A look at Subject Detection, how it works and how to utilise it.

Olympus-OM System cameras are packed with features as you know reading this. In this section we will explore the newly expanded AI Detection Modes in the OM1-MKII. There have been a few changes from the OM1, Human Detection has been added to replace Face/Eye Detection, AF and Tracking have been improved, and the ability to use Detection with CAF+Tracking has been removed (actually a good thing). The Menu has also been improved to consolidate items, and Subject Selection has been added. All in all, the improvements are significant, even from the OM1.

I am not a wildlife photographer, but as we shall see if I can do it you can too.

AI SUBJECT DETECTION

THE MAIN SCREEN

The main screen in Menu AF 2.AF>Subject Detection provides all the options that can be selected. This simply enables the mode, not any settings such as AF Targets, which are user selected. Select Birds and it will track from the settings already set but they need to be optimised for the situation in from of you. Note the new Human Detection. The screen says Faces and Eyes, oddly, but it does much more than this, also detecting human figures.

We saw in Custom Modes that this is set to a button which I strongly recommend for switching between a bird or an animal for example.

CAF+Tracking can no longer be enabled with any Subject Detect Modes, it actually conflicted with Subject Detection tracking.

Menu AF 2.AF>Subject Detection

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

As I said above probably the most challenging Wildlife subject is birds in flight because of the speed. If you can learn the skills for capturing birds in flight you can capture just about anything. Perched birds are obviously easier, and animals will be less of a challenge because they do not move as fast, unless you’re in the Serengeti trying to capture a Cheetah.

SETTINGS AND CHANGES

Capturing Wildlife is a different skillset to other genres, it requires a knowledge of the ideal camera settings such as Sequential Settings and Focus Target modes, panning and understanding different IS Modes, and of course knowing the habits of the subject. Subject Detection allows for the focus to always find the eye where possible, of if not the head or body. What the camera cannot do is teach technique, that is something you have to learn out in the field, but you can practice at home with a pet, or out in the garden. A few tips:

• The Aperture doesn’t always have to be wide open. Consider the depth of field, a bird in flight may have considerable depth from one wing tip to another depending on how it is framed. A close up may need the Aperture closing a few stops for depth front to back.
• For movement always err on the side of a shutter being too fast, even if the ISO is high. A sharp shot with noise is better than a noise free blurry image. Shutter speed will vary enormously depending on the subject, a good place to start is 1/1600. of course it may be much less, or much much more.
• The smaller the subject the faster the shutter speed. Pretty obvious, a small bird or animal has much more manoeuvrability than a larger one.
• When all else fails try C-AF. Technology is great but remember the old masters didn’t even have AF.

There have been significant changes in the OM1-MKII:

• AF and Tracking has been improved along with the addition of Human Detection.
• Subject Selection has been added, replacing Face Selection, making switching from one subject to another far easier when there are multiple subjects. It does work quite well but does need subjects that do not move too fast, or cross over each other, in which case still using a smaller target will be better.
• AF Button (or Priority) has been added to allow the Shutter AF (half press) and AF-ON to be assigned different functions, set Subject Detection to one and the Active AF Target to the other.
• Problems occurred where a subject such as perched bird sitting behind branches or grass would confuse the AF and select the brach instead. This has now been largely resolved.
• ‘Sticky’ tracking has been improved. Previously the target had to overlap a subject which has been refined; now a target near a subject will find it and track.
• Pro capture has been increased from 77 pre-frames to 99.

IMPROVED DETECTION

There were some issues with Subject Detection in the OM1, most notably the failure of it when a subject had branches or grass partly obscuring it. In some cases it did not have to be much either and changing to a smaller target could be frustratingly ineffective. It has been improved vastly.

OM1 Bird Detect Middle AF Target

The AF Detection has been fooled and was unable to lock onto the swan in the foreground because of the long grass. The head is facing away so an eye cannot be detected, but it should still detect the head.

OM1-MKII Bird Detect Middle AF Target

The OM1-MK2 was much more effective, without even having to change the focus Target. Keeping it at Middle, and with the head still turned away, the Detection found the swan’s head ignoring the grass.

