OM-1 settings for landscape and long exposure photography

This is a companion to my settings for birds in flight (which are shown in detail here, and here). This time it’s my settings for landscape and long exposure photography. The OM-1 is an extremely sophisticated camera, with 400-500 settings that can be changed, and a multitude of computational features. These can all be saved into 4 custom settings, typically one for each major genre. This enables the OM1 to be fine-tuned for very efficient photography workflows across a whole range of photo genres like BIF, landscape, macro, astro and street.

It’s the combination of advanced computational features and flexibility that makes the OM1 punch well above its weight for long exposure and landscape work. IMHO, it is the equal of bigger but dumber full frame cameras, and I own one of the best, the Nikon Z7. In the eight years since these features were first introduced in the EM1 Mark II, I have developed custom settings that exploit all the power of the system without the need to dive into menus.

The problem for me, and I suspect many other photographers, is that months can go by where I don’t take a landscape photo. Then, when I go out with the camera, I cannot remember how I set up the system, and the camera doesn’t tell me much either, as most of the key settings are buried in the menus.

To help me remember, I have written “cheat sheets” for each genre. The info is in a word file, and formatted in A5 size, so it can easily be read on a mobile phone. Before I start taking shots, I have a cup of coffee and scan the cheat sheet to refresh my memory about what the buttons do, how the camera is set up, and how to take shots. I have a set of 5 cheat sheets (one per genre) for the OM5 and the OM1. It occurs to me that these cheat sheets might be helpful to other OM1 photographers. Below I provide the information for landscape and long exposure. I also provide the actual settings files so you can install this setup as a custom setting on your OM1.

Update: March 2025. To my surprise this post is receiving a large number of views, and is one of the most popular posts on the site. The cheat-sheet and description were orginally rather cryptic and desgned just for me. I have updated the descriptions and explanations below quite a bit now so that they are hopefully easier to understand.

Who are these settings for landscape and long exposure for?

If you are happy with running the OM1 in aperture priority without computational features, and living with the occasional blown-out image or unrecoverable shadows, this is not for you. I would argue that you are wasting the core benefits of the camera, but you are in good company – simple aperture priority is how most landscape photographers shoot.

These custom settings and workflow are oriented towards getting the absolute best from the most difficult scenarios – long exposure shots, and high dynamic range situations. Using the workflow to its fullest extent will get you shots that have equal or better DR than a full-frame camera, and as much resolution as you need.

These settings are for people who want to use everything the OM1 has to offer, but have struggled to make it all work, or even remember how it works. Because you can do so much in landscape with the OM1, this cheat sheet is far more detailed than any of the others, like BIF, There is a huge amount of experience and technique built in here. Even if you don’t use all the settings, you might use some, and the thinking behind them may be of interest. I particularly recommend you look at the notes at the end of the cheat-sheet for tons of useful tips.

For the most part the settings are designed for tripod-mounted shots, with a remote shutter release. Despite being a great fan of the image stabilisation of OM cameras, I find that for serious landscape work a tripod is almost always needed. Because I assume a remote release, there is no 2s shutter delay for single shot in the settings. I also leave the IS on for tripod work. So hand-held shots do not involve any change in the shutter settings.

I also use Thomas Eisl’s data and methodology for exposure. This is laid out in note 6 below.

To understand the LE tables, read this post

Blimey, this all looks really complicated

That’s because it is complicated. Mind-bogglingly so. But the complexity is all in setting it up, and understanding what the camera does. Along with the cheat-sheet file for your phone, I have provided install files for the landscape/LE custom setting on your OM1 (Mark I or Mark II). You can install just this single custom setting via the OI share phone app or OM workspace on your PC (save your existing settings first if you have any).

Once the camera is set up, all you need to do is follow the cheat sheet recipe for each specific scenario. Then 90% of the complexity goes away, and you can start making difficult long exposures or high dynamic range landscape shots just by using custom buttons on your OM1 and following the recipes. I would argue that without this kind of customisation, it is almost impossible to use all the OM1 features. But with it, you just select the right tool for the scene.

If you intend to use the settings

I occasionally make minor changes to my settings if I find a better way of doing something, but it may take a while for them to filter all the way through to the data files on this page.

