Olympus Pen-EP2 - help! art mode blow out.

[Orangeina]

Hi - I recently bought the Olympus Pen-EP2 and I LOVE the photos. Do not own a DSLR - this is my upgrade from a Leica Point and Shoot.
Anyway, have been taking great photos with some of the art modes (Pinhole, Grainy B&W and Cross process). The B&W were definitely a little blown out when shot outdoors on a sunny day - but otherwise the photos have been amazing. Suddenly, though - every photo I shoot in the Art Modes in outside light is completely BLOWN OUT; The subjects have little or no facial detail, just bright bright, white and completely washed out. For example - yesterday I shot a baby in a stroller under an overhang at the museum - bright day, but we were in total shade - and the images shot with the Pinhole setting (usually gorgeous) are all blown out. However the images shot with the regular Auto/ i-enhance mode are completely fine. It is definitely only a problem in Art Mode mode.
I'm trying to figure out if I changed a setting or something, though I believe the art modes are mostly fixed as far as settings.

Would appreciate any suggestions if anyone is familiar with this camera or this issue. Thanks much! O

 

[Dao]

I guess the issue is....

- It could be that the pinhole mode use high contrast settings. (i.e. the camera will process the photos with a settings that boost the highlight and the shadow.)

- In some situations, when the scene is a high contrast scene already, using the pinhole mode will further enhance the high contrast scene. Bright objects become brighter while dark object become darker.

- In that case, you may not able to use that pinhole settings. Of course, sometimes flash may be helpful if the dark object is able to be lighten by the flash. (i.e. a person about 20 feet from you.)

 

[Garbz]

Not having a PEN myself do the Art Modes give you any kind of additional manual control?

You say Auto is fine, but when you switch to Art Mode do you get any special control over the shutter, aperture, ISO, or more importantly exposure compensation? I'm wondering if you somehow set one of these and it's remembered this setting?

Worst case all cameras have a factory reset option somewhere, check your manual to see if yours does.

 

[usayit]

mine is the E-pl1

exposure compensation is persistent across the P, A, S, and Art modes. Sounds to me like you have it set to over expose by several stops which explains why auto works fine.

worst comes to worst, you can reset the camera to factory defaults. At least on. my camera, the reset function is under "custom reset"

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I have an E-P1 (e-p2 w/o the viewfinder) you need to dial down your exposure compensation.

 

[Orangeina]

Not having a PEN myself do the Art Modes give you any kind of additional manual control?

You say Auto is fine, but when you switch to Art Mode do you get any special control over the shutter, aperture, ISO, or more importantly exposure compensation? I'm wondering if you somehow set one of these and it's remembered this setting?

Worst case all cameras have a factory reset option somewhere, check your manual to see if yours does.

Thanks for the suggestion. Will take a look.

 

[Orangeina]

mine is the E-pl1

exposure compensation is persistent across the P, A, S, and Art modes. Sounds to me like you have it set to over expose by several stops which explains why auto works fine.

worst comes to worst, you can reset the camera to factory defaults. At least on. my camera, the reset function is under "custom reset"

Thanks! Will take a look.