* AF-ON

Note that even though AF-ON is still assigned to the AF-ON function, it can be assigned to two different AF functions, see AF-Button below.

Note

As said previously, C-AF+Tracking has been disabled now in the OM1-MKII when Subject Detection is used. C-AF+Tracking can still be used and is an option when not using Subject Detection, for instance a subject that is not recognised by it, or does not perform as well as expected. In This case use C-AF+Tracking. With AF-BUTTON menu option you have a way to be able to apply them to buttons independently for quick access. See below.

Many wildlife photographers use buttons for Custom Modes, for really fast access such as switching between a Sequential Mode and Pro-Capture. I tend to advocate not doing this because the CM has to be saved on the Mode Dial anyway, and it’s a waste of a button. But your needs may be different, perhaps your primary genre is Wildlife, and just the odd Landscape; therefore you may only want one CM for Landscapes, and the other three all for Wildlife. In this situation I probably would use buttons for accessing CM’s, but only if I think changing the Mode Dial position is not fast enough. Also, think about the order of CM’s, if you have two you use often put them in order so using the Mode Dial is just one click.

AF TARGET AREAS

AF Target Areas are important for getting the best from Subject Detection. With these we can set various sizes of target areas or AF grid sizes whilst shooting. In Subject Detection Modes the grid acts as the area where the camera will try to detect the subject and will activate the focus point, detecting the best place to focus. For a bird for instance, it will try to focus on the body or if prominent in the frame the head or even the eye. But it is not infallible and when there are two or more subjects it will detect both, not knowing which to actually focus on. Subject Selection now gives us one way of dealing with this. We need to be aware of where it can go wrong, and what to do about it with ease.

SUBJECT SELECTION

Using Subject Detection is extremely good but as said above not infallible. Previously with the OM1 when two or more subjects were in the frame it would detect them but not know which was priority. We now have the ability to use Subject Selection. Mapping it to a button, then press/holding and using the front wheel we can cycle through the detected subjects to find the right one. Pressing the button again will lock the AF to the subject.

AF Target Large

AF Target All

LEFT – Here with the OM1 the AF Target used is Large. The Bird Detect has detected the main subject and also other subjects in the frame but it doesn’t know which is priority. It will struggle even more if the subjects overlap. By changing the Target Mode to Medium or Small we could tell the system which subject has priority and the other subjects will be ignored. Now, Subject Selection can be used instead. Also, where previously the AF Target needed to be at least overlapping the subject, now it is more sensitive and will pick up the subject easier. And the C-AF Setting can be configured to allow detection just within the frame, or across the whole area. See below.

RIGHT – The second image taken with the OM1-MKII the target set is All. The Subject Detection detected all the subjects in the frame, but again doesn’t know which is priority. Just by pressing the Subject Selection I have mapped to a button I can cycle through each one, and then have the AF lock onto the subject. If you’re wondering why not just reduce the target point give yourself a star; of course you can. Subject Selection is simply another option available and can make life easier.

IMPORTANCE OF TARGET MODES

Note that C-AF is best to use and tracking has now been disabled in Subject Detect Mode, it just caused issues. If you followed the Custom Options section you will have the Lever 1 setting set to C-AF/MF with All Target Area set and in position 2 C-AF/MF with optionally a Small or Cross Target Area set. You will have realised by now that saving settings gives many options, and the Lever can be used for quick access. Choose two you think you will use the most and save them on the lever.

LARGE OR ALL – When there is one subject such as a bird in flight. The Subject Detect will quickly detect and track the subject across the frame.

MIDDLE – When there is more than one subject and refining of the main subject is needed.

SMALL – When there is more than one subject or a busy background such as a bird on a perch or in trees.

CROSS AND CUSTOM – These are useful to further refine the target area for you subject. For instance a rectangle grid can help when the AF focusses on a busy background or foreground. I tend to use Cross more and find it very effective.

LETTERBOX – Setting a letterbox target grid is useful for situations such a bird in flight over a complicated foreground, when the focus gets confused by unnecessary detail. A Letterbox excludes the foreground. It could be a more sedate swan swimming with a complicated foreground too.

