Settings guides · night & astrophotography · Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
Best Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV settings for night & astrophotography
Night photography is about gathering scarce light without ruining the shot. On a tripod you can use a long shutter and low ISO; for stars you balance a wide aperture, a high ISO, and a shutter short enough that the stars stay points. Here it's tuned to the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.
Recommended Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV settings for night & astrophotography
Tuned for your Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
- Reach: its 2× Micro Four Thirds crop turns a 300mm lens into about 600mm of reach — a real advantage for night & astrophotography, though it narrows your wide end.
- Clean ISO: modern Micro Four Thirds bodies like the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV stay usable up to about ISO 3200 — cap Auto ISO there so your shutter stays fast without over-cooking noise.
- Autofocus: use C-AF with a zone or tracking area, and drop to a single point when it keeps grabbing the background.
- Stabilization: the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has in-body stabilization, so you can handhold a few stops slower for static subjects (and turn it off on a tripod).
Set up your Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV for night & astrophotography
- Back-button focus: assign AF to the AEL/AFL button (Button Function) and set focus priority.
- For action: use C-AF (or C-AF + TR tracking).
- Eyes & animals: enable Face/Eye priority and subject detection (OM-1).
- Burst: use Sequential High — or ProCapture to pre-buffer the moment.
Exact menu wording can vary by firmware.
Why these settings
There's very little light, so you spend a tripod and a long shutter first, keeping ISO low for a clean file. Stars are the exception: they move, so the shutter is capped (the '500 rule' — 500 ÷ focal length ≈ max seconds), which forces a wide aperture and high ISO to make up the light.
Common mistakes
- Leaving autofocus on and getting a whole card of soft frames.
- Too long a star exposure, turning pin-point stars into trails.
FAQ
What is the 500 rule?
Divide 500 by your full-frame-equivalent focal length to get the longest shutter (in seconds) that keeps stars as points. At 20mm that's about 25 seconds.
What ISO for the Milky Way?
Usually ISO 3200–6400, paired with the widest aperture your lens has and a shutter set by the 500 rule. Stacking frames later cleans up the noise.
Does the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV have good autofocus for night & astrophotography?
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV can handle night & astrophotography well if you use C-AF (continuous AF) with a tracking or zone area and keep your shutter speed high.
Is the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV good for night & astrophotography?
Yes. With the settings above and its Micro Four Thirds sensor (2× crop for extra reach) and in-body stabilization, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is well suited to night & astrophotography. Dial the settings in for your exact lens with the coach.