The landscape settings are documented in 4 places: the cheat-sheet in this post, the cheatsheet file for your phone, the spreadsheet file, and the settings file. Keeping 400-500 settings in sync across all four places, multiplied by 5 genres and three cameras (OM-1 Mk 1 and II, and OM-3) is very time-consuming and complex.

In general, the cheat-sheet text in this post will get changes first, but you might find that some of those new settings in are not reflected in the other files.

Please ensure that all the settings work the way you want, and are consistent between cheat sheet and camera. I suggest you practice first to iron out the kinks, before going out in the field to take live shots.

The files

Below I provide the MS Word file for the cheat sheet, the configuration files you can install on your OM1 Mark 1 or Mark II to get exactly the same settings, and finally the link to the giant spreadsheets of all settings for these cameras.

And below is the cheat sheet for both models. One major tip – read the notes at the end. There is a huge amount of potentially helpful information buried there. Note: the cheat sheet assumes this custom setting is on C1, but you can put it on any custom mode you wish.

Landscape and Long exposure cheat sheet for the OM1

Before Shooting

Set lever to Position 2 (front dial shutter speed, rear dial aperture), see note 1 below. Recall the landscape custom setting into main memory, see note 5 below. Make sure IS, HDR, BKT, LND, NLV are off on the monitor (will be off by default).

Buttons:

• Hi-Res: record button (top left display indicator on monitor)
• ND: +/- button (top left indicator)
• HDR 3×2 Upper front button (top left indicator)
• Focus bracket: lower front button (bottom centre indicator)
• GND – OM1 Mark II : “View selection” button next to menu button (top left indicator). Set GND location with up and down arrows, then return to shooting screen by pressing button again. Turn off by long pressing the button.
• AF-on: AF-on
• IS: on by default (note 8) but if necessary use manual switch on 12-100 and 40-150 or SCP.
• Night LV: ISO button (green bottom centre)
• Spot metering: AEL button (bottom left indicator) see note 6
• ISO: multi-way right button
• Drive mode: multi-way bottom button
• Focus point size: multi-way left button and front dial
• Focus home: joystick button
• Menu: trash button/menu button

Settings

Exposure:

• Mode: Manual, 
• WB Auto, 
• ISO 200
• Aperture 5.6, SS 1/400s. Single shot silent. 
• Hi-res shot: 12-bit (14-bit not supported ATM with On-1 Photo Raw). 2s delay.
• Default metering: spot.  Metering via AEL button: spot shadow. ESP/Matrix via Super Control panel (SCP)
• Histogram is set to 245/10 vs default of 255/0, and JPG set to muted. This is to gain more realistic histo and display per Thomas Eisl.

Focus:

• SAF: focus area default: small (4 dot), every other point spacing. Home AF by pressing joystick: single (1 dot), every dot spacing. 
• SAF release priority on. 
• AF by half pressing shutter button: off (see note 2). 
• MF with Clutch on.

Other:

• NR auto for mechanical, off for silent shutter (see note 4). 
• Monitor to 0,monitor info: default appearance: level, light/dark blinkies, histo, press info for clear.
• EVF style 1, default appearance, info:  light/dark, histo, level only, press info for clear. 
• SIS off. Save to slot 2 (see note 3). 
• Focus beep off. 
• Live time interval 15s. SIS on (see note 8). Hi-res set to 14-bit 50MPx (=Nikon Z7).

ND tables for LE

“Long” ND filter tables for urban rivers and lakes and flat seas (stacked single filters)

“Short” ND filter tables for waterfalls and sea flowing over rocks (variable ND filter)

Procedure

Tripod long exposure for 1-2m using Bulb/Live time with physical filters on.

