s0004_oe_Basic.book

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Friday, September 16, 2005

6:51 PM

ENGLISH

FRANAIS

ESPAOL

DEUTSCH

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For customers in North and South America

For customers in USA

Declaration of Conformity Model Number : E-500 Trade Name : OLYMPUS Responsible Party : Address : Two Corporate Center Drive, P.O. Box 9058, Melville, NY 11747-9058 U.S.A. Telephone Number : 1-631-844-5000 Tested To Comply With FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference. (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

For customers in Canada

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian InterferenceCausing Equipment Regulations.

For customers in Europe

CE mark indicates that this product complies with the European requirements for safety, health, environment and customer protection. CE mark cameras are intended for sales in Europe. This symbol [crossed-out wheeled bin WEEE Annex IV] indicates separate collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment in the EU countries. Please do not throw the equipment into the domestic refuse. Please use the return and collection systems available in your country for the disposal of this product. This product and bundled accessories conform to WEEE standards.

Trademarks

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. xD-Picture Card is a trademark. All other company and product names are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of their respective owners. The standards for camera file systems referred to in this manual are the Design Rule for Camera File System/DCF standards stipulated by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA).

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What you can do with this camera
Once you've selected AUTO, you don't have to make any complicated settings. Just press the shutter button!
You can take sequential shots.
Pictures are stored on the CompactFlash or xD-Picture Card.
You can view images using slideshow and check shooting information, etc. Images recorded in RAW mode can be converted to, and saved in, other record modes. Images can be played back on a TV with the video cable.
When the camera is connected to a PC or printer. Once you've transferred images to your PC, you can take advantage of many more editing, viewing and printing functions with the provided OLYMPUS Master.
You can print out stored pictures directly with a PictBridge-compatible printer without using your PC.

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Contents
Thank you for purchasing an Olympus digital camera. Before you start to use your new camera, please read these instructions carefully to enjoy optimum performance and a longer service life. This manual explains shooting and playback basics. For details on functions, read the advanced manual. Keep this manual in a safe place for future reference. We recommend that you take test shots to get accustomed to your camera before taking important photographs. The screen and camera illustrations shown in this manual were produced during the development stages and may differ from the actual product.
This manual explains shooting preparation and easy techniques for shooting and playback. This manual is only for quick reference and should be read first to learn basic camera operation.
Safety precautions. 5 Attaching the strap. 11 Preparing the battery. 12 Loading the battery. 13 Lens basics. 14 Usable lenses. 14 Attaching a lens to the camera. 15 Card basics. 17 Usable cards. 17 Inserting a card. 18 Power on. 20 Date/time setting. 21 Holding the camera. 22 Adjusting the viewfinders diopter. 23 Shooting. 24 Playback. 26 What you can do with OLYMPUS Master software. 27 Information. 28 Specifications. 28

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Safety precautions

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED OLYMPUS SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Lightning flash with an arrowhead, enclosed in a triangle, alerts you to the presence of uninsulated voltage points inside the product which could cause a serious electrical shock. An exclamation mark enclosed in a triangle alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in the documentation provided with the product. WARNING! TO AVOID THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, NEVER EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO WATER OR OPERATE IN A HIGH HUMIDITY ENVIRONMENT.

General Precautions

Read All Instructions Before you use the product, read all operating instructions. Save These Instructions Save all safety and operating instructions for future reference. Heed Warnings Read carefully and follow all warning labels on the product and those described in the instructions. Follow Instructions Follow all instructions provided with this product. Cleaning Use only a damp cloth for cleaning. Never use any type of liquid or aerosol cleaner, or any type of organic solvent to clean this product. Attachments For your safety, and to avoid damaging the product, use only accessories recommended by Olympus. Water and Moisture Never use this product around water (near a bathtub, kitchen sink, laundry tub, wet basement, swimming pool or in the rain). For precautions on products with weatherproof designs, read the weatherproofing sections of their manuals. Location To avoid damage to the product and prevent personal injury, never place this product on an unstable stand, tripod, bracket, table or cart. Mount only on a stable tripod, stand, or bracket. Follow the instructions that describe how to safely mount the product, and use only the mounting devices recommended by the manufacturer. Power Sources Connect this product only to the power source described on the product label. If you are not sure about the type of power supply in your home, consult your local power company. Refer to your operating instructions for information on using the product with a battery.

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Foreign Objects, Liquid Spillage To avoid personal injury caused by fire or electrical shock from contact with internal high voltage points, never insert a metal object into the product. Avoid using the product where there is a danger of spillage. Heat Never use or store this product near any heat source such as a radiator, heat register, stove, or any type of equipment or appliance that generates heat, including stereo amplifiers. Servicing Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. Attempting to remove the covers or disassemble the product, could expose you to dangerous high voltage points. Damage Requiring Service If you notice any of the conditions described below, refer servicing to qualified service personnel: a) Liquid has been spilled onto the product or some other object has fallen into the product. b) The product has been exposed to water. c) The product does not operate normally despite following operating instructions. Adjust only the controls described in the operating instructions as improper adjustment of other controls could damage the product and require extensive repair work by a qualified technician. d) The product has been dropped or damaged in any way. e) The product exhibits a distinct change in performance. Replacement Parts When replacement parts are required, make sure that the service center uses only parts with the same characteristics as the originals, as recommended by the manufacturer. Unauthorized substitution of parts could result in fire, electrical shock, or create other hazards. Safety Check Upon completion of servicing or repairs, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in good working order.

