Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (2015)

Chapter 3. Shooting Menu 1: Preliminary and Basic Shooting Options

Image © Darrell Young

Shooting Menu 1 is the first in a series of camera configuration menus that we will consider in great detail. The E-M1 is one of the most configurable cameras I’ve ever owned. With that powerful flexibility comes a great deal of complexity. Unfortunately, the user’s manual provided with the camera is woefully inadequate at helping you understand how to work with all these menus and their functions. Only through much experimentation and discussion with Olympus’s upper-level technical support have I been able to ferret out how all these functions work.

Therefore, this book is filled with hands-on knowledge derived from hundreds of hours of experimentation. You could probably do the same as me and struggle through the process of figuring it all out, but now you don’t have to. I’ve done it for you. At the very least, I hope that Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 helps you better understand and enjoy your new camera.

Now, let’s get started on all these functions. It is best if you have your camera in hand and work through the functions one by one. Even if you don’t think you need a certain function right now, why not take time to at least examine each menu item? Then, if your needs change, you will remember that your camera can do a certain thing and you can research how to configure it for that need.

The following is a look at the menu we will consider in this chapter (figure 3.1). Let’s jump right in and start examining this camera’s deepest parts.

Figure 3.1: Shooting Menu 1

On Shooting Menu 1 you will find the following functions:

• Card Setup: This function allows you to delete all images or only nonprotected images, or you can format the memory card and delete everything.

• Reset/Myset: This function lets you save up to four camera configurations. In other words, you can set the many functions of the camera to work a certain way and then save those settings. Then you can configure the camera to work in a completely different way and save that configuration too. You can do this up to four times, with each configuration being a completely separate setup. Then you can choose one of the four configurations from the Myset menu. You can reset a configuration any time.

• Picture Mode: The camera has 23 Basic, Creative, and Art Picture Modes that you can use to change how your images look. Just as with different film types, you can create pictures to reflect your mood or suit your clients’ needs. From a standard look to a wildly outrageous one, you can create images that few other cameras can. In fact, you would normally have to use an expensive computer program like Adobe Photoshop to create some of the special effects that are built in to your camera.

• [Record Mode]: This function allows you to choose an image format for still photography, such as JPEG or RAW (ORF). For video, you can choose Full HD (1080), HD (720), or SD (480).

• Image Aspect: This function allows you to choose from various horizontal-to-vertical ratios. You can make pictures that vary in width and height, or they can be square.

• Digital Tele-converter: This simple function allows you to exceed the focal length of your lens by two times (2x), with a resulting loss in image quality. This is not a true zoom function. The camera merely enlarges the image in-camera and then crops a new image from the middle of the enlargement. Even though the subject appears to be closer when you see it on the camera monitor, it is an artificial enlargement that significantly reduces image quality.

• Keystone Comp.: This function allows the camera to digitally imitate the tilt and swing functions of a view camera or a tilt-shift lens. You can pull the edges of the image toward or away from you to correct distortion, such as the leaning-backwards effect you see when you use a wide-angle lens and point it up to photograph a tall building.

Let’s examine each of these menu items in detail and determine how you may best use them. We will start at the top of Shooting Menu 1 and work our way down the menu.

Card Setup

Card Setup allows you to prepare a memory card for use in your camera. There are two parts to Card Setup: All Erase and Format. What is the difference?

All Erase

All Erase allows you to remove all images that have not been previously lock protected on the memory card. In other words, a protected image is one that you mark so the All Erase function will not remove it.

When an image is protected, the camera will ignore it when you execute the All Erase function, even though it deletes all the other images on the memory card. This is an easy way to get rid of images you do not want to keep. (See page 93 for more information about protecting an image.)

Figure 3.2A: Executing the All Erase function

Here are the steps to execute the All Erase function:

1. Select Card Setup from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2A, image 1).

2. Choose All Erase from the Card Setup menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.2A, image 2).

3. Select Yes from the All Erase menu. The camera will warn you, Caution Erasing All (figure 3.2A, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to erase all nonprotected images. Protected images will not be removed.

Format

The Format function deletes all images from the memory card, including protected images. Use this function when you get a new memory card or when you use a memory card that has been formatted in a different camera or in a computer. Formatting a card in the camera tends to cut down on long-term memory card problems.

Figure 3.2B: Executing the Format function

Here are the steps to execute the Format function:

1. Select Card Setup from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2B, image 1).

2. Choose Format from the Card Setup menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.2B, image 2).

3. Select Yes from the Format menu. The camera will warn you, Caution Erasing All (figure 3.2B, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to erase all nonprotected images. Protected images will not be removed.

Note: Formatting a memory card doesn’t actually remove images from the card. Instead, it removes their entries from the memory card’s file allocation table (FAT) so the images can no longer be seen or found by the camera. However, you can use card recovery software to rescue the images if you do not write any new pictures to the card after you format it. That is a good thing to remember in case you accidentally format a card that contains images you wanted to keep.

Settings Recommendation: I always format a new memory card with the E-M1’s Format function before I use it. There is no way to know if the current format on the card is in good shape. Also, many other camera brands create their own folder structure when a card is formatted. It is wise to remove all traces of any other brand’s folder structure by formatting a used card in your E-M1. Why take any chances with your valuable images?

I don’t use the image protect system much, so the All Erase function is not that useful to me. However, you may want to protect your best images as you make them, and at the end of the day you can use All Erase to remove nonprotected images. Just be sure you haven’t missed any images you wanted to keep. This approach seems a bit dangerous to me!