Basis for exposure is Thomas Eisl DR range of -3 to + 2.5 for normal shots and -4 to + 2.5 for HDR shots

• Exposure for single shots: set mode to C1
  • Normal dynamic range/resolution. Locate spot meter on max highlight area and ensure exposure is +2.5-3.0. Then locate spot on darkest area and if exp is no lower than -3, take shot.
  • High DR/resolution: If shadow is lower than -3 (i.e is flashing), consider THR or LND shot. Set Highlight exposure to +2.5, and use AEL to meter shadow. If shadow exp is no lower than than -4.5 you are good to go. For LE of water, If a up to a 60s exposure of the entire scene will do, then that’s all.
  • If it is a very high DR scene, and horizon is flat (ish) e.g. sunset with dark foreground rocks and very bright sun, on OM1 ii take 3 stop GND shot. Exposure can be up to 60s (but bulb mode not available). Again if 60s will do for LE, then that’s all
• Exposure for layered shots with separate layers of sea, sky, rocks, and LE times greater than 60s. Set mode to M (note 5).
  • Spot meter for sky and take shot – up to 30s if wanted
  • Spot meter rocks/structure and take exposure
  • Then, without filters, spot meter water, and adjust FNo and ISO to get an exposure time of 1/10, 1/60 or 1/640 in Manual using Electronic shutter for a 2m exp (for explanation of table see note 7 below)
  • Refer to “long LE” table above
  • Clip on ND filters from table and run 15s exposure for 1/3 across the histogram (see below).
  • Make any adjustments that might be needed.
  • Switch to Live time which defaults to mechanical shutter with NR. Make sure shutter speed ISO are the same as test shots. Take the full 2-minute shot .

Tripod LE fast water 1/5-1/8s exposure

• Use the “short LE” table above to determine the ND needed for 1/5s. Try to get to 1/160s (or 1/320s with a polarizing filter).

• The ideal shutter speed for an OM1 is 1/160 or below, as you can then use the 5 or lower stop Live ND filters to obtain a shutter speed of 1/4 second.
• If it’s a bright day, and you require 1/320th s, then slap on a polarizing filter to reduce the light by a further stop, so ND 32 will still be right.
• There are few situations where you will want more of an ND filter than 5/6 stops as the specular highlights of the water in super bright conditions will probably blow out the white water exposure.

Standard landscape on tripod.

• BKT, HHHR, LND, NV off – check screen display.
• If bright day and using monitor, then turn monitor brightness up to plus
• ISO to 200, Aperture to f5.6, adjust SS to get exp to right of histogram and over/under blinkies in balance
• Touch screen to select focus point or focus with AF on button. Check focus if necessary with manual focus clutch.
• Expose with shutter button (2s timer) and/or remote shutter.
• If High DR scene,
  • For single shot, with some movement in the scene, use GND
  • For layered shot with movement, use HDR 3×2 (upper front button)
  • For single shot, no movement in scene use LND 64 (see note 10)

Standard plus focus stacked and/or light point selection C3

• Auto: press focus bracket button (front top)  – may need to set up first with rear dial
• Manual: touch to focus on 3 to 4 points from front to back of the scene. Focus with AF on button, then expose.
• For light point selection, set metering to spot and touch on areas as the light hits them. Focus with AFL button, then expose.

Handheld Landscape

• BKT, HHHR, LND, NV off – check screen display.
• Check IS on (SCP or lens switch)
• ISO to 200, Aperture to f5.6, adjust SS to get exp to right of histogram and over/under blinkies in balance
• If long shutter speed, turn on handheld assist
• Use AF via AF on button.
• For extra DR, use LND 32
• For extra res plus DR use HHHR or THR shot.

Dark scene C3

• If dark, press NLV (ISO) button, possibly also turn down monitor brightness
• Compose shot with NLV
• If exp under 60 seconds do test shot and correct as necessary
• If very dark, and ISO is too high for normal exposures up to 60s switch to bulb/live time. Use table above to calculate bulb time.

Handheld LE (1/8 waterfalls or fast sea 1/8) with live ND

• Make sure IS is on
• press live ND button (top front), and rotate back dial to choose ND level
• Set shutter speed to 1/8, and adjust aperture ISO and ND to get correct exposure.
• repeat at 1/ 4 and 1 /13 and choose desired water appearance

Handheld LE C4 (1/8 waterfalls or fast sea 1/8) with filters

• Attach VND
• Set drive to silent sequential
• Adjust to get 1 / 8 at F4/ ISO 200, ensuring with ETTR
• Take 1-2 sec shots to select best appearance later

Notes

1. Across all my custom settings, the function lever in position 1 has shutter speed on the front dial and exposure compensation on the back dial, and in position 2 has shutter speed on the front and aperture on the back dials. Position 1 is used for birds in flight and street so that you can rapidly adjust exposure compensation if the bird is overexposed or underexposed. Position 2 is for all other situations including landscape and also to preset the aperture for position 1. For Landscape and manual, the ISO is set to 200 by default. For BIF and street, the ISO is set to auto-ISO by default.