PERCHED BIRDS

Subject Detect Mode is superb for Birds In Flight, and has been improved for perched birds or stationary birds when foreground is in the way. A birched bird is obviously far easier than a bird in flight, but will often still need fast shutter speeds for subjects that move quickly etc.

OTHER SETTINGS

Other settings which are important and should be considered.

AF 2

The AF Menu has had some significant changes particularly with the second Menu screen which now includes all the main functions and options that can be set for Subject Detection such as the C-AF Area, and a new way to assign AF Button options. See below.

Menu>AF>2.AF>

SUBJECT DETECT C-AF AREA

A new feature added largely to replace C-AF Tracking whilst in Subject Detect mode.

Options here as show allow the AF to focus on the subject and track it across the entire screen even if the subject moves out of the Target Area. This presumes obviously that a Target is set that is not All AF points. It is very effective.

The other option is to continuously focus and track just within the target frame.

Menu>AF>2.AF>C-AF Area

There is no right or wrong with this setting, it is personal preference. The best approach is to be aware of it and test it out to set what suits you. Save it into My Menu so you can change it quickly when needed. I would set it to All to begin with.

*AF BUTTON

AF Button (or Priority) has been added to allow the Shutter AF (half press) and AF-ON to be assigned different functions, set Subject Detection to one and the active AF mode to the other.

Select the item and then in the screen shown select whether priority should be given to Subject Detection or the AF Mode that is active. In other words you could have Subject Detection on one and any AF Target Mode on the other (All, Small, Medium, Cross etc). The theory behind this is that should Subject Detection not operate as well as you expect, or you have a need to use ‘standard’ AF modes, you can do so quickly.

Menu>AF>2.AF>AF Button

C-AF/MF+Tracking mode was disabled in the OM1-MKII when Subject Detection is enabled because two tracking modes just caused conflict. That is not to say C-AF+Tracking is poor, it is very useful sometimes and it can still be set as an option to use.

There are times when you will want to use AF Tracking instead of Subject Detection. Perhaps it is an animal and Cats and Dogs detection does not recognise the subject, or a bird and Bird Detection does not manage to detect it, it is very good but not completely foolproof. Therefore we need quick way to be able to switch AF modes without going into the Super Control panel or Menu.

METHOD 1-SET C-AF/M+TRACKING AS DEFAULT

Assuming you have set Subject Detection to a button, make sure it is not active. In the Super Control Panel set the AF to C-AF/MF+Tracking. Now when you enable Subject Detection by pressing the button the AF will switch to C-AF/MF, and disable the ‘+Tracking’. It is still tracking, but it is using Subject Detection. This means you can quickly switch between the two just by switching Subject Detect on and off.

METHOD 2-USE AF-BUTTON OPTIONS

The AF Button option gives us another way to do the same thing. The official manual says:

“Option 1 Subject Detect Priority Tracks focus on the subject when it is detected at the selected AF target point.”

Option 2 AF Target Priority Always tracks focus on the selected AF target point.”

It means one can be assigned to the Shutter AF and one to the AF-ON, but it is badly worded. Option 2 only tracks if the AF mode is set to +Tracking.

Assign Option 1 to the Shutter AF and Option 2 (with C-AF/MF+Tracking set first) to AF-ON, or vice versa. Option 1 will use whichever AF Mode you have set.

Now when Subject Detect is active and the front AF button is used to focus it will use Subject Detection tracking. Press the AF-ON and it will use C-AF/MF+Tracking, but not Subject Detection. If Subject Detection is not enabled it will still use C-AF/MF+Tracking. Which you use is personal preference and a matter of which you find more convenient and faster. Use the button to switch Subject detection on/off to alter the AF mode, or use the two AF buttons independently.

Remember Back Button Focus is now not being used. If BBF is something you want to maintain or rely on, it is still accessible but the lens has to be be in MF, but not by the clutch. Use the Super Control Panel to set MF, or remap a button to MF. Once the lens is in MF the rear AF-ON will still perform focus but it will be S-AF and not tracked.

