 Katharyn Graham |
Olympus E 510 flash I just recently bought my first DSLR camera. An Olympus E-510. I bought it so I could take a lot of pictures of my daughters with out having to wait on a shutter. Whenever I take a picture a lot of the time it doesn't just snap automatically like I want to. It will wait and do this spastic strobe like effect with the flash and then when it's ready it shoots. It frustrating because I'm missing great shots and it's defeating the purpose of why I bought it. It obviously only does it when a flash is needed so natural light is no problem. Is there anyway I can make it not do this with the flash?? and why exactly IS it doing it?? Help!!!
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Jon Close |
The spastic strobe is probably the autofocus assist light. You can turn it off (see p. 51 of the manual), but then you the camera may not be able to autofocus at all in dim indoors. There is also a red-eye reduction feature that flickers the flash. PP. 39-42 describe it and how to turn it off. The camera defaults to tripping the shutter only after autofocus can confirm focus. This can be overridden as well (also on p. 51 of the manual) but then you risk taking out of focus pictures. An alternative is to use an accessory flash such as Olympus FL-50, FL-36 or equivalent from Sigma and other makers. The accessory flash will have a patterned near-infrared AF assist beam that is less annoying and shorter delay.
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W. |
You would have known what Jon posits if you had read the manual, Katharyn! That is what manuals are for. Manuals – "mano a mano" – are for hands-on training. Read the manual, in your left hand, from cover to cover, with the camera in your right hand to try everything out as you read about it. YOU should be the expert on your camera. Not someone else. And you CAN be, just by studying the manual. A FREE workshop, at your own convenience.
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Katharyn Graham |
Thank you Jon. Your response was extremely helpful. And to respond to W.S. I'm a mother of 2 small girls, NOT a professional photographer. I don't really have time to sit down and read a 150 page manual. I JUST want to be able to pick up my camera and snap a photo. That is the ONLY reason I bought it. PLUS I don't know who becomes an expert on a camera they just bought a WEEK prior. I find your comment to be borderline disrespectful to someone who was just asking a SIMPLE question. And while I'm not really sure whether or not you were even trying to be helpful I think maybe you should be careful with how you respond to others as it comes off very arrogant and condescending.
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W. |
"I don't really have time to sit down and read a 150 page manual." Then it's not smart to buy a high-tech dSLR. Actually it's plain stupid. "I JUST want to be able to pick up my camera and snap a photo." Then you should get a point & shoot camera. Not a high-tech dSLR. "That is the ONLY reason I bought it." Then you bought the wrong camera. "PLUS I don't know who becomes an expert on a camera they just bought a WEEK prior." I do: he/she who studies the manual that came with the camera. Within HOURS of applying themselves to it seriously. "I find your comment to be borderline disrespectful to someone who was just asking a SIMPLE question." I find your OP demonstrating plain laziness since you have the SIMPLE answers at your fingertips, in the manual, and since you apparently expect others to do YOUR work for you. It is therefore plain disrespectful to the forum members. For a beginner snapshooter you display quite a high horse attitude, Katharyn. A bit more modesty and common sense would become you.
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Katharyn Graham |
Okay, let me explain myself to you. First of all, I don't have a high horse attitude, and I'm sorry if you found it to be disrespectful to ask such a question. I was a little taken back by your response with out knowing my position. So heres the thing. I do have a point and shoot. The thing was by the time my camera would take the picture whatever I intended to capture was gone because it just wasn't quick enough. If you've ever been around children you would know that they are gone in a blink. My friend who has a Nikon d40 was at my house and she could take 10 pictures in the time I could take 1. So I thought maybe I should get one of these SLR cameras. I decided on the Olympus because I've always had that brand. Maybe I DID get the wrong camera. I don't believe so because I have been very pleased with it 90% of the time. And let me just add, that even when I went to look through the manual at the pages Jon gave me I still was very confused. I admit, I don't know what I'm doing with this camera. I am very unfamiliar with the dSLRs and the manual is practically in a foreign language to me. I tried reading the manual when I first got it and was so confused I decided to keep it on Auto for awhile and play around with the camera itself to see if I could figure it out that way. Well obviously it didn't work. I was directed to this site through Yahoo questions. So again if I used this forum incorrectly I'm sorry. And if I disrespected you I'm sorry. I'm not a photographer, just a mom that wants to shoot lots of pictures of her babies.
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W. |
"I'm not a photographer, just a mom that wants to shoot lots of pictures of her babies." And that's perfectly OK. So get the right tool for the job: a point & shoot camera. Try to palm off the dSLR to someone who WILL tear into the manual. You concentrate on pointing & shooting your babies.
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Katharyn Graham |
Well I guess I'll just have to break down and read the manual whenever I have a free moment. =) because this camera is here to stay. However, I may get ANOTHER point and shoot since I feel my current one isn't doing the trick. So would would you suggest a particular one???
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W. |
No. If you're dead set on going with the E 510, then I would spend money towards a decent flash gun – like the Olympus FL-50R, a sturdy tripod, and an Olympus Vari-Magni Right Angle Finder. Because the rule-of-thumb with children and animal photography is: shoot at THEIR eye level! Bend your knees if you have to! An angle finder makes that sooo much easier. Have fun!
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Samuel Smith |
w.s.obnoxious? yet you high horse? WELLLLLL,OK. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
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