Reset/Myset

If you want to use your camera for different styles of shooting, you can completely change how the camera functions for each style by saving a different camera configuration in each of the Myset storage locations. Then you can recall the configuration by selecting the corresponding location. The Myset storage locations are numbered from Myset1 through Myset4.

In effect, you have five memory locations for camera settings, the one currently in use (camera’s active memory) and the four saved Myset locations. When you recall one of the Myset locations, it replaces the settings configuration currently in use in the camera’s active memory, without changing the four Myset locations in any way. When you save a camera configuration to one of the four Myset locations, you are writing a copy of the settings in use by the camera’s active memory into one of the Myset locations. This allows you to recall favorite configurations at any time.

You can also reset the Shooting Menu (1 and 2) functions, or nearly all the camera’s settings, back to the factory defaults. First, let’s consider how to save camera configurations, then we will examine how to reset them.

Saving or Overwriting a Camera Configuration

Configure the camera so it meets your needs for a certain shooting style. Since you have four storage locations, you can repeat the following steps to save separate configurations.

Figure 3.2C: Saving the current camera configuration to one of the Myset locations (Myset1 through Myset4)

Use these steps to save the current camera configuration to one of the Myset storage locations (Myset1 through Myset4):

1. Choose Reset/Myset from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2C, image 1).

2. You can choose one of four storage locations to save a configuration (Myset1 through Myset4). Select one of the Myset locations in which to save the current configuration. Choose one with NoData displayed if you want to save a new configuration, or choose one with Set displayed if you want to overwrite an existing configuration (figure 3.2C, image 2). If Set is not displayed after any of the Myset locations, there are no previously saved camera configurations. Once you have chosen the Myset location you want to use, scroll to the right.

3. Choose Set from the up/down menu to prepare for saving the configuration to that Myset location (figure 3.2C, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to save the current camera configuration. After the settings are saved, the camera will switch back to the Reset/Myset menu with your chosen Myset location highlighted, and Set will be displayed instead of NoData (figure 3.2C, image 4). You have now saved your camera settings, and you can recall this configuration any time by following the steps in the next section.

Recalling a Saved Camera Configuration

This function allows you to recall one of the camera configurations stored in Myset 1 through Myset 4. This action replaces the setting configuration you are currently using in the camera’s active memory with the setting configuration from the Myset storage location you choose to recall. Use the following steps to load a previously saved configuration:

Figure 3.2D: Recalling a previously saved camera configuration

1. Choose Reset/Myset from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2D, image 1).

2. Highlight one of the previously saved Myset locations, indicated by Set instead of NoData, and press the OK button—do not scroll to the right (figure 3.2D, image 2). The Yes/No Myset menu will appear when you press the OK button.

3. Select Yes from the Myset menu (figure 3.2D, image 3), then press the OK button to switch the current configuration to the one saved in the Myset location you chose. Select No to cancel the operation.

Resetting One of the Myset Locations

If you want to erase a Myset location that has a camera configuration stored in it (displays Set) and return it to an empty state (displays NoData), use the following steps:

Figure 3.2E: Erasing a saved configuration from a Myset location

1. Select Reset/Myset from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2E, image 1).

2. Highlight the Myset location that you want to erase (figure 3.2E, image 2)—this will change the Set indicator back to NoData—and scroll to the right. If you reset a Myset location that is displaying NoData instead of Set, nothing will happen.

3. Choose Reset from the up/down menu to prepare for deleting the saved configuration from the Myset location you chose (figure 3.2E, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to delete the camera configuration. Afterward, the camera will switch back to the Reset/Myset menu with your chosen Myset location highlighted and with NoData displayed instead of Set (figure 3.2E, image 4). This Myset location is now empty and ready for a new configuration.

Resetting the Camera to Factory Default

There are two ways to return the camera to the default state when it left the factory. One approach resets only what Olympus considers to be basic items (Reset/Myset: Basic), and the other approach (Reset/Myset: Full) returns almost all settings back to the factory defaults. Basic resets general camera functions that are not controlled from the exterior (e.g., ISO, Metering, Picture Mode, Image Aspect), and Full resets even your carefully configured buttons, dials, and switches. See the note at the end of this section to see which functions are affected by these two reset methods.

If you want to start fresh, these two functions will be valuable to you. First, you must select either Basic or Full, then you can reset the functions.

Let’s examine how to reset the camera settings.

Figure 3.2F: Resetting the camera to factory default, step 1

In step 1 you will choose either a Basic reset or a Full reset. Choosing one of them does not execute a reset. You will need to use the steps accompanying figure 3.2G to do the actual reset. As previously mentioned, Basic resets only certain general functions, and Full resets virtually all camera functions (except for things like Date, Time, and Language), so choose carefully. Use the following steps to select which reset method you will use:

1. Select Reset/Myset from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.2F, image 1).

2. Choose Reset from the Reset/Myset menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.2F, image 2).

3. Figure 3.2F, images 3 and 4, show both menu items from the same menu. Choose Basic or Full and press the OK button.

The camera will switch back to the Reset/Myset menu with your selection highlighted. Figure 3.2G shows the steps to execute the reset command. In this example, I chose Basic.

Figure 3.2G: Resetting the camera to the factory defaults, step 2

4. With Reset and your chosen reset method highlighted (Basic or Full), press the OK button (figure 3.2G, image 1).

5. The Reset menu will appear with Yes or No available (figure 3.2G, image 2).

6. Choose Yes if you want to execute the reset, and choose No if you want to cancel the operation. Press the OK button and the camera will immediately reset the functions to the factory defaults.

