Re: Olympus SP500UZ erratic autofocus

Brilliant! I didn't know about autofocus lock.
Thanks a million.
Rob

<globjama@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1150789028.664769.120370@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SP500uz

Moving target you need fast focus/exposure setting, fast frames/sec,
fast shutter speed


***** Anticipate (Fast focus/exposure, fast frames/sec)

-Custom program the AEL button as AF LOCK (Autofocus lock)
{camera ready to take picture, press OK/MENU, MODE MENU, SETUP tab,
CUSTOM BUTTON, AF LOCK, OK/MENU, OK/MENU}
-Custom program DRIVE to HI (1.75 fr/sec)
{camera ready to take picture, press OK/MENU, MODE MENU, CAMERA tab,
DRIVE, HI}
-Prefocus on anticipated location by pressing the programed AF LOCK
button (not by pressing the sutter button half way) Note: the camera
will show AF LOCK in dispay, when focus is completed, a green dot
with
an L will appear and remain in display.
- Lock AEL at anticipated location by half pressing the shutter
button.
- Just before the object is in anticipated location, press and hold
the
shutter button the rest of the way. DRIVE HI will take 3 shots as
fast
as possible with this camera.

AF PREDICT (helps focus not speed)

-Set AF PREDICT to on (attempts to calculate how subject is moving
and
set focus accordingly)
-position [ ] on moving subject and press shutter half way, when
the a
AF predict symbol appears press the shutter button fully.

Other things to try

ISO sensitivity (sets the cameras sensitivity to light)
Example might be... ISO set at 80 you take a picture of a car
moving,
the car is infocus but the wheels are not, ISO set to 200, the car
and
wheels are in focus. (Note: this is not the intended use, ISO is for
takeing pictures in low light. It is possible to set ISO and get
only
overexposed pictures as the sutter speed max is 1/1000 sec)

Apeture value or F number (depth of field, small F only subject in
focus and faster shutter speed, large F subject and background in
focus
and slower shutter speed)
This setting can change in "A mode"

EV settings (compensate the exposure the camera sets automatically)
Slightly decreasing the EV to -.3 -.7 -1.0 increases sutter speed
and
usually can be corrected by software (gama correct) or in camera
editor
without loosing picture quality.












Rob Ryder wrote:
Hi
I hope someone can help me.
I have an SP500UZ and I am experiencing erratic behaviour with
autofocus. Most of the time it is OK, but than it seems very slow
(1
sec). Also the focus point seems to jump about all over the place
(instead of 'frame centre').

This is causing a real headache trying to take motor racing
photos! I
have lots of photos of an empty race circuit! I have tried various
focus settings, but nothing seems to correct the problem...

Any suggestions on the best camera settings for motor sport
photos?
Thanks
Rob
P.S. I have tried manual focus, but I find it virtually unusable
on
the SP500UZ :-(



.