LEVER SETTINGS

Remember AF Mode and Target are two different things. Imagine the AF like a longbow with a scope, set for single AF, Continuous or tracking. The Target is how many arrows you want, one or more. The AF Targets can still be set for both Option 1 and Option 2 above. I would set both as Lever1 target All, and Lever 2 to Cross. Keep some consistency as they are easy enough to change on the fly with the Joystick press/hold and front wheel anyway.

AF SENSITIVITY

AF Sensitivity can be altered plus or minus 1 or 2. When would you want or need to alter it?

Fast moving subjects can benefit from having sensitivity increased to allow the AF to react faster. This does mean if another subject enter the frame the AF can switch more easily so setting the AF less sensitive could help.

It’s unfortunate this function cannot be mapped to a button so the best solution for quick access is to save it to you My Menu. As situations vary so much you will need to experiment. I find setting it to +1 is best for quickly locking onto subjects, and -1 best for tracking. Options vary so try it yourself.

Menu>AF>4.AF>C-AF Sensitivity

AREA POINTER

Note that AF sensitivity is not the same as Area Pointer which does seem to confuse some.

Area Pointer has two modes ON1 which show the green box inside the Target Area when focus has been achieved, and ON2 will show multiple green boxes when using C-AF or C-AF+Tracking. It is just a visual aid showing what is in focus and is not more accurate than having one shown.

I prefer to set it to On1 because I find it less distracting but it is worth experimenting with to suit your own preference.

Menu>AF>3.AF>Area Pointer

AF-LIMITER

There may be times when the lens struggles to gain focus or focusses on a background or foreground element instead of the subject.

AF Limiter allows you to save three presets with a minimum and maximum distance to control the range the AF will try to focus in. Make sure a wide enough range is set.

You have to guess the distance or use the PRE-MF ‘hack’.

Go to PRE-MF, press info and focus on the area you want to exclude such as the background. The screen will show the distance instead of guessing it. Do the same for the foreground if needed. Now in AF Limiter set a range between these distances.

Menu>AF>4.AF>AF Limiter

An advantage of having this saved to a button in a CM not just for quick access is it will not be active for your next session once the camera is turned off and on again, thus avoiding problems wondering why your AF is limited. Do remember if you set up ON1, ON2 and ON3 and want to save them as part of your CM you must resave the CM again. As with all CM’s any changes you want to make permanently must be resaved.

PRESET MF DISTANCE

Preset MF is exactly what it says and is used for setting a fixed distance for focus. If for example you’re taking images in a fixed spot it can be useful to program the focus to the exact distance and prevent the lens from hunting.

Remember this is manual Focus. Ensure you have set AF-ON to ‘AF on in MF’ to allow for AF still to be used Menu>AF 1.AF>AF-ON in MF>Yes

There are two ways to set this:

Menu>AF> 6.MF>Preset MF Distance and enter manually

Top AF Button, scroll to Pre-MF. Press Info and focus on the area you want to save, press OK to store it.

Menu>AF>7.MF>Preset MF Distance

I personally do not find much of a need for Pre-MF. If I do want to lock focus on a particular area I can just manually focus or auto focus and then lock it into MF, but I can imagine situations when the ability to have it saved on a button and immediately recall it would be useful. Note that recalling from a button only switches Pre-MF on or off. To change the distance saved you can actually press/hold the button and turn the front dial, although it is probably easier to access from the top left button or the Super Control Panel.

AF SCANNER

Longer lenses can sometimes struggle when contrast is low. AF Scanner will force the AF to try and rescan to acquire focus. It can lead to the lens ‘hunting’ where it scans from near to far focus, but disabling it can mean out of focus images. I tend to leave it on by default and revert to MF if there is an issue.

Menu>AF>4.AF>AF Scanner

RELEASE PRIORITY

Release Priority determine whether the camera will take an image even if focus has not been confirmed. Set to off means it will be set to ‘Focus Priority’ which is much more sensible. It is strange, Off means Release Priority is off, so it has S-AF Priority. You’d expect it the other way around. The camera will not take an image if focus is not confirmed, but in continuous drive modes it is effective on the first frame only.

C-AF CENTRE PRIORITY

Similarly AF Targets Cross, Mid and Large and Custom Targets can be set to give priority towards the centre of the target area. I prefer to set these ON and use a smaller target if I find an issue.

