Olympus E-3 Digital - Manual (Page 14)

D I G I T A L T E C H N I C A L S U P P O R T
O L Y M P U S I M A G I N G A M E R I C A I N C .
( 8 8 8 ) 5 5 3 - 4 4 4 8
h t t p : / / s u p p o r t . o l y m p u s a m e r i c a . c o m
©2008 Olympus Imaging America Inc. Page 14 of 26 Last updated on February 28, 2008
• S-AF+MF (Simultaneous use of the S-AF and Manual Focus) – This mode allows
the photographer the option of fine adjusting the focus using the lens focus ring
after the shutter button has been pressed halfway and autofocus has been
locked. This mode allows the photographer more creative control over the
autofocus to focus on a specific area the autofocus may not have selected.
• C-AF+MF (Simultaneous use of the C-AF and Manual Focus) – This mode allows
the photographer to manually focus before pressing the shutter button halfway to
enable C-AF. It allows the photographer to pre-focus the lens closer to a focus
zone to provide the autofocus with a more rapid response in situations such as
sports or wildlife photography.
The subject I want in focus doesn’t line up with any of the AF frames
in the viewfinder. How do I get the camera to focus on the subject?
The Focus Lock function enables the photographer to prefocus on a specific subject,
lock the focus, and then re-compose the image and shoot the picture.
1. Position the AF frame on the autofocus subject and press the shutter button
halfway until the AF confirmation mark lights up. The focus will be locked.
2. While holding the shutter button in the halfway position, recompose the image
and press the shutter button all the way to shoot the picture.
At first this may seem cumbersome, but with practice it can become a fluid movement.
What is the difference between NORMAL and SMALL AF SENSITIVITY?
NORMAL AF SENSITIVITY is used for most shooting situations. At this setting, the
camera focuses within the selected AF area and on the surrounding area. SMALL AF
SENSITVITY focuses only within the selected AF area. This setting can be useful in
situations such as wildlife photography where it is necessary to photograph animals
through tree branches in the foreground. Using a more precise AF area will reduce the
chance of the autofocus system becoming confused by the branches.
Is there a way to shoot if I don’t want to wait for autofocus to lock
or the flash to recycle?
Normally, the E-3 will not shoot while autofocus is operating or the flash is charging.
However, situations may arise where the photographer would want to override the
camera and force it to fire under marginal shooting conditions when the camera may not
be ready to shoot.
The Shutter Release Priority function will permit the camera to shoot even though
normal shooting requirements are not met. The function is found in the
menu under Custom Menu 1. Two options are available:
• RLS PRORITY S: Set to ON to enable the camera to fire immediately, without
waiting for focus confirmation, in the S+AF autofocus mode.
• RLS PRIORITY C: Set to OFF to force the camera to secure focus before firing
in the C+AF autofocus mode. Predictive AF is not available for the first shot
when this function is enabled.
Be advised that overriding the camera creates special considerations. Shooting before
the flash has recycled may cause images to be underexposed if ambient light is
insufficient to illuminate the subject. Shooting before autofocus has locked may result in
blurry images, particularly when the subject is in motion. To compensate for the loss of
autofocus, increase the depth of field by shooting with the smallest aperture that is
practical for acquiring the shot.