This document is a work in progress. Please don't rely on it.

The Olympus E-30 has a plethora of settings, many of them poorly documented. I'm keeping this page for my own benefit to describe the base settings I'm using, and why.

Autofocus

1. Focus mode. This can be changed by the AF button on top left. Use S-AF+MF for most things, MF when I don't want to be disturbed.

2. Focus mode mode (page 95 of manual)

   • MF: mode3 (perform single AF when the AEL/AFL button is pressed.

   • S-AF and S-AF+MF: mode2 (press shutter half way to focus, all the way to set exposure).

   • C-AF and C-AF+MF: mode1. I don't know why, since I don't use this AF mode, and it's not the default.

3. Autofocus sensors: “Five sensors” mode, which can alternate with “all sensors” mode in autofocus modes (in MF it can still autofocus in the “five sensors” mode). The centre point can be changed by the wheels (rear wheel: vertically, front wheel: horizontally).

4. AF setup: Spiral.

Exposure metering

1. ISO sensitivity: 200, fixed. Can be changed via the ISO button (behind shutter release).

   This used to be 100, but various reviews suggest that the camera works better at default 200/24° ISO.

2. ISO Step (Custom Menu 1/E): 1 EV.
3. Flash exposure compensation: 0 EV. This used to be +0.7 EV, but that was with different flashes.

Flash

• Flash popup: disable.

• AF illumination: On. This works in combination with disabled flash popup to only work when I ask for it by popping up the flash or putting one in the shoe.

• : On. This flashes whenever the internal flash is popped up, or when an external flash is connected. The manual calls this “fill-in” flash.

• (exposure compensation for flash): +0.7 EV. This is the same as on the E-510, and it applies both for internal and external flash.

Miscellaneous

• Image resolution: raw.

• Viewfinder: Live view boost on (Custom Menu 1/D).
• EV Stem (Custom Menu 1/E): 1 EV. This isn't ideal. I really wanted 1 EV for shutter speeds and ⅓ EV for aperture. As it is, I can't get exact exposures in manual mode, but going from 2 s to 1/4000 s is too painful otherwise.

• Wheel direction: Moving the touchable surface of the wheel to the right increases the values. I think this is the default.

• Self-timer

• RESET LENS: Off. This function returns the lens focus to ∞ when you turn the camera off. Not what you want if you're using manual focus.

• USB MODE storage. This allows the camera to appear to the computer as a mass storage device.

• LEVEL GAUGE On. It's not clear to me (yet) why this should be turned off.

• File name (Custom Menu 1/H): Auto.
• Edit file name (Custom Menu 2): Set first character to 5 (sequential number of this camera).

• (add normal exposure compensation and flash exposure compensation): ON.

• Sequential control. Olympus doesn't have a name for this, which isn't surprising, since it includes three unrelated functions: multiple exposures, self-timer and remote control. I normally have it set to remote control without delay.