Note: There is an extensive Menu Directory list in the camera user’s manual on pages 142–147. This list shows which camera settings can be saved or reset with the Reset/Myset > Myset1 [through Myset4] > Set [or Reset] function. It also shows which settings can be reset to the factory defaults when you use the Reset/Myset > Reset > Basic [or Full] function. The Menu Directory is several pages long and quite dense because it lists virtually every function in the camera. When you look a function up in the list, notice if there is a check mark under the column labeled *1. If there is a check mark, that function can be saved in a Myset location; no check mark means it cannot be saved.

Picture Mode

Picture Mode allows you to choose one of 23 adjustable image effects for each shooting session. If you have ever used film, you know that there are distinct looks to each film type. No two films produce color that looks the same.

Picture Mode gives you the ability to impart a specific look to your images as if you were using different types of film or simply wanted to create special effects. You can use the Picture Modes as they are provided from the factory, or you can fine-tune Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Gradation.

The Picture Mode settings you choose are applied permanently to JPEG images as soon as you press the Shutter button. Modifying and resaving a JPEG image causes gradual damage because of data losses that occur during compression, so be sure to select the best Picture Mode setting when you shoot.

When you shoot in RAW (ORF) mode, Picture Mode settings are not permanently applied to the image. Instead, the Picture Mode information is saved in the metadata of the image. The camera and your computer will display each RAW image with the Picture Mode settings temporarily applied; however, unlike with JPEG images, settings can be changed after the fact with RAW images with no damage. See the [Record Mode] section later in this chapter to find out how to choose an image quality mode.

There are five basic Picture Modes that you will use frequently, and there are 18 additional Creative and Art Picture Modes. This abundance of special effect modes gives you freedom to express yourself creatively with your pictures, from stoic to wildly overblown.

Figures 3.3A-1 through 3.3A-4 show the 23 Picture Modes. They are broken down into four groups to make them easier to see in this book. Each mode is set to the default level in the figure, which you can adjust. We will consider how to adjust the modes after we examine them.

Note: This section is a superset of the Art selection on the camera’s Mode dial. We discussed the Mode Dial Art settings in the chapter titled Screen Displays for Camera Control on page 108. The Mode Dial Art selection offers only 14 of the 23 Basic, Creative, and Art Picture Modes discussed in this section, so this is the master reference for both. When you adjust the Art Picture Modes, some of the settings in the Picture Mode menus affect how the Art Picture Modes work when you select them from the Mode Dial, and vice versa. Therefore, you will need to familiarize yourself with using Art Picture Modes from both the Art selection on the Mode Dial and the Art Picture Modes that are available in the Picture Mode menu screens.

Now, let’s discuss each of the available modes and how they affect your images.

In a printed book it is hard to reproduce the sometimes subtle shade variations in the various Picture Modes; therefore, you should take a picture in each mode and examine how each one looks on your computer or tablet. As we consider each of the Picture Modes, you will learn a lot more about them if you can see a sample on your tablet or monitor.

Figure 3.3A1

Figure 3.3A2

Figure 3.3A3

Figure 3.3A4

Basic Picture Modes

The five basic Picture Modes will be used most often by experienced photographers:

• i-Enhance: This mode gives your images “more impressive-looking results suited to the scene,” according to Olympus. The effect looks very similar to the Vivid Picture Mode, with a little less contrast. It will provide the snap of the saturated colors that Vivid Mode provides, but it will have a little more dynamic range due to slightly lighter blacks. From the description provided by Olympus, it seems the camera software may provide a little extra smarts so it can adjust to the scene in front of your lens.

• Vivid: This mode adds saturation and contrast to your images and creates pictures with deep color, dark blacks, and white whites. Vivid Mode produces images similar to Velvia transparency film by Fuji, which is a favorite of many landscape photographers. For images with a lot of color, Vivid Mode will make your pictures pop.

• Natural: This mode gives a more balanced look to your images, with color and contrast that is not too intense or muted. This is an excellent mode for general photography, and many photographers will use it much of the time. It is comparable to Provia transparency film from Fuji. It has enough saturation and contrast to create a beautiful image without going overboard.

• Muted: This Picture Mode is best for an image that will be post-processed later in a computer. It is a balanced setting that applies minimal camera processing so you can do more with the image during post-processing. The Muted Picture Mode has less saturation and weaker shadows, so the image will be less contrasty—that is, there will be more shadow and highlight detail. The look is comparable to color negative film, such as Fuji Superia or Kodak Gold.

• Portrait: This mode gives a more natural texture and coloration to skin. It is similar to the Muted Picture Mode, with emphasis on making sure that skin tones are rendered in a pleasing way. Skin tones get the most emphasis with Portrait Picture Mode, so it may be best for individuals and groups of people. It is similar to Fuji NPS or Kodak Portra color negative films.

The next 16 modes may be used by people who want to add special effects inside the camera, without using a computer. They are variations on the five basic Picture Modes, with strong changes in the Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Gradation adjustments. These 16 special effect modes can save time and help you have fun with your camera.

Settings Recommendation: For JPEG shooting I normally use one of the basic Picture Modes. I usually use the Natural setting. Remember that a Picture Mode is applied to a JPEG image immediately and irreversibly, but you can change the Picture Mode of a RAW image after you shoot it, so it doesn’t really matter which mode you select. Your RAW conversion software will try to display the image the way you took it, but you can change it without much trouble.

