Back button focus on a Nautica and OMD em5

[Ardy]

HI All - Just upgrading to a Nautica from my Olympus housing.

Will use back button focus but the buttons are so small and I have large hands, so I am wondering if any of you have set your Nautica up for off shutter button focus and how easy it is to use?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Ardy,

I tried the focus on the F-1 button and didn't have a problem reaching the control with gloves on. Perhaps with drysuit gloves it may become a problem.

The downside for me was that with the camera set for the rear focus I started to get the camera lockup talked about at length in threads on this forum. When I reset to the front shutter release I have not had the problem with either of my E-M5's.

Phil Rudin

 

[Ardy]

Very interesting Phil - I convinced myself it was most probably something to do with over heating in the Nautica housing...

 

[Guitarfish64]

Hmm, interesting info.

I have a trip coming up (to Lady Elliot Island :cool2 and was thinking about a moving to back-button focusing for the first time, so was hunting for relevant posts. I have the E-M5 / Nauticam set up, so this makes me think it may be more trouble than it's worth.

Has anyone got experience of doing this successfully?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I know many DSLR Users that use the rear focus and then trigger the camera with the shutter button. Most of the DSLR cameras have a level rather than a small bottom which makes this a bit easier. As I stated above when I tried this arrangement I had the lockup problem and it has not come back since I removed the focus funsion from the F-1 button. I really don't know if this was the cause, if it was fixed with firmware upgrades since but the lockup problem is gone.

I have since set the F-1 button to manual focus/AF. I like this better and feel it does much the same thing. The rear focus allows you to AF and hold the button down while you push the shutter to take the image. As long as you keep the button down it will not refocus and as a result will not hunt while you recompose or rock the camera for better focus on your point of interest like the subjects eye.

With the F-1 set to manual/AF what happens is that you can AF on a subject or fixed object like a rock push the F-1 button and the point of focus has locked because you are now in manual focus mode. At this point you can pull the trigger all you want and the lens will not refocus. This is important for macro because you can lock at say 1:1 move the camera in and out as much you want until you get the area in focus that you want then shoot all the images you want without the camera trying to refocus. For wide angle you can set a lens like the 8 fisheye or 7mm end of the 7-14 at say F/8 AF on your hand or fin then lock to manual. Then shoot sharks or a diver at two to five feet or more and know they will be in focus. Push the button again and your back in AF when the shark gets six inches away. This is all done without need for a manual focus gear, add the gear and you can fine tune the lens even more.

Having said all that I always hate going on a trip without having tested and mastered any new arrangement of the camera. I like being able to maximize my trip time using techniques I have already mastered and not trying out new things like new gear. I am lucky enough to live in south Florida where I can work on these things before I get on the road, the above may very depending on how offen you get to dive. I suggest that if you are going to try anything new that you at least work on the technique/new equipment out of water if you are land locked.

Phil Rudin

 

[Guitarfish64]

Thanks for the advice Phil.

One of my concerns about moving to the back-button focus technique was that I would need to 'master' it quickly as I think the conventional shutter half-press would no longer work. What you describe above is in some ways more appealing, as I think I can set the camera up for it without 'needing' to use it (haven't dived for 8 months, so may take a few to get back in the groove!). However it still provides the ability rock back and forwards to fine tune the focus point (my biggest disappointment form the last trip was the number of nearly-good macro shots where the focus point was quite optimal...)

In any case, our destination Lady Elliot Island is about big stuff as much as macro - there is a significant resident manta population, we're heading into turtle season there, and the humpbacks are still running at the moment (although we're towards the end of their season). Should be a good place to try out the flexibility of my new 12-50 port :cool2:.


Anyway, I'll follow your advice and give it a try on dry land first, but I can't see what I have to loose by configuring the camera as you describe.

Thanks again

Chris