Handling the Camera

If the product is used without observing the information given under this symbol, serious injury or death may result. If the product is used without observing the information given under this symbol, injury or death may result. If the product is used without observing the information given under this symbol, minor personal injury, damage to the equipment, or the loss of valuable data may result.

DANGER

WARNING
WARNING Do not use the camera in areas exposed to flammable or explosive gases. A fire or explosion may result.

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Do not use the flash on people (infants, small children, etc.) at close range. When you fire the flash, you must be at least 1 m (3 ft) away from the faces of your subjects. Firing the flash too close to the subjects eyes could cause a momentary loss of vision. Keep young children and infants away from the camera. If not, the following dangerous situations may occur:
Becoming entangled in the camera strap or power cords, causing strangulation. If this happens, follow the doctors instructions. Accidentally swallowing the battery or other small parts. Accidentally firing the flash into their own eyes or those of another child. Accidentally being injured by the moving parts of the camera.
Do not use or store the camera in dusty or humid places. Using or storing the camera in dusty or humid places may result in a fire or electric shock. Do not cover the flash with a hand while firing. Do not cover the flash or touch it after it has just been fired sequentially. It may be hot and cause minor burns. Do not take apart or modify the camera. Never attempt to disassemble the camera. The internal circuits contain high voltage points which could cause serious burns or electrical shock. Do not let water or foreign objects inside the camera. A fire or electric shock may result. If the camera is accidentally dropped in water, or if liquid is spilled into the camera, stop using it, allow it to dry, and then remove the battery. Contact the nearest authorized Olympus service center. Do not touch the battery or the battery charger while battery charging is in progress. Wait until charging is complete and the battery has cooled. The battery and battery charger become hot while charging. At these times, they may cause minor burns. Do not use a non-specified battery and/or charger. Use of a non-designated battery and/or re-charger may lead to camera or battery failure as well as other unexpected accidents. Any accidents resulting from use of non-designated equipment will not be compensated. CAUTION Stop using the camera immediately if you notice any unusual odors, noise, or smoke around it. If you notice any unusual odors, noise, or smoke around the camera during operation, switch it off immediately and remove the battery. Allow the camera to sit idle for a few minutes to cool. Take the camera outdoors, away from flammable objects, and carefully remove the battery. Never remove the battery with bare hands. Contact the nearest Olympus service center immediately.

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When used for a long period, the camera will get hot. If you hold on to the camera in this state, a low-temperature burn may be caused. In places subject to extremely cold temperatures, the temperature of the cameras body may be lower than the environmental temperature. If possible, wear gloves when handling the camera in cold temperatures.
Do not use the camera with wet hands. Damage or electric shock may result. Also, do not connect or disconnect the power plug with wet hands. Be careful with the strap when you carry the camera. It could easily catch on stray objects and cause serious damage. Do not leave the camera in areas subject to extremely high temperature. Doing so may cause parts to deteriorate and, in some circumstances, cause the camera to catch fire. When the camera contains metal parts, overheating can result in a low-temperature burn. Pay attention to the following:
The power plug or cable produces heat, burning smell, or smoke. The power plug or cable is cracked or broken. The contact is bad on the power plug.
Do not damage the power cable. Do not pull on the chargers cable or add another cable to it. Be sure to connect or disconnect the chargers cable while holding the power plug. If the following cases occur, stop using and contact an Olympus dealer or authorized customer support center.
Battery handling precautions
Follow these important guidelines to prevent the battery from leaking, overheating, burning, exploding, or causing electrical shocks or burns. DANGER Never heat or incinerate the battery. Do not connect the (+) and (-) terminals to each other using metal objects. Do not carry or store the battery where it may come into contact with metal objects such as jewelry, pins, fasteners, etc. Never store the battery where it will be exposed to direct sunlight, or subjected to high temperatures in a hot vehicle, near a heat source, etc. Never attempt to disassemble the battery or modify it in any way, such as by soldering. Doing so may break the terminals or cause battery fluid to splash, resulting in potential fire, explosion, battery leakage, overheating or other damage. If battery fluid gets in your eyes, loss of eyesight may result. If battery fluid gets in your eyes, do not rub them. Flush them immediately with clear, cold running water and seek medical attention straight away.

