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(FT2) New OMD firmware update soon?

Hot to “fake” the peaking mode on the E-M5

Two different anonymous sources said that a new Olympus E-M5 firmware is coming soon. As you may know there was already some rumors about a possible firmware upgrade in December but indeed the firmware update was only for the current PEN cameras. Anyway, one of the sources also mentioned some bits about the supposed new E-M5 firmware update: “new firmware for E-M5 next this week, looks like no peaking. Only some issues HL/SH control for ISO 2000 and more.”

But as I said, keep feet on ground and let’s not see if it is coming for real. That said, no focus peaking would be pity. The camera can actually do it as you can see form the video embedded on top. So Oly…just bring it on!

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Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

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52 Responses

  1. This OMD is so good , so much firmware update .
    Worth to invest / buy .
    If I’m not wrong , this already third time unlike Panasonic
    cameras , once for all till discontinue .
    It looks like Olympus still caring about OMD , working the best for the camera all the time make me envy of it .

    1. It is quite simple, FT4 means 2 to 4 rumors out of 10 are expectetd to be wrong, while FT2 means 6 to 8 rumors out of 10 are expected to be wrong.
      It is defined below every rumor:
      FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
      FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
      FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct

  2. Olympus usually only has up dates for compatibility and the very occasional bug fix. They do not issue revisions much beyond 1.2 and if they do then its normally for a compatibility with a later lens/body. Something new is very unlikely.
    I find magnification fine. Its very fast and accurate.
    I don’t hunt back and forth to see if I am really focused on what I want to be focused on, or did I just miss it? Now, what was I focused on, its all funny with lines everywhere! Well that’s what I thought when I tried the FP earlier.

  3. No focus peaking because it s not described in the manual as a feature. It would be confusing for most customers that way.
    Also who knows what tests they must perform an what certificates to obtain to legally include this feature.
    A shame really…

      1. I don’t need it! Hack,confirmed to be working in a public forum is good enough for me.
        But the big corporations and institutions like EU demand all such certification goodies to “protect” us poor buyers… 🙂

  4. FT2 focus peaking…lol…
    There is a company strategy behind focus peaking. Companies with a big choice of lenses don’t support focus peaking. Companies with only a few lenses (fuji, sony) support a lot of functions for manual focusing.

    1. Now that’s a real improvement and only requires some simple changes. Take out the 5 step at 1 stop and change it to 3 step at 2 stop. Done! Saves deleting the 2 x 1 stop shots that just take up space.

    2. Plus one : I want the improvements found on the E-Pl5 : smaller AF argent always available, better HDR bracketing implementation, Mysets you can affect to the mode dial. That would be great. I don’t have the same urge for focus peaking : the magnifier works well already.

  5. Since E-PL5 and E-PL3 with the same sensor got better scores in DxOMarks, do you think that a an E-M5 firmware upgrade might fill in this gap? I would really appreciate it.

    I’d also love to have focus peaking for manual lenses.

    1. It is E-PM2 not E-PL3…
      These newer models with the sony sensor have weaker or no AA-Filter. That is why they produce better results. And no firmware update can make that hardware fix…

        1. the difference is not even discernible on actual photos, dont get too hung up on dxomark.

          dxomark is a good objective way to compare cameras but when you are talking a few points difference you need to get objective and compare actual photos

    2. In general use you would not see or be able to use the difference. Its so small that the variations between cameras and conditions would lose it.
      OK, now I have opened myself up to a massive load of abuse. But so what its true. I don’t judge a picture by oxo, dox, zip or whatever. Just look at it. That’s what pictures are for.

  6. Whether you need this feature or not, these are the sorts of gimmicky features that sell to the general public. Oly need to realize that and implement it.

  7. @cds79m: you can get a smaller (and adjustable) focus point when in magnify mode – you don’t need to actually magnify. But yes, this is not meant as a separate feature.

    Not that I wouldn’t want focus peaking (in fact there’s nothing I’d want more for the OM-D!) but we have to be realistic. The fact that you can achieve a similar result to focus peaking with the keyline filter doesn’t mean it will be usable full time. Did you see the refresh rate? Plus this only works on contours, not on whole areas of the image. Panasonic already said that their ASIC doesn’t have the throughput to do it – I’m afraid it may be the same case for Olympus. On top of that, new cameras are coming and the OM-D is about one year old now. If focus peaking is coming at all, my guess is that we won’t see it on the OM-D.

    For now, we can play with keyline or use aliasing / Moiré patterns appearing in the EVF as a sign of a subject being in focus. Or the ones with good eyesight can do it like you used to – just that there are no optical focusing aids that SLRs have like split viewfinder etc.

  8. Focus Peaking?!?

    Whats with the obsession?

    I don’t hold much hope for surprises (like improving bracketing, or the focus box) if there is an update, but this dubious feature would not even make it on my list.

  9. It would be nice to have a custom white balance available in flash on the Olympus m43’s. The Olympus firmware trend is to eliminate any possibility of balancing mixed lighting when using flash.

    1. What do you mean ? Custom WB is always available, or not ? You shoot at a sheet of white paper and declare it is your WB, whatever your lighting is will be rendered white. You can set “keep warm colors” to “on” if you want something looking warmer than daylight.

  10. Hi rrr_hhh,
    When using flash on an E-3/5 you’re taking pic in a tungsten lit area for example that you can’t overpower with flash, you can dial in CWB a suitable temp, say 3800K. You can gell your flash with a gell that reduces its temp to 3800k. The result is no mixed warm /cold lighting. Some people like this. I do.
    With Olympus m43’s CWB can only be dialled in without flash. Your only flash options are “WB AUTO” OR “WB FLASH”.

    1. I don’t think the rest of the world (which uses more sane standards then ‘never the same color twice’) agrees with 25p being nonsense. I also don’t think anyone who does halfway serious cinematic work thinks 24p is nonsense.

      Both 24 and 25p are also well within the realm of available bandwidth, whereas your 60p is not. Hence, asking for 24/25p so video is actually useful in like 95% of the world makes a lot more sense then asking for 1080 60p.

  11. “Only some issues HL/SH control for ISO 2000 and more.”
    Spot on! New firmware out now, and admin’s sources seem to have been very well informed indeed. What I would have liked to see was a better way to resize the focus box (keeping the exposure blinkies). Oh well… no luck this time.

        1. My earlier post here

          “Olympus usually only has up dates for compatibility and the very occasional bug fix. They do not issue revisions much beyond 1.2 and if they do then its normally for a compatibility with a later lens/body. Something new is very unlikely”.
          Seems I have Oly down pat.

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