We will look at the 4 Creative Modes and the 14 Art Picture Modes next. Many advanced photographers do not use Art Picture Modes because they would rather create their own art in Photoshop, Lightroom, or other imaging software. However, some of the Art Picture Modes included with the E-M1 are great fun, even for jaded professionals. If you would normally not consider using scene or effects modes with other camera brands, take a few minutes to play around with the E-M1’s Art Picture Modes. You might find something that you will use often, like I did!

Creative Modes

The Creative Modes allow you to do specialized things with your images, such as black-and-white shooting, skin tone smoothing, specialized color manipulation, and even the creation of your own Custom Picture Mode. Here are the four Creative Modes:

• Monotone: This mode allows black-and-white lovers to shoot in that style. Monotone Mode provides images with dark shadows and pleasing whites and grays. In fact, the monochrome images straight from the camera are perfectly usable and require little adjustment, unlike black-and-white images from some other cameras. You can use the image as a base for contrast and brightness adjustments, and few other post-processing adjustments are needed. The film that is closest to Monotone Mode may be Kodak Plus-X, without all the grain.

• Custom: This mode allows you to choose one of the five basic Picture Modes as a base, then you can adjust the mode’s Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Gradation until it is just right for your needs. The camera will remember your adjustments and use them when you select this mode. We will examine how to adjust and save a Custom Mode in an upcoming subsection.

• e-Portrait: This mode is designed for when you are shooting a portrait session. According to Olympus, the e-Portrait Mode produces “smooth skin textures,” whereas the basic Portrait Mode “produces beautiful skin tones.” The camera does special in-camera post-processing (skin smoothing) on portraits made with e-Portrait Mode, as described in the upcoming subsection called Using e-Portrait Picture Mode. Comparing regular Portrait Mode pictures with e-Portrait Mode pictures does reveal a difference. The e-Portrait Mode gives a distinctly smoother appearance to the skin, which may be a blessing for older portrait subjects. Which do you like best: “beautiful skin tones” or “smooth skin textures”? Try both Portrait and e-Portrait Modes and see which you prefer.

• Color Creator: This mode lets you make on-the-fly adjustments to hue and saturation. If the image in your viewfinder or in the monitor live view does not show the hue or saturation you would like to see, you can make adjustments by using a color wheel. If the image seems a little cool, you can simply dial in some red to warm it up (either a little or a lot); if the color seems too muted, you can change the saturation from almost nothing to extremely saturated. We’ll discuss how to do this in an upcoming subsection.

Art Picture Modes

The Art Picture Modes give you great freedom in creating nonstandard photography. You can create special effects, such as pastel or wildly saturated colors, extreme grain, high- and low-key images, and specialized blurring.

Don’t completely discount these Art Picture Modes if you make a living with photography. There are some interesting effects that may be useful even for imaging professionals. For enthusiast photographers, the Art Picture Modes can provide a refreshing break from reality.

Here’s a list of the 14 Art Picture Modes:

• Pop Art: This mode is like the Vivid Mode on steroids. All colors are saturated to the max, and contrast is raised to an even higher level than in Vivid Mode. This mode is best when you are in a playful mood and want to create an exciting image. The intense colors will not be close to reality, but who needs reality when you are having fun?

• Soft Focus: This mode provides a high-key and blurred effect. The contrast is very low, and there is an overall softness like fine gauze. The subject appears sharp, but it is covered with blur. The effect looks a bit like when you see yourself in a foggy mirror. It has a bright glowing effect that is sharp and blurry at the same time.

• Pale&Light Color: This mode washes out all the colors and lowers the contrast so blacks become grays. You might think of this as being opposite of Pop Art or Vivid Modes. It gives an image a high-key, cooler, and pastel look.

• Light Tone: This mode is similar to the Pale&Light Color Mode in that it lowers contrast and desaturates colors. However, instead of having a somewhat cool (bluish), high-key look, the colors look like they are overlaid with gray film and have a darker, low-key look. Light Tone makes the image look like the effect you see when an overdone high dynamic range (HDR) image has too few shadows.

• Grainy Film: This mode provides an extremely high-contrast black-and-white effect. All colors become extra-dark shades of gray, and most highlight details become pure white. This mode would be great for shooting a bare tree in a snow-covered field on a misty, overcast day. This mode creates stark images and is best for low-contrast scenes because it will obliterate any detail in strongly colored or bright scenes by adding extreme contrast to the picture.

• Pin Hole: This mode has a relatively saturated look like Vivid Mode, but it adds a heavy vignette effect to the corners of the image, as if the light rapidly diminishes. It’s as though you were using a pinhole camera to make the image, except the picture is nice and sharp. Primarily, Pin Hole provides a vignette effect.

• Diorama: A diorama is a three-dimensional miniature in which small artificial objects are arranged and photographed to resemble real life. You can use Diorama Mode to create a reverse diorama, where real-life places like city scenes can be made to look artificial. This mode creates a band of sharpness either in a horizontal or vertical direction (it’s adjustable), and everything outside of the band is blurred, making the picture seem like it has a very limited depth of field. We will examine how to adjust this effect in a later subsection.

• Cross Process: This mode imitates an old method of developing film in chemicals that were designed for a different type of film. Often there are odd colors and higher than normal contrast. Images shot with Cross Process have a green cast and high contrast.

• Gentle Sepia: This mode converts all colors to monochrome and adds a warm, brownish effect that resembles less-saturated sepia toning. It could be used with old-fashioned clothing to imitate antique portrait pictures, or you could shoot a nature scene with this mode and make it look like a bygone era.