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WARNING Keep the battery dry at all times. Never allow it to come into contact with fresh or salt water. Do not touch or hold the battery with wet hands. If the rechargeable battery does not recharge within the specified time, stop charging it and do not use it. If you do not, fire, explosion, ignition or overheating may result. Do not use the battery if it is cracked or broken. Doing so may cause explosion or overheating. Never subject the battery to strong shocks or continuous vibration. Doing so may cause explosion or overheating. Never attempt to modify the battery compartment on the camera, never insert anything (other than the specified battery) into the compartment. If the battery leaks, becomes discolored or deformed, or appears abnormal in any way during operation, stop using the camera immediately. Contact your dealer or an authorized Olympus service center. Continued use may result in fire or electric shock. If the battery leaks fluid onto your clothing or skin, remove the clothing and flush the affected area with clean, running cold water immediately. If the fluid burns your skin, seek medical attention immediately. CAUTION Do not remove the battery from the camera immediately after operating the camera on battery power for a long time. Doing so may cause burns. Remove the battery from the camera if it is not going to be used for a long time. Otherwise, battery leakage or overheating may cause a fire or injury.
Handling and storage precautions
Camera To protect the high-precision technology contained in this product, never leave the camera in the places listed below, no matter if in use or storage: Places where temperatures and/or humidity are high or go through extreme changes. Direct sunlight, beaches, locked cars, or near other heat sources (stove, radiator, etc.) or humidifiers. In sandy or dusty environments. Near flammable items or explosives. In wet places, such as bathrooms or in the rain. In places subject to strong vibrations.

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Never drop the camera or subject it to severe shocks or vibrations. Do not leave the camera pointed directly at the sun. This may cause lens damage, color failure, ghosting on the CCD, or may possibly start a fire. Condensation may form inside the camera when there is a sudden extreme change in temperature (such as when moving from indoors to outdoors). Acclimatize the camera to the temperature (e.g. by putting the camera into a plastic bag) before use. If the camera has not been used for a long time, mold may form or the camera may malfunction. Before using the camera, check that the camera works properly. Do not touch electric contacts on cameras and interchangeable lenses. Remember to attach the cap when removing the lens. Do not place the camera near anything that could be affected by magnetism (e.g. credit card, floppy disk, etc.). Doing so may destroy the data on these items.

LCD monitor Do not push the monitor forcibly; otherwise the image may become fuzzy, resulting in a playback mode failure or damage to the monitor. If the monitor is damaged, be careful not to get any of the liquid crystals from the monitor in your mouth. If liquid crystals get on your limbs or clothes, wash them off. A strip of light may appear on the top/bottom of the monitor. This is not a malfunction. When a subject is viewed diagonally in the camera, the edges may appear to zigzag on the monitor. This is not a malfunction; It will be less noticeable in playback mode. In places subject to low temperatures, the LCD monitor may take a long time to turn on or its color may change temporarily. When using the camera in extremely cold places, it is a good idea to occasionally place it in a warm place. A LCD monitor exhibiting poor performance due to low temperatures will recover in normal temperatures. The LCD monitor is made with high-precision technology. However, black spots or bright spots of light may appear on the LCD monitor. These spots may not be uniform in color and brightness depending on their characteristics or the angle at which you are viewing the monitor. This is not a malfunction.

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Attaching the strap
Thread one end of the strap through the strap eyelet on the camera.
Thread the end of the strap through the ring, then thread it through the stopper as indicated by the arrows.
Thread the strap back through the other hole of the stopper.
Pull the other side of the strap tight, making sure that it is fastened securely. Repeat steps 1 - 4 to attach the other end of the strap to the other eyelet.
Be careful with the strap when you carry the camera, since it can easily catch on stray objects, causing injury or damage. Attach the strap correctly as shown above so that the camera does not fall off. If the strap is attached incorrectly and the camera falls off, Olympus is not responsible for any damage.

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Preparing the battery
This camera uses the following batteries. Three CR123A lithium batteries BLM-1 Li-ion battery The provided batteries may differ depending on the area where you purchased this camera. Never use any other type of battery. For details, refer to the advanced manual. BLM-1 Li-ion Battery Charge the battery in the BCM-2 Li-ion Battery Charger. The battery is not fully charged when purchased. Before use, be sure to charge the battery.
Connect the AC cable, then attach the battery to the charger.
Charging starts. The battery will be fully recharged in about 5 hours. When the charging indicator color changes from red to green, charging is completed.
Charger Lithium ion battery

Charging indicator

Remove the protection cap from the battery. Align the battery with the arrow. AC cable

AC wall outlet

CR123A lithium batteries

Load the lithium batteries in the LBH-1 lithium battery holder as shown in the illustration.
The CR123A lithium battery is not rechargeable. Do not charge it. If the battery power levers power is low, replace all three batteries with new ones. When not using the camera, store the lithium batteries in the battery case.

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Loading the battery
Make sure that the camera's power switch is set to OFF.

Power switch

Slide the battery compartment lock to ) and open the battery compartment cover.

Battery compartment lock

Battery compartment cover
Load the battery as shown in the illustration.
Direction indicating mark
Slide the battery compartment lock to =.
Unloading the battery Make sure the power switch is set to OFF and the card access lamp is not blinking. Slide the battery compartment lock and remove the battery. If the battery compartment cover comes off, fit the hinges back together to re-attach the cover to the camera.

