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Olympus PEN-F Fast Start

Lesson 6 of 31

Top Deck: Flash & Mic

 

Olympus PEN-F Fast Start

Lesson 6 of 31

Top Deck: Flash & Mic

 

Lesson Info

Top Deck: Flash & Mic

all right. We do not have a built in flash on this camera. We do have a hot shoe so that you can add other flashes onto this camera. And so let's talk about flash real quickly. First off, flash has a very limited distance, and so if you're gonna photograph something that's right in front of you like these penguins, the flash with we'll get to them. Flash will not reach those mountains in the background. And so if you have subjects very close in front of you people, that flash is a great thing to use as a fill light to fill in the shadows of those cases. Now the camera does come supplied with a small little flash. The f l l M three, which is, you know, kind of your minimum duty flash if you are wanting something that's more powerful. Olympus, of course, makes a more powerful flash. DFL 600 which uses four double A batteries and has ah, fair bit more power off of it, is going to give you the ability to bounce and swivel, and it's gonna cost a bit more obviously than the smaller flashes. ...

But if you do a lot of flash photography. That's one of the flashes that you would look at. All right, what else do we have on the top of the camera? We have stereo microphones now, Granted, you are not going to get the best sound for any video with built in microphones, because what's gonna happen is that as you zoom the lens back and forth as you move your hands on the camera itself, it's gonna pick up all that noise. And so if you do want to add in better quality sound for your movies, I would really look at external microphones. There is a focal plane indicator up there that indicates where the sensor is in the camera. If you ever needed to measure the distance from the sensor to your subject, not likely in most situations, but there some cinema lenses that you need to measure that with some macro photography. You need to be very precise about the distances in there, and so that's just there for for your knowledge of measuring those sorts of distances

Class Description


We know what it’s like to dive right into taking pictures with your new camera. But dense technical manuals make for a terrible first date. Get the most out of your new Olympus PEN-F with this complete step-by-step walkthrough of the camera’s features.

Join expert photographer John Greengo for a fast-track introduction, and unlock your camera’s full potential.  In this class you'll learn:

  • How to use the electronic viewfinder
  • How to take advantage of the customizable interface
  • How to use the video options
John is a CreativeLive veteran instructor and an experienced photographer. He has extensive experience teaching the technical minutiae that makes any camera an effective tool: aperture, ISO, the Rule of Thirds, and the kinds of lenses you’ll need to suit your camera body. This Fast Start includes a complete breakdown of your camera’s exposure, focus, metering, video and more. John will also explain how to customize the PEN-F’s settings to work for your style of photography.

Lessons

  1. Class Introduction
  2. Photo Basics
  3. Top Deck: Overview
  4. Top Deck: Mode Dial
  5. Top Deck: Exposure Dial
  6. Top Deck: Flash & Mic
  7. Back Side: Electronic View Finder
  8. Back Side: Info Options & Play Back
  9. Back Side: ISO
  10. Back Side: Shutters
  11. Back Side: Focus Area
  12. Back Side: Super Control Panel
  13. Left, Right & Bottom of Camera
  14. Front Side: Creative Dial
  15. Olympus Lenses Overview
  16. Shooting Menu 1
  17. Shooting Menu 2
  18. Playback Menu
  19. Wi-Fi Set Up
  20. Custom Menu Overview & AF/MF Menu
  21. Button/Dial/Level Menu
  22. Release Menu
  23. Display Menu
  24. Exposure & ISO Menu
  25. Flash/Color/WB Menus
  26. Record & Erase Menu
  27. Movie Menu
  28. Built-In EVF Menu
  29. Utility Menu
  30. Setup Menu
  31. Camera Operation Overview

Reviews

Jay Linsenbigler
 

Awesome course and thorough description of the PEN-F capabilities and functions. HOWEVER, John's "big boy camera" bias comes through when he describes some of the creative functions as "just fun". I highly disagree- because like other tools and features- it depends on HOW the photographer uses the tool or feature. Like HDR, the creative features can be used tastefully or look "overcooked". Film photographers who use a variety of different films in film cameras- is this "just fun", or do they offer creative options? I encourage John and any listeners to look up the Olympus Visionaries and many other professionals using Olympus cameras in their daily work to see the amazing results they create with them. Instead of the same old Nikon and Canon "muscle-flexing" biases- lets look at what the pros produce with the camera tools. All modern cameras are superb and capable of great results. And this PEN-F camera offers groundbreaking control over the image making IN CAMERA at the time of exposure- which can be used to adjust an accompanying RAW file if needed. Not everyone wants to sit in front of a computer for hours doing post processing.

Jay Linsenbigler
 

Awesome course and thorough description of the PEN-F capabilities and functions. HOWEVER, John's "big boy camera" bias comes through when he describes some of the creative functions as "just fun". I highly disagree- because like other tools and features- it depends on HOW the photographer uses the tool or feature. Like HDR, the creative features can be used tastefully or look "overcooked". Film photographers who use a variety of different films in film cameras- is this "just fun", or do they offer creative options? I encourage John and any listeners to look up the Olympus Visionaries and many other professionals using Olympus cameras in their daily work to see the amazing results they create with them. Instead of the same old Nikon and Canon "muscle-flexing" biases- lets look at what the pros produce with the camera tools. All modern cameras are superb and capable of great results. And this PEN-F camera offers groundbreaking control over the image making IN CAMERA at the time of exposure- which can be used to adjust an accompanying RAW file if needed. Not everyone wants to sit in front of a computer for hours doing post processing.

Kate Mooney
 

The Pen 5 is an amazing camera - however it is capable of so much that getting to know it can be somewhat overwhelming at first. John systematically and logically works through every part of the camera in really clear and easy to understand steps, quickly converting my initial apprehension into confidence and excitement for the endless possibilities of this camera.