• Dramatic Tone: This mode is unusual. It creates a low-key tone where normal highlights are darkened and dark tones are lightened. Bright colors are somewhat muted, and detail is maintained, even in dark areas. There is strong contrast without being overly bright. The look is dramatic and unlike anything I have seen from other camera brands.

• Key Line: This mode converts the edges of the subject and the borders of contrast changes (color gradations) into line drawings. It maintains a lot of detail, unlike the cartoonish look from some other cameras. The color is mostly maintained, although it is more pastel and muted, and blacks become quite gray.

• Watercolor: This mode gives colors and edges a watercolor effect that tends to blow out highlights and dark areas. Most detail is lost in a normal exposure, so experiment with underexposure when you use this mode. Dark tones and extreme highlights seem to turn stark white and disappear completely from the image, and other colors become pale and washed out.

• Vintage: This mode provides three filter types that create a vintage look with varying levels of contrast and tinting. The colors are what you would expect to see from an old print that’s been hanging on a wall or in an album for a long time. The various filters allow for creativity within the range of vintage looks.

• Partial Color: This mode gives you a color wheel from which you can choose a particular color or range. Once you’ve chosen a color, all other colors are rendered in monochrome shades. In addition to the color wheel, you can choose from three filter effects within the partial color scheme. These affect the contrast of the image and mild tinting of the monochrome shades.

Choosing, Fine-Tuning, and Using Picture Modes

Now that we have examined each of the Picture Modes, let’s see how to select one and fine-tune it. Plus we’ll see how to use the modes that allow special configuration choices, such as Monotone, Custom, and Color Creator.

Selecting a Picture Mode

Selecting a Picture Mode is simple; you use two screens to select one. Let’s see how.

Figure 3.3B: Selecting a Picture Mode

Use these steps to select a Picture Mode:

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3B, image 1).

2. Select the Picture Mode you want to use and press the OK button. Natural is selected in figure 3.3B, image 2. The camera will switch back to the main Shooting Menu 1 screen, and you can take your pictures. As described in the next subsection, you can fine-tune the control if you want to change one of its parameters.

Fine-Tuning a Basic Picture Mode

Fine-tuning allows you to change the internal values of a Picture Mode. You can adjust Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Gradation.

Contrast controls the ratio between dark and light in the image and extends or reduces the amount of detail. Sharpness lets the camera add or take away sharpness in the image. Saturation controls how vivid the colors look. Gradation modifies how the camera handles light and dark tones, such as a normal, bright (high-key), or dark (low-key) look.

Let’s fine-tune a basic Picture Mode, using Natural as an example.

Figure 3.3C: Fine-tuning a Picture Mode

Use the following steps to fine-tune a basic Picture Mode (i-Enhance, Vivid, Natural, Muted, and Portrait):

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3C, image 1).

2. Select the Picture Mode you want to fine-tune then scroll to the right (figure 3.3C, image 2). I decided to work with Natural.

3. Contrast, Sharpness, and Saturation are adjusted the same way, so only the screens for Contrast are shown. Gradation is different, and we will consider it in steps 5 and 6. Highlight Contrast, Sharpness, or Saturation and scroll to the right (figure 3.3C, image 3).

4. Set the value on the scale from Hi (+2) to Lo (–2), or leave it at 0 for no change. In figure 3.3C, image 4, Contrast +1 is selected (red arrow). If you want to modify Sharpness or Saturation, repeat steps 3 and 4. In figure 3.3C, image 5, I set Contrast to +1, Sharpness to +1, and Saturationto +2. Experiment with the values to see how they affect your images. Press the OK button any time to save the setting. To change Gradation, move on to steps 5 and 6.

5. Choose Gradation from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3C, image 5).

6. Choose one of the four values—Auto, Normal, High Key, or Low Key—and press the OK button (figure 3.3C, image 6). The four values have the following effects:

• Auto: Lets the camera choose the Gradation

• Normal: Makes a regular picture with no unusual Gradation changes

• High Key: Shifts the picture toward bright values

• Low Key: Shifts the picture toward dark values

The i-Enhance Picture Mode adds another setting called Effect (figure 3.3D, image 1). It controls the amount of enhancement (High, Standard, Low) the camera makes to the image. There are two additional screens for i-Enhance.

Figure 3.3D: The Effect setting for i-Enhance Mode

7. Select Effect from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3D, image 1).

8. Highlight one of the three enhancement levels—High, Standard, or Low—and press the OK button to choose it (figure 3.3D, image 2). Experiment with this setting by taking pictures with all three enhancement levels.

9. When you have i-Enhance configured, scroll to the left until you return to the Picture Mode screen, then press the OK button to select the current Picture Mode. The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen with the symbol of the current mode displayed. Take your pictures.

Using Monotone Picture Mode

Monotone Picture Mode allows you to get creative with black-and-white images. You can use built-in color filters for changing the contrast, and you can even add toning, such as sepia, blue (cyanotype), and several others. Let’s examine how to use Monotone Mode.

Figure 3.3E: Monotone Mode

Use these steps to control Monotone Mode:

1. Select Monotone from the Picture Mode menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3E, image 1).

2. Choose Contrast or Sharpness and scroll to the right (figure 3.3E, image 2).

3. Contrast and Sharpness are adjusted using the same method. I’ll use Contrast as an example. The menu that opens for Contrast or Sharpness allows you to increase or decrease the setting, up to two levels in either direction. Set the value on the scale from Hi (+2) to Lo (–2), or leave it at 0for no change. Press the OK button to choose a value (figure 3.3E, image 3).