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Lens basics

Usable lenses

Select the lens that you want to shoot with. Use a specified Four Thirds lens (Four Thirds mount). When a non-specified lens is used, AF (auto focus) and light metering will not function correctly. In some cases, other functions may not work either. Four Thirds mount Developed by Olympus as the lens mount standard for the Four Thirds system. These all-new interchangeable lenses featuring the Four Thirds mount were developed from the ground up based on optic engineering exclusively for digital cameras.
ZUIKO DIGITAL interchangeable lens Four Thirds system interchangeable lens designed to withstand rigorous professional use. The Four Thirds system makes it possible for a fast lens to be compact and lightweight as well. The Four Thirds system interchangeable lens lineup includes a wide range of products in addition to those listed below: ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50mm-200mm f2.8-3.5: Super telephoto zoom lens equivalent to 100-400 mm on a 35 mm lens ZUIKO DIGITAL 40mm-150mm f3.5-4.5: Telephoto zoom lens equivalent to 80-300 mm on a 35 mm lens Notes
When you attach or remove the body cap and lens from the camera, keep the lens mount on the camera pointed downward. This helps prevent dust and other foreign matter from getting inside the camera. Do not remove the body cap or attach the lens in dusty places. Do not point the lens attached to the camera toward the sun. This may cause the camera to malfunction or even ignite due to the magnifying effect of sunlight focusing through the lens. Be careful not to lose the body cap and rear cap. Attach the body cap to the camera to prevent dust from getting inside when no lens is attached.

The time is displayed in the 24-hour format. For example, 2 p.m. will be displayed as 14:00.

Press the i button.

For a more accurate setting, press i when the time signal hits 00 seconds. The clock starts when you press the button.
The date and time settings will be returned to the factory default settings if the camera is left without the battery for approximately 1 day. The settings will be canceled more quickly if the battery was only loaded in the camera for a short time before being removed. Before taking important pictures, check that the date and time settings are correct.

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Holding the camera
Hold the camera's grip with your right hand and keep your elbow at yourside. Rest your elbow gently against your body and hold the lens section firmly from underneath with your left hand. Take a picture.
Putting one leg a little forward helps stabilize your upper body.

Vertical grip

Keep your fingers and the strap away from the front of the lens.

Bad technique Lens

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Adjusting the viewfinders diopter
Remove the lens cap. While looking though the viewfinder, rotate the diopter adjustment dial little by little. When you can see the AF frame clearly, adjustment is complete.

AF frame Viewfinder

Diopter adjustment dial

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Shooting
Set the mode dial to AUTO.
Place the AF frame on the subject while viewing through the viewfinder.

AF frame

Shutter button
Card access lamp Viewfinder

Adjust the focus.

Press the shutter button gently (halfway). The focus is locked. The AF confirmation mark and the AF focusing frame light up in the viewfinder. The shutter speed and aperture value that have been set automatically by the camera are displayed. The control panel screen is not displayed when the shutter button is pressed. When you use the camera in the dark, the flash pops up automatically if the camera is set to AUTO.

Halfway down

AF confirmation mark All the way down

Release the shutter.

Press the shutter button all the way (fully). When a picture is taken, a shutter sound is output. The card access lamp blinks and the camera starts recording the picture. After 1 minute* without any operation being performed, the monitor turns off and the camera stops operating. To wake up the camera, simply press any button, e.g. the shutter button. After about 4 hours* without being used, the camera will turn off automatically. Turn on the camera again.
* Factory default settings. You can change the time settings using the custom menu.

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Rec view This allows you to display the picture you have just taken on the monitor while it is being recorded to the card. You can select how long the picture is displayed from off, 1 sec. - 20 sec. (g Advanced manual, P.132) You can take another picture while the picture is being displayed. Notes
Press the shutter button gently. If it is pressed hard, the camera may move and pictures may come out blurred. Never remove the battery or card while the card access lamp mark is blinking. Doing so could destroy stored pictures and prevent storage of pictures you have just taken. When taking pictures against strong backlight, the area of the picture in shadow may appear colored.

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Playback
Press the q (playback) button.

q button

to select images you want to view.
a Displays the frame that is stored 10 frames back.
b Displays the previous frame.
d Displays the next frame.
c Displays the frame that is stored 10 frames ahead.
To exit the playback mode, press the q button. Pressing the shutter button halfway resumes the shooting mode.

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What you can do with OLYMPUS Master software
The provided software CD includes OLYMPUS Master software for viewing and editing images. Once installed, you can take advantage of a variety of viewing and editing features as shown below. For information on how to use OLYMPUS Master, refer to Help after installing the software.
Editing images You can rotate, trim, or compensate for image distortion.
Grouping and organizing images You can arrange images by grouping or by creating photo albums.
A variety of printing formats You can create a calendar or postcard with the recorded pictures.
Transferring images from a computer to the camera Images and movies selected with OLYMPUS Master software can be transferred to the camera.
Updating your camera's firmware
Transferring images from the camera or removable media to your computer
Transferring images from the camera to your computer Albums created on the camera can be transferred to your computer and played back with OLYMPUS Master.
Install OLYMPUS Master on your computer from the provided CD-ROM. OLYMPUS Master allows you to register as the camera's owner. Doing so will enable you to receive information on software or firmware upgrades from Olympus.

