing increasing amounts of green, and the negative numbers representing increasing amounts of magenta.

Figure 2.1D: Fine-tuning the amber and green white balance settings

Referring to figure 2.1D, image 1, select either the A±0 or G±0 setting and press the OK button to enter the secondary screen. To adjust the A±0 or G±0 setting, use the screens shown in images 2 and 3, respectively.

In image 2 the red arrow is pointing to the adjustment indicator for the A setting. The A±0 amber setting can be fine-tuned over a range of 14 increments (A+7 to A−7). Move the yellow bar shown at the point of the red arrow up (+) or down (−) with the Arrow pad buttons. Press the Movie button to take a temporary picture with the new setting and display it on the monitor. If you like the adjusted hue, press the OK button to Set the new value for the A (amber) fine-tuning value. In a similar manner, adjust the G (green) setting (image 3). You can reset the fine-tuning by returning the yellow indicator bar back to 0 for both A and G.

Initially, the existence of both an A±0 and a G±0 can be confusing, but the intent is to allow the fastest access to the axis you wish to adjust. If you need to make an adjustment to both axes, you can select either. Though you select an axis from the Super Control Panel, adjustment along that axis cannot be made by rotating the Front Dial; adjustments can only be made on the secondary screen.

Capture WB Ambient Light Reading

Let’s examine how to do an ambient light reading from a white or gray card under the current light source and assign it to one of the four Capture WB memory locations for taking pictures later under the same light source.

Figure 2.1E: Capturing an ambient WB reading from a gray or white card

In figure 2.1E, image 1, my normal white balance setting (WB AUTO) is shown. By pressing the OK button, you can select the first of four Capture WB values by turning the Front Dial. Use this setting to select a previously created Capture WB ambient light reading or to create a new one and save it in the Capture WB 1 memory location. If you have not yet created any Capture WB readings, read the following paragraphs.

To create and store a new Capture WB value, press the OK button when the WB section is selected on the Super Control Panel. Now scroll to one of the four Capture WB memory locations. You can identify the four Capture WB memory locations by their flower icons with numbers 1–4 (figure 2.1E, image 2). Notice also in image 2 that INFO is displayed after the Capture WB label. If you press the INFO button while one of the Capture WB memory locations is selected, the camera will prepare for a Capture WB reading from a white or gray card.

Figure 2.1E, image 3, shows the screen that appears next. It tells you to Point the camera at a sheet of white paper. You can also use a standard gray card. After you have positioned the white or gray card in front of the lens, press the Shutter button to take a picture. The camera does not store the picture on the memory card. Instead, it makes an accurate WB reading from the white or gray card. The camera will not attempt to focus on the card; it will simply fire the shutter.

Note: If the camera has difficulty making a Capture WB reading—generally indicated by the reading requiring an unusually long exposure—it will display the following message to let you know the reading may be of no use: WB levels are extreme. Continue?.

CWB (Custom WB) Kelvin Value

If you know how to use direct Kelvin (K) WB values and want to input your own custom white balance (CWB), you can input a range from 2000 K (cool) to 14000 K (warm), which is a significantly broader range than many other camera brands. Let’s see how it works.