4. Select B&W Filter from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3E, image 4).

5. You can now choose one of the following B&W Filter values from the up/down menu (figure 3.3E, image 5):

• N:Neutral: Provides a standard monochrome image

• G:Green: Improves skin tones for portraits

• R:Red: Creates dark skies and bright clouds for maximum sky contrast

• Or:Orange: Removes some of the foggy bluish haze when you use a telephoto lens for a distant subject

• Ye:Yellow: Increases the contrast between the sky and clouds, but not as much as the R:Red filter

6. Next, if you want to add a colored tone to your image, select Pict. Tone and scroll to the right (figure 3.3E, image 6).

7. Choose one of the values from the Pict. Tone up/down menu to achieve the following results (figure 3.3E, image 7):

• N:Neutral: Provides a standard monochrome image

• G:Green: Adds a green tone to a monochrome image

• P:Purple: Adds a purple tone to a monochrome image

• B:Blue: Adds a blue tone to a monochrome image, similar to the old-fashioned cyanotype look

• S:Sepia: Adds a warm brown tone to a monochrome image, which resembles an antique sepia look

8. To set the Gradation level, choose Gradation from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3E, image 8).

9. Choose one of the four values—Auto, Normal, High Key, or Low Key—and press the OK button (figure 3.3E, image 9):

• Auto: Lets the camera choose the Gradation

• Normal: Makes a regular monochrome picture with no unusual Gradation changes

• High Key: Shifts a monochrome picture toward bright values

• Low Key: Shifts a monochrome picture toward dark values

10. When you have Monotone fully configured, scroll to the left until you return to the Picture Mode screen, then press the OK button to select the current Picture Mode. The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen with the symbol of the current mode displayed. Take your pictures.

Using Custom Picture Mode

Custom Picture Mode allows you to create your own Picture Mode and tweak it for your style of photography. Since Custom Mode lets you control the appearance of an image in exquisite detail, let’s carefully examine each step.

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3F, image 1).

Figure 3.3F: Creating a Custom Picture Mode

2. Select Custom from the Picture Mode menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3F, image 2).

Figure 3.3G: Creating a Custom Picture Mode

3. Choose Picture Mode from the Custom Menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3G, image 1).

4. Highlight one of the five basic Picture Modes or the Monotone Art Picture Mode as the base for your Custom Picture Mode. I highlighted Natural. Press the OK button to select the mode (figure 3.3G, image 2).

Figure 3.3H: Creating a Custom Picture Mode

5. Contrast, Sharpness, and Saturation are adjusted the same way, so I’ll use Contrast as an example. Highlight Contrast, Sharpness, or Saturation and scroll to the right (figure 3.3H, image 1).

6. Set the value on the scale from Hi (+2) to Lo (–2), or leave it at 0 for no change. In figure 3.3H, image 2, I selected Contrast 0. If you want to modify Sharpness or Saturation, repeat steps 5 and 6. Press the OK button to save the setting.

Figure 3.3I: Creating a Custom Picture Mode

7. To set the Gradation, choose Gradation from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 3.3I, image 1).

8. Choose Auto, Normal, High Key, or Low Key and press the OK button (figure 3.3I, image 2):

• Auto: Lets the camera choose the Gradation

• Normal: Makes a regular picture with no unusual Gradation changes

• High Key: Shifts the picture toward bright values

• Low Key: Shifts the picture toward dark values

9. When you have the Custom Picture Mode fully configured, scroll to the left until you return to the Picture Mode screen, then press the OK button to select the current Picture Mode. The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen with the symbol of the current mode displayed. Take your pictures.

Using e-Portrait Picture Mode

The e-Portrait Picture Mode is designed to make skin look smooth and translucent. It imitates the look of skin-smoothing plug-ins for Photoshop and is designed for taking pictures of faces. When you take a picture in e-Portrait Mode, the camera takes longer to write the image to the memory card, so the card access symbol will flash a little longer than usual.

Because the camera does internal image post-processing on skin tones, e-Portrait Mode cannot be used when you shoot video or if you bracket your images, whereas Portrait Picture Mode can be used in both of these situations because it does perform postprocessing to smooth the skin. You cannot adjust e-Portrait Mode.

Figure 3.3J: e-Portrait Mode

Use these steps to select e-Portrait Mode:

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3J, image 1).

2. Highlight e-Portrait on the Picture Mode menu and press the OK button to select it (figure 3.3J, image 2). The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen and display the e-Portrait Mode symbol. Take your pictures.

Note: In figure 3.3J, image 3, you can see a before (left) and after (right) comparison of e-Portrait Mode. The image on the right has smoother skin tones.

Using Color Creator Picture Mode

Color Creator allows you to adjust the color of the subject by using a color wheel that controls hue and saturation while you look at the subject through the viewfinder or on the monitor.

Note: The Color Creator assignment wheel is available from within a group of functions called the Multi Function group. The factory default for the Multi Function group is assigned to the Fn2 button. We will consider how to access and use the Color Creator in the following steps. Keep in mind that you can change the button assignments on your E-M1, so you can assign the Multi Function group to some other button. If the Multi Function group containing the Color Creator wheel does not show up under the Fn2 button—because someone has reassigned Fn2—check theCustom Menu > Button/Dial/Lever > Button Function to see which button is assigned to Multi Function. Then you can use that button, or reassign the Fn2 button, to open the Multi Function group and see the Color Creator. This will become more obvious as we consider how to select the Color Creator.