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Information

Specifications

Product type
Product type : Single-lens reflex digital camera with interchangeable lens system Lens : Zuiko Digital, Four Thirds System Lens Lens mount : Four Thirds mount Equivalent focal length on a 35 mm film camera : Approx. twice the focal length of the lens

Image pickup element

White balance

Product type Mode setting : CCD : Auto, Preset WB (7 settings), Customized WB , One-touch WB : CF card (Compatible with Type I and II) Microdrive (Compatible with FAT 32) xD-Picture Card : Digital recording, TIFF (non-compression), JPEG (in accordance with Design rule for Camera File system (DCF)), RAW Data : Exif 2.2, Digital Print Order Format (DPOF), PRINT Image Matching II, PictBridge : Single-frame playback, Close-up playback, Index display, Image rotation, Slideshow, Light box display, Calendar display : Information display, Histogram display : Single-frame shooting, Sequential shooting, Self-timer, Remote control : 2.5 frames/sec. (Max. no. of storable sequential pictures: 4 frames in RAW/TIFF) : Operation time: 12 sec., 2 sec. : Operation time: 2 sec., 0 sec. (instantaneous shooting) (RM-1 Remote Control (optional))

Recording

Memory Recording system Applicable standards
Playback mode Information display
Drive mode Sequential shooting Self-timer Optical remote control
Synchronization : Synchronized with the camera at 1/180 sec. or less Flash control mode : TTL-AUTO (TTL pre-flash mode), AUTO, MANUAL External flash attachment: Hot shoe

External connector

USB connector/AV connector (Multi-connector)

Power supply

Battery : BLM-1 Li-ion Battery x1/CR123A lithium battery x3 (for use with LBH-1 Lithium Battery Holder) : 129.5 mm (W) x 94.5 mm (H) x 66 mm (D) (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") (excluding protrusions) : Approx.435 g (1.0 Ib.) (without battery) : 0 - 40C (32F - 104F) (operation)/-20 - 60C (-4F - 104F) (storage) : 30 - 90 % (operation)/10 - 90 % (storage)

Dimensions/weight

Dimensions Weight Temperature Humidity

Operating environment

SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT ANY NOTICE OR OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER.

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Pour les utilisateurs dAmrique du Nord et du Sud
Pour les utilisateurs aux tats-Unis
Dclaration de conformit Modle numro : E-500 Marque : OLYMPUS Organisme responsable : Adresse : Two Corporate Center Drive, P.O. Box 9058, Melville, NY 11747-9058 tats-Unis Numro de tlphone :1-631-844-5000 Test pour tre en conformit avec la rglementation FCC POUR LUTILISATION A LA MAISON OU AU BUREAU Cet appareil est conforme aux normes de la Section 15 des directives FCC. Son utilisation est soumise aux deux conditions suivantes: (1) Cet appareil ne doit pas causer de brouillage radiolectrique. (2) Cet appareil doit pouvoir rsister toutes les interfrences, y compris celles susceptibles dentraver son bon fonctionnement.

Weiabgleich

Typ Weiabgleichmodi

Bilddatenspeicherung

Speicher Speichermodi Untersttzte Standards
Wiedergabemodi Informationsanzeige

Auslsermodus

Auslsermodi Serienaufnahme : Einzelbild, Serienaufnahme, Selbstauslser, Fernauslser : 2,5 Bilder/Sek. (Maximale Anzahl der speicherbaren Serienbilder: 4 Bilder fr RAW/TIFF) Selbstauslser : Auslseverzgerung: 12 Sek., 2 Sek. Optischer Fernauslser : Auslseverzgerung: Verzgerungszeit: 2 Sek., 0 Sek. (sofortige Auslsung) (RM-1 Fernbedienung (optional))
Synchronisation : Mit Kameraverschlusszeit bis zu 1/180 Sek. Blitzmodi : TTL-AUTO (TTL Vorblitzmodus), AUTO, MANUAL Anschluss fr Zusatzblitz : Hot shoe-Anschluss

Anschlsse

USB-Buchse/AV-Buchse (Mehrfachanschluss)

Stromversorgung

Akku/Batterien : BLM-1 Lithiumionen-Akku x 1/CR123A Lithiumbatterie x 3 (in Kombination mit LBH-1 Lithiumbatteriehalter) : 129,5 mm (B) x 94,5 mm (H) x 66 mm (T) (ohne hervorstehende Teile) : Ca. 435 g (ohne Akku) : 0 C bis 40 C (Betrieb)/20 C bis 60 C (Lagerung) : 30 % bis 90 % (Betrieb)/10 % bis 90 % (Lagerung)

Abmessungen/Gewicht

Abmessungen Gewicht Umgebungstemperatur Luftfeuchtigkeit

Betriebstemperatur

nderungen der technischen Daten sind ohne Vorankndigung und Verpflichtung seitens des Herstellers vorbehalten.