2. For landscape manual focus to be effective, the shutter button is set up so that once manual focus is carried out the camera does not refocus when the shutter button is pressed to take the shot. To do this, AF menu/1/”AF by half pressing shutter”, is set to “No” for SAF. SAF is available via the AF-on button for when autofocus is required.3.

3. I always keep a high-speed 64G card in slot 1, and a slightly lower speed 256 GB card in slot 2. For Landscape and Macro, where the capture rates are low, I save to card 2 by default. I rarely reformat the card, and just use it without checking for months at a time. For BIF and street, where the frame rates are high, I save to the high-speed card, and usually take the card out, and transfer the files and reformat every shooting day.

4. Noise reduction cannot be assigned to a button and is not accessible from the SCP. Doing LE test shots is therefore extremely tedious since either you have to delve into the menu to turn NR off or you end up doubling the time for every test shot. However, it is possible to have NR on for mechanical shutter and off for silent/electronic (see below). All bulb modes default to mechanical shutter but my Landscape custom mode is set to silent. Hence it is possible to test the exposure in silent shutter without NR, but then switch to Bulb/Live Time which will always have NR on.

Here’s how it’s done. Make sure that Camera menu 1/7/”Silent settings” is set to noise reduction off, but that Camera menu 1/3/”Noise reduction” is set to auto. That way, silent shutter has no noise reduction, but mechanical shutter (which is used automatically and by default in bulb) has noise reduction.

5. My landscape custom setting is C1, so it is right next to Bulb mode on the mode dial. Switching between them is a single click. However, the B modes inherit the camera settings from the M mode, not from the Custom modes. As a result, aperture and ISO will change when switching from C1 (test images) to B (final LE shot in live time). I frequently got wrong exposures when switching from C1 to B.

The way to handle that is as follows: before starting, call the Landscape custom setting into main memory, so all the custom landscape settings are in place on the manual/M setting. Then switching between M and B does not change the settings. The test and background (sky/rocks) shots can be done in M mode with no NR. Then switch to B for the water shot, and the Live time time results (with NR) will be exactly as in the test shots.

6. Re Thomas Eisl dynamic range charts, my aim for a normal 20mpx shot is to get exposure in the green range and avoid black/red at all costs, i.e -3 to plus 2.5. To be sure need to use spot metering instead of ESP.

For High-res the Dynamic range is increased but only in the shadows. Headroom is reduced in the highlights

For HR shots, -4 stops is fine. However, the metering system only handles +/-3 stops. To get to -4 stops I have spot shadow enabled with AEL, which biases the meter by -3 stops.  This setting can be found in Camera menu 1/5 “metering during AEL”.^

7. I use two ways of finding the correct exposure for ND filters.

Accurate way: Use the table. It shows what ND filter to attach for the required exposure time. For example, let’s say I want a 2-minute exposure, and it’s a bight day. Without ND filters on, adjust the aperture and/or ISO so the shutter is 1/640. Then ND 16 is required for a 2m shot. Slap on the filters and take the shot in live bulb mode. If it’s a duller day and you need to go to 1/60 shutter speed, then you need ND 13 for a 2m shot. The table also provides data for 30s to 6 minutes.

Quick way: It turns out that with the ND filers on if the histogram reaches about one-third of the way across after 15 seconds, it will be correctly exposed after 2 minutes, so a quick test exposure on electronic shutter (and therefore without noise reduction) with the above settings of 15 seconds will enable you to quickly find the exact aperture/ISO. I use this as a quick check in live time to see if the table was right. If the exposure is about 1/3 along the histogram, I let it continue. If it is way off, I kill the exposure and adjust.

Using only the quick way, you have to try different combinations of ND filters, ISO and aperture to find the one that gives a 15s