First, let’s examine how to choose Color Creator from the Picture Mode menu. There are 11 steps to make on-the-fly color adjustments:

Figure 3.3K: Selecting Color Creator from the Picture Mode menu

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3K, image 1).

2. Highlight Color Creator and press the OK button to choose it (figure 3.3K, image 2). The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen and display a small round Color Creator icon to the right of Picture Mode. Take your pictures.

Now we will use external camera controls to bring up the Color Creator wheel on the viewfinder or monitor. Starting with step 3 it is important that you have your camera in your hand and operate it along with the instructions, otherwise they will make little sense. It is harder to describe what happens than to watch it unfold on your camera monitor or in the viewfinder.

Figure 3.3L: Selecting Color Creator from the Multi Function group

Here are the steps to select Color Creator from the Multi Function group:

3. The Front Dial surrounds the Shutter button and is located above the Fn2 button (figure 3.3L, image 1, red arrow). The Rear Dial (figure 3.3L, image 2, red arrow) is below the Fn2 button. Remember the location of these two dials because we will use them to adjust the color, hue, and saturation starting in step 8.

4. Press and hold the Fn2 button (figure 3.3L, image 1, red arrow).

5. Rotate the Rear Dial one click (figure 3.3L, image 2, red arrow), and the Multi Function group will appear in the viewfinder or on the monitor.

6. Select the second item, Color Creator, from the horizontal menu at the bottom of the screen (figure 3.3L, image 3) by turning the Rear Dial.

7. Release the Fn2 button, and the camera will display the subject in the viewfinder or on the monitor. Take your pictures.

Now we will adjust the hue and saturation of the colors in the image by using the Color Creator wheel. The sample images are black so you can see the menus. Your camera will display the scene in front of the lens, and you will see the effect of the color change when you move the dials. Let’s see how.

Figure 3.3M: Using the Color Creator wheel to change color, hue, and saturation

8. If you have followed steps 4–7 correctly, you can press the Fn2 button once (do not hold it) and the Color Creator adjustment wheel will appear in the viewfinder or on the monitor. If the Color Creator has not been adjusted in the past, you will see the wheel’s default appearance (figure 3.3M, image 1).

9. Turn the Front Dial and you will see a dotted line, which represents the hue, move in the direction you turned the dial (figure 3.3M, image 2, red arrow). As you rotate the dial, watch the subject carefully in the viewfinder or on the monitor. Its hue will change as you rotate through the red, green, blue, and yellow portions of the wheel. The dotted line will travel 360 degrees around the wheel until it is back at the 12 o’clock position, which represents neutral. You can see a small white box with the word Color at the top right of the Color Creator. To the left of that you will see a tiny square. As you rotate the Front Dial and as the dotted line travels around the wheel, you will see that square change color to indicate the hue that will be added to your image when you take a picture.

10. After you have chosen the hue you want, you can control the saturation. To do so, turn the Rear Dial and you will see a slightly larger dot with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines extending outward (figure 3.3M, image 3, red arrow). This dot will move away from or toward the middle of the circle as you turn the Rear Dial. You will see a smaller ring inside the Color Creator wheel that follows the dot as you move it. When the dot is closer to the middle of the Color Creator wheel, the saturation decreases; when the dot is closer to the outside of the Color Creatorwheel, the saturation increases. You will see the word Vivid with a number at the bottom left of the Color Creator wheel. The vividness, or saturation, will vary from –4 to +3, as indicated by the small number after the word Vivid.

11. Press the OK button to accept the color scheme. It will be applied to all the pictures you take until you reset the Color Creator to neutral. Take your pictures.

Note: To reset the Color Creator to neutral, bring it up in the viewfinder or on the monitor by pressing the Fn2 button (or whatever button is assigned to the Multi Function group). Then press and hold the OK button for about two seconds until the Color Creator resets to neutral hue and saturation, as shown in figure 3.3M, image 1.

Settings Recommendation: Because we accessed the Color Creator from Shooting Menu 1, we included the preliminary step of selecting Color Creator from the Picture Mode menu (figure 3.3K and steps 1 and 2). However, steps 1 and 2 are not absolutely necessary. Let’s say you have Natural Picture Mode selected and you suddenly want to add some oversaturated red to your image. If you had previously selected Color Creator from the Multi Function group, all you have to do is follow steps 3–11, using figures 3.3L and 3.3M.

Color Creator is available any time you open it with the Fn2 button. There is one small issue, though. If you select Color Creator with the Fn2 button, the camera will automatically select the Color Creator Picture Mode and leave it there until you change it to something else, such as Natural or Vivid. That’s not a problem unless you were previously shooting in Vivid Mode or with one of the Art Picture Modes. The camera does not revert to the previously selected Picture Mode after you take a picture. It stays in the Color Creator Mode you selected until you change it to another Picture Mode or reset the Color Creator to neutral.

Even if you reset the Color Creator to neutral and shoot in that Picture Mode, you will find that the colors in your image are less saturated and contrasty. If you compare the Picture Modes in figures 3.3A-1 through 3.3A-4, you will see that the neutral setting for Color Creator Picture Mode seems fairly close, and perhaps less contrasty, than the Muted Picture Mode.