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Page 1

http://www.olympus.com/
Shinjuku Monolith, 3-1 Nishi-Shinjuku 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Two Corporate Center Drive, P.O. Box 9058, Melville, NY 11747-9058, U.S.A. Tel. 1-631-844-5000

Technical Support (USA)

24/7 online automated help: http://www.olympusamerica.com/E1 Phone customer support: Tel. 1-800-260-1625 (Toll-free) Our phone customer support is available from 8 am to 10 pm (Monday to Friday) ET E-Mail: e-slrpro@olympusamerica.com Olympus software updates can be obtained at: http://www.olympus.com/digital
Premises: Wendenstrasse 14-18, 20097 Hamburg, Germany Tel: +49 40-3-0 / Fax: +49 40-61 Goods delivery: Bredowstrasse 20, 22113 Hamburg, Germany Letters: Postfach 08, 20034 Hamburg, Germany
European Technical Customer Support:
Please visit our homepage http://www.olympus-europa.com or call our TOLL FREE NUMBER* : 00800 - for Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom * Please note some (mobile) phone services/provider do not permit access or request an additional prefix to +800 numbers. For all not listed European Countries and in case that you cant get connected to the above mentioned number please make use of the following CHARGED NUMBERS: +5 - 83 or +- 899 Our Technical Customer Support is available from 9 am to 6 pm MET (Monday to Friday)

Printed in China VH341601

SHORT LENSES, LONG LENSES, and BEYOND
story & photos by Alec Kennedy & John Minnerath
Milky Way Panorama: Composite of three separate images, each 5 x 1 min. exposures, 11-22mm lens at 11mm, f2.8, 200 ISO
o many people, astrophotography is a mysterious art. I hope to show that is not necessarily so, and that with just basic equipment you can produce some stunning images.
The most obvious requirement is to be somewhere you can actually see the stars in the night sky. For some lucky people this means just stepping outside. For others it could mean traveling to a suitable location. There are a few things you need to consider about your potential target. i. All the celestial objects in the night sky are moving, relative to the Earth. Their apparent movement will vary from a maximum at the celestial equator, to a minimum at the celestial poles. ii. There are a wide variety of brightness levels.
These range from the brightest moon to the dimmest nebulae. iii. Targets vary greatly in size, and will inuence your choice of lens. Nebulae can be ten times the apparent diameter of the moon, or even larger. iv. Photography in the dark is not the same as daylight. You can't see the camera controls, often there are mosquitoes looking for a feed, and dew has a habit of forming on the front of your lens. v. Any lens quality will give you an image, but the highest quality will give you the best images.

FULL SCREEN CLOSE

MEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008
Assuming you have a DSLR and one or more lenses with a range of focal lengths, let's consider what you will be able to photograph, given any of the following four ways of supporting your camera: i. Hand held, ii. Tripod, iii. Tracking mount, iv. Guided tracking mount (with manual or automatic guiding).

i. Hand Held

This will probably limit you to photographing the moon with a telephoto lens up to about 300mm with IS turned on. Best to experiment. Increasing the ISO will allow shorter exposures, but at the risk of introducing camera noise. Remember the moon is really just a lump of rock illuminated by full sunlight, so exposure details will be much the same as a sunny day here on Earth.
ii. Tripod, or resting on something solid
Again, the moon is an obvious choice, but remember the longer the focal length, the shorter the exposure time needed to avoid blurring. With just a tripod as support you can also photograph wide-eld star elds using shorter focal length lenses. The maximum focal length to avoid star streaking is about 50mm for stars near the celestial equator, and longer as you get closer to the poles. Do some test exposures to determine the practical limit. Exposure times for stars are in the order of one minute at f2.8, 400 ISO.
Lunar Paparazzi: Remember the moon is really just a lump of rock illuminated by full sunlight, so exposure details will be much the same as a sunny day here on Earth. 1 x 1/320sec exposure, Rubinar 500mm f5.6 lens, 100 ISO MEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008

FULL SCREEN

These times are variable, and you may like to experiment. Longer focal lengths will increase the likelihood of star streaking and in turn limit your available exposure times. Increase ISO or open up the aperture to f1.4 (if available). Beware of coma1 and chromatic aberration at the wider apertures. The Milky Way or constellations are good targets. Try deliberately creating star trails if you like. I use http://www.startrails.de to create star trails from a series of short exposures, by "joining the dots."

iii. Tracking Mount

A tracking mount is much like a pan/tilt tripod head, with one or both of the axes motorized. An equatorial (EQ) tracking mount has the pan axis aligned with the celestial poles (polar alignment), and as it "pans", the motor drive tracks the movement of the stars across the sky. Depending on the accuracy of your polar alignment your exposure times can be greatly increased by tracking, by a factor of ten or more. You are still, in practice, limited to the wider eld star shots, but the longer exposure will now show nebulae as well. With a 300mm lens the exposure limit can be as short as 10 to 20 seconds at the celestial equator, which really only gives you the core of Orion. Again, you can always experiment. 1 Coma (aka comatic aberration) in an optical system refers to aberration inherent to certain optical designs or due to imperfection in the lens or other components which results in off-axis point sources such as stars appearing distorted.