Menu>AF>1.AF>Release Priority

SEQUENTIAL SHOOTING

When considering AF Modes for use with any of the A.I Subject Detection Modes it’s also important to consider which drive mode to use. Drive Modes are easy to access from the main settings on the top left, and saving one as a CM is useful. I tend to use Silent SH2 but it is important to understand each.

Menu>Camera1>7.Drive Mode>Sequential

* Blackouts between frames (when the EVF will go black between frames) has been reduced to a minimum of 1/160th shutter speed in SH2 on the OM1-MKII, previously 1/320 on the OM1 which is a big help for seeing and tracking the subject. SH1 has a minimum shutter of 1/15th which is pretty much irrelevant, if you are using the high fps of SH1 you won’t be using a shutter as low as that anyway. Blackout is still present in Sequential, but that is largely because there is no minimum shutter speed which is obvious. You may want to use sequential with slow shutters on a landscape, or if bracketing with slow shutters the camera will set Sequential but there will be blackouts from the slow shutters. Silent Sequential also has blackouts for the same reasons, but look at SH2, if you need blackout free you are probably using faster shutter speeds, so use SH2 instead which will shoot 12.5fps, just a little more than the 10fps / Silent Sequential. The caveat is the shutter has to be a min of 1/160th.

Listing out the different drive modes in a table and we can clearly see the pros and cons of each. Sequential uses a mechanical shutter and has the slowest FPS obviously because it is a physical shutter which has to open and close. AF is continuous for each frame and exposure will be metered for each. Silent Sequential is the same but with an electronic shutter shutter it can double the FPS rate. SH2 can increase FPS up to 50 and with no blackouts, whilst SH1 can go to a huge 120 FPS with no blackouts but at the expense of AF and exposure metering being for the first frame only. This leaves us with plenty of options but also decisions to make.

NOTE- SH1 is never Continuous AF. If you do need the higher frames be aware the consequence is AF is only performed for the first frame.

To avoid taking too many images the Frame Count Limit can be set from 2-99. This is a great option when speed is of the essence but you want to avoid filling your memory card. Once the limit is reached shooting will end. Also note frames per second will be a little lower if ISO is set to 16,000 or higher.

PRO CAPTURE

In addition to the drive mode options we also have Pro-Capture. This feature has similar settings to the Sequential drive modes but also user set pre-capture frames that are recorded before the main frames. The OM1-MKII now has a maximum of 99 pre-frames due to the increased buffer, where previously it was 77. Using the Kingfisher diving into water situation again, how well could you anticipate and press the shutter at the exact moment its beak is mm’s away from the water? Not easily. Pro-Capture aims to assist by capturing a set number of frames the moment the shutter is half pressed and thus reduce the delayed reaction between a half press and full press. Images are stored in the camera buffer and then written to the card.

Menu>Camera1>7.Drive Mode>Sequential

We can see here Pro-Capture is very similar, in fact the same as the Sequential settings, the difference being the ability to set how many frames will be taken as soon as you half press the shutter button. It is an ingenious solution to reducing the risk of missing a shot through slow reactions times. Remember in Pro-Capture SH1 AF is not Continuous, it will only be for the first frame and it will default to S-AF. Therefore SH1 is best to use on subjects that do not move from the focal plane too much. There are some limitations to be aware of:

AF>2.AF>Subject Detection

AF>2.AF>Eye Detection Frame

HUMAN/EYE/FACE SELECTION

The only way to switch focus from one face to another previously was to map the feature to a button, and then use the front wheel to selected the desired area. This option in the Buttons menu has now been changed to Subject Selection as said above. It is far better now because it is not just for faces or eyes. Now when a human, or face or eye is detected, pressing the Subject Selection button whilst rotating the front wheel will cycle though the different subjects allow you to chose the one you want.

The subject selected can be locked by pressing the Subject Selection button. Once locked on the word “Lock” shows the screen and the selection can then be altered using the Jog lever or rear Arrow Pad. To unlock press the Subject Selection button or OK button. Obviously you want to have the Eye Detection Frame enabled so you know it has found the eye.