If you want to regularly change the hue and saturation in your images, experiment with the Color Creator. If you leave it at neutral, your images will be less saturated and have lower contrast, and they will be easier to work with in post-processing on your computer. If you modify the hue and saturation in Color Creator, remember to change the camera to a different Picture Mode when you are done.

And remember, if you shoot RAW (ORF) images, it’s easy to change the color and contrast afterwards, so it doesn’t matter which Picture Mode you choose. We’ll discuss this a little more in the [Record Mode] section later in this chapter.

Using Art Picture Modes

There are 14 Art Picture Modes available in the E-M1. Each Art Picture Mode imparts a specific look to your images. If you like to convey different moods in your pictures and do not like post-processing RAW files on a computer, you might enjoy these Art Picture Modes (and maybe even the SCN or Scene Modes).

Each Art Picture Mode was briefly examined in the Screen Displays for Camera Control chapter on page 108. We used the shortcut of setting the Mode Dial to Art, pressing the OK button, and selecting one of the Art Picture Modes. This section provides more detail on how the modes work.

Pop Art (Art 1)

The Pop Art Picture Mode allows you to create very colorful and exciting images with various filters and effects. The filter is applied first, then the effect is added.

The available filters and effects include the following:

Filter types

• Filter Type I: A bright, exciting, oversaturated look is imparted to your images when you select this filter. If you are feeling wild, young, and free, this is the filter for you.

• Filter Type II: This filter is similar to Type I, but a low-key look is imparted. The colors are quite saturated, but the highlights are significantly toned down.

Add effects

• Off: No extra effects are added to the image. Only the filter is added.

• Soft Focus: A dreamy blur effect is added to the image.

• Pin Hole: The corners of the image are darkened to pure black.

• White Edge: The corners of the image are brightened to pure white.

• Frame: A white frame is added to the image, and a processed film look is added to the edges of the picture inside the frame.

• Star Light: A four-point star effect is added to points of light in the image.

• Blur Effect: Top and Bottom: A band of sharpness extends horizontally through the middle of the image, and the top and bottom of the image are blurred.

• Blur Effect: Left and Right: A band of sharpness extends vertically through the middle of the image, and the left and right sides of the image are blurred.

Figure 3.3N: Pop Art (Art 1) Picture Mode

Use these steps to select and use the Pop Art Picture Mode:

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3N, image 1).

2. Highlight Pop Art on the Picture Mode menu and press the OK button to select it for immediate use in default mode, which applies Filter Type I and no Add Effects. If you want to change the Filter Type and Add Effects settings before you take pictures, scroll to the right and proceed to step 3 (figure 3.3N, image 2).

3. Select a Filter Type (figure 3.3N, image 3). Your choices are I or II, as described in the previous list. Scroll to the right, then scroll up or down to highlight I or II, then press the OK button.

4. Select an Add Effects type (figure 3.3N, image 4). Scroll to the right, then scroll up or down to highlight one of the seven Add Effects types, or Off, as described in the previous list. Set the Add Effects type by pressing the OK button.

5. When you are done, scroll to the left until you return to the Picture Mode screen, then press the OK button to select the current Art Picture Mode. The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen with the symbol of the current mode displayed. Take your pictures.

Settings Recommendation: Pop Art Picture Mode applies strong colors and gives images an exciting, contrasty appearance. You will need to experiment to find your favorite look. I usually use Filter Type I because I like the bright look. I also like the Pop Art Soft Focus effect for some of my subjects.

Soft Focus (Art 2)

The Soft Focus Art Picture Mode makes images that have a dreamy blur. The image is still sharp, but a milky whiteness covers it. The higher contrast and slight blur makes the subject seem to glow. It is a very interesting effect, similar to old movies.

There are two special effects and an Off setting:

Add effects

• Off: No extra effects are added to the image.

• White Edge: The corners of the image are brightened to pure white.

• Star Light: A four-point star effect is added to points of light in the image.

Figure 3.3O: Soft Focus (Art 2) Picture Mode

Use these steps to create Soft Focus images of your subject:

1. Choose Picture Mode from Shooting Menu 1 and scroll to the right (figure 3.3O, image 1).

2. Highlight Soft Focus on the Picture Mode menu and press the OK button to select it for immediate use in default mode, which uses no extra Add Effects. If you want to add one of the Add Effects settings before you take pictures, scroll to the right and proceed to step 3 (figure 3.3O, image 2).

3. Off will be highlighted on the Add Effects screen (figure 3.3O, image 3). Scroll to the right, then scroll down or up to highlight the Add Effect you want to use. Press the OK button to lock in the effect.

4. When you are done, scroll to the left until you return to the Picture Mode screen. Press the OK button to select the current Art Picture Mode. The camera will return to the Shooting Menu 1 screen with the symbol of the current mode displayed. Take your pictures.

Settings Recommendation: Soft Focus Mode is great in certain circumstances. I like to use it for some portraits, and I have seen some interesting wildlife shots made with this mode. The mild glowing fog is intriguing because the image remains sharp under the glow. Try this mode in some of your pictures, and it might become one of your favorites.

Pale&Light Color (Art 3)

The Pale&Light Color Art Picture Mode mildly desaturates the colors in your image and makes colors look pastel, and a low-contrast overlay is added to the image. The highlights become brighter—almost high key—and more shadow detail is apparent due to the lower contrast.

Pale&Light Color includes the following filters and effects:

Filter types

• Filter Type I: A pastel, high-key look is imparted to your images and gives them a cool whitish-blue appearance.

• Filter Type II: This filter is similar to Type I, but images look a little warmer and have a more reddish-yellow appearance.