Trail Blazing: Turning a stack of images into one star trail image is made easy using Startrails, a freeware program created by Achim Schaller, a civil engineer in Germany. 30 x 25second exposures, 11-22mm lens at 11mm, 400 ISO

Dark Doodad Nebula

Carina Nebula

Southern Cross

Closer View: A view of the Milky Way, showing nebula as well as stars.The brightest star is actually Jupiter. This image illustrates what can be seen with just a standard lens and a single 8 min exposure. 1 x 8min exposure, ZD 11- 22mm lens at 22mm, f3.5, 400 ISO, tracking only.
In my opinion you may as well spend a bit of time and money adding autoguiding in order to minimise the difculty of trying to achieve perfect polar alignment and extended tracking times.
iv. Guided Tracking Mount
This usually refers to a guided EQ mount. Manual guiding requires you to sit with your eye "glued" to a guide scope, physically correcting the position of a guide star in cross hairs in the scope. Auto-guiding has its own guide camera (like a web cam) attached to its own lens or scope, and feeds a stream of pictures of the guide star to a computer program. This guiding program aligns the guide star image with cross hairs generated by the program, and if the star drifts outside the cross hairs the program issues correction commands to the tracking motors. Using this method will give accurate tracking for hour after hour, and if
Dark Doo-what?: The Dark Doodad Nebula, an unusually well dened dark cloud just south of Crux (Southern Cross). Also seen is the loose globular cluster NGC 4372 to the right. 36 x 8min exposures, Mamiya 300mm lens, f2.8, 400 ISO
Light Years Wide: Although the Carina Nebula is some four times as large and even brighter than the famous Orion Nebula, it is much less well known due to its location far in the Southern Hemisphere. 6 x 8min exposures, Mamiya 300mm lens, f2.8, 400 ISO MEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008
you also use the computer to control your DSLR you can leave the camera/ lens system to do its thing and head back indoors to escape those hungry mosquitoes. A basic tracking mount with autoguiding will allow lenses up to about 500mm, and any length exposure time. The limits to the exposure times or to the lens focal length are generally due to the mechanical tolerances of the tracking mount itself, and overall mechanical stability of the imaging/guiding system. For manual guiding, allow $150 for an illuminated reticle eyepiece and $150 for a scope to attach it to. For auto-guiding allow $250 US for a basic autoguiding camera and use an existing tele lens. I use an SAC4-2 camera and a Russian Rubinar 500mm f5.6 mirror lens. Allow $100 for the hardware for the computer interface to the tracking mount. For auto-guiding you will also need a laptop computer to run the guiding program. I use PHD Guiding which is free software.

BEYOND LENSES we have TELESCOPES
A higher quality, precision tracking mount will allow longer focal lengths such as provided by telescopes, and allow imaging of even the faintest and smallest celestial objects. However, now you have to consider spending $2000 or more just for the tracking mount.
Common Telescope Types i. The REFRACTOR
The refractor is a telescope using lenses only in the optical system. Similar in some respects to common telephoto lenses. Newer and affordable apochromats (lenses with better color correction than the more common achromat lenses) with fast optics deliver very pure images, but at a cost. The smaller sizes are generally easy to mount. As a rule, the refractor is much more expensive, aperture for aperture, than the next two types.

ii. The REFLECTOR

The classic Newtonian would be the most common reector. This telescope uses a parabolic primary mirror, and a at secondary mirror, at opposite ends of a long tube. Reectors do not suffer from color aberration, but can be affected by coma in the outer portions of the image circle at lower f-ratios. i.e. expect to nd coma with an f4 scope but not an f8 scope. This can be corrected with a "coma corrector" in the optical path. As a side-note, a pair of Newtonians mounted side-by-side make awesome binoculars providing
Light Bucket: A reasonably large Newtonian Reector, with a 12.5 inch diameter, f4.5 main mirror. It stands 64 inches high and weighs about 120 lbs. It's not unusual for Newtonians to have 30 inch, even 40 inch primary mirrors, truly earning the name "light bucket".
truly spectacular views of the heavens. The key search words are "binewt", or "Reverse Binocular Telescope". Generally speaking the Newtonian is the least expensive design per inch of aperture, although the larger sizes need massive mounts, not only to support the weight but also to stabilize the movement of the scope which, even for amateur asMEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008
tronomy, can be two metres long.

iii. The COMPOUND

These as a group are called catadioptrics, and use a combination of lenses and mirrors in the optical system. The Schmidt-Cassegrain and the Maksutov-Cassegrain being the most common
design. These telescopes are commonly f10 to f11, although specic designed focal reducers can give focal ratios as low as f3 or even f2 with some sophisticated optics. The folded optical path allows for a compact assembly and the inherently long focal length is an advantage for some objects. Because of their popularity, there are almost limitless photographic accessories available. One major disadvantage of this group is the lack of contrast caused by the large central obstruction of the secondary mirror. Physically they are usually heavier, aperture for aperture, than a simple reector2.