CARS TRAINS AND PLANES

In all of these modes the body/fuselage is detected along with the cockpit or driver. You may find these useful if you are an aviation photographer, or motorsports, in which case you could set up a Custom Mode dedicated to it. But consider whether one is needed. A general CM with settings appropriate for moving subjects could suffice, with quick access to just change the subject the camera is looking for.

This image taken in North Yorkshire hardly justified using Subject Detection. With a slow moving steam train heading towards me just simply using CAF+Tracking was enough, or even just a shutter speed fast enough would have been enough.

A fast moving train, plane or motorsports would be different. Consider your requirements and what your main subjects are and priorities.

DOGS & CATS DETECTION

Whilst we do not have an animal detection we do have Dogs & Cats. Why is a puzzle, maybe the engineers didn’t have enough squirrels to test it on. It does work surprising well though, perhaps it is limited to smaller animals.

Both of these images were taken with the 40-150 Pro using Dogs & Cats Detection and the detection did pick up the eye.

I’d followed the Stag for some time keeping a distance, and he was keeping an eye on me; he knew. Shutter speed was only 1/500, it did not need faster.

The squirrel was a case of watching what he did and waiting for him to go on the tree stump which he did a few times. A fast shutter of 1600 was suitable to freeze the movement.

This detection mode is a little ‘hit and miss’ because it doesn’t detect all animals. I was lucky with the stag. You may find C-AF+Tracking is better if the Subject Detection mode fails, one reason why quick access to C-AF+Tracking is important.

40-150 Pro at 110mm, f4, 1/500s ISO200

I had followed this fellow for some distance, keeping downwind, even so he knew I was there. I’d had four or five shots but was not quite happy with them, standing on the crest of the hill against the sky, the composition and context could have been better. Some time later this was the final shot, with a loch in the background. The loch was all important to give context and place him in the location. And the high view looking down over the loch makes him the young Monarch of the Glen.

CROPPING

Luckily we have the advantage of being able to crop and reframe images, something we don’t do with landscapes, and don’t need to; we have the time to get it right. Obviously with any image we should avoid cropping, but sometimes needs must.

The Blue Tit had a little too much space around it. I was at 300mm with the 100-400 so could have gone in a little more, but the framing felt ok at the time. Afterwards I decided to crop around 20% away, placing the bird on the right into the bottom corner, giving it space to fly into. The crop makes the composition more dynamic.

300 Pro+1.4 TC @ 420mm Bird Detect ISO 640 f5.6 1/2000s

Another crop, this time just changing the image from 4/3 to 3/2 to remove a little space top and bottom. I noticed these geese flying in formation and had the time to track them. The stacked angle of them was so good, meaning the eye moves diagonally across the image. Again giving space on the left was important, with any subject, people, animals, even a rock, space should always be given for them to look in to, or fly into in this case.

12-100 Pro @ 12mm ISO 200 f6.3 1/100s

If you are a general wildlife photographer or a bird photographer don’t forget to shoot some images with the subject in the scene, just as with the stag image above, they can make beautiful landscape images and gives context. These two swans on the River Brathy in the Lake District had been swimming around for some time; a twig thrown in and the came to investigate. My framing on a tripod was already set, all I had to do was wait for them to be in a good position.

300 Pro+1.4 TC @ 420mm Bird Detect ISO 640 f5.6 1/2000s

100-400 @ 400mm Bird Detect ISO 640 f6.3 1/3200s

300mm Pro @ 300mm Bird Detect ISO 3200 f6.3 1/3200s

Bird Detect 40-150mm Pro @ 60mm f4.5 1/1600s ISO200

Bird Detect 40-150mm Pro @ 110mm f5 1/1600s ISO200

Bird Detect 40-150mm Pro @ 150mm f4 1/640s ISO1000

300mm Pro+1.4TC @ 420mm Bird Detect ISO 400 f6.3 1/500s

CONCLUSION

Subject Detect certainly has improved with the OM1-MKII and the focus system really has improved too. In fact it is so good it has encouraged even me to experiment with it. It is not foolproof and as with everything there is still a lot of skill required but it should open up a genre many would not previously have considered. In The next and final section we will have a look at the general techniques of photography, from Depth of Field to Composition.