Image output from the stacking program DeepSkyStacker.
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES i. Post-processing
You can expect all images to require varying degrees of post-processing to bring out the best details. The most basic post-processing is simply histogram stretching and sharpening. This may be sufcient for the moon, stars or constellations. Beyond that are various methods and techniques which are essential for nebulae and galaxies. There are websites devoted to the subject. There are books written on the subject, and for many people their particular technique is a closely guarded secret. As an example, here are three images demonstrating post-processing of the Andromeda Galaxy. This is a stack of 18 x 4min exposures, using a 300mm, f2.8 lens on the E-500. 2 Refer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_telescope_types for more information about telescope types.
The effect of stretching the histogram, using levels and curves, in Photoshop.
The result of further post-processing by selectively enhancing different colors, again in Photoshop. Andromeda: Three images demonstrating post-processing of the Andromeda Galaxy. 18 x 4 min exposures, Mamiya 300mm lens, f2.8, 800 ISO MEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008
For every hour spent collecting images you can expect to spend at least another hour at the computer, getting the best result from post-processing.
ii. Olympus DSLR's for astrophotography
I have used an E-500 for all the images shown in this article. It is probably the best choice of Olympus DSLR for an unmodied camera. I have tried an E-410 and an E-3 but these are not suitable for nebulae or any target with H-alpha reds. This is due to the aggressive in-camera IR lter. These cameras, (and by implication the E-510) may be suitable for stars and galaxies but I really don't recommend them without modication (to remove their IR lter). I don't know about the E-420 and E-520, or models earlier than the E-500. I would prefer to use a camera with live-view as a focusing aid. Focusing on a star through the viewnder of an E-500 is very difcult, even using the Vari-Magni nder. Remote control of the E-500 is possible using Olympus Studio Camera Control. But note, this software is not designed for manual focusing of a ZD lens. True manual focus mode with Studio II Camera Control requires rst setting "Manual Focus" in My Mode, and then calling up My Mode in Camera Control. The E-410 does not have the My Mode feature.
Large Magellanic Cloud: One of the Milky Way's closest neighboring galaxies.Visible only in the southern hemisphere, it appears as a faint 'cloud' in the night sky. 72 x 1min exposures, ZD 35-100mm lens at 100mm, f2, 800 ISO
iii. Olympus lenses for astrophotography
I have used various ZD lenses, an OM lens, Tamron and Rubinar mirror lenses, and even a Mamiya medium format lens for astro imaging.
Photographing stars is probably the most severe test of lens quality. Those pin points of light will show every bit of coma and chromatic aberration in the lens. Barrel or pincushion distortion is not normally an issue. Absolute resolution is also not as important as eliminating coma and CA. The 35-100mm ZD lens is very nice, even at f2.

Live view is particularly recommended for exact focusing of this lens though, as a little CA can be seen, at f2, if the focus is not set perfectly. Often, stopping down the lens will reduce coma and CA to an acceptable level, although for the faint nebulae this is counterproductive. They require as much light as possible hitting the cam-

era sensor.

Generally the most expensive lenses will give the best image, although in my opinion the best value-for-money 50mm lens is the OM 50mm f1.4 with a serial number greater than 1,100,000. Stopped down to f2.8 it is very good, and at f4 it is superb for lack of coma and CA.

iv. My set-up

As mentioned previously, my tracking mount is the cheapest I could buy, a Konus for $250 US new. The guide camera was also the cheapest I could buy at $220 US, and my guide lens was already in my kit. I made a camera platform out of plastic coated composite board. I'm sure the plastic coating gave it stiffness far greater than a metal
plate, and was easier to drill too. I made wooden U-shaped brackets to support the end of the lenses, and prevent swivelling, snugged down with elastic bands. The small white scope in the picture is an 8 x 50 nder scope, cost $70 US, used for roughly pointing the system at the target. The picture shows an OM-1n camera but only because my E-500 was used to take the photo.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance from John Minnerath in preparing this article, and for supplying the section on telescopes, and for the image of his (very large) telescope. All images are copyright to Alec Kennedy, except for the image of the large telescope which is copyright to John Minnerath.
About the authors: Alec Kennedy is a retired electrical engineer, now living in a remote rural area of New Zealands Far North, where the air is clean and the skies are clear (sometimes). He has dabbled with a variety of lm cameras for the past 50 years. His rst digital camera was the Olympus E-500, bought early in 2006, and he started applying it to astrophotography shortly after that. He freely admits that the more he practises, the luckier he gets. John Minnerath is a retired mechanical engineer, living in the mountains of Wyoming. Photography has been a hobby for 50 years or so, with his favorite subjects being wildlife and astrophotography. He is an avid ysherman, building many ne rods in search of the big one that got away.
Astrophotography DIY: With basic equipment and some time spent with the night sky you can capture some great images. MEMBER'S WORK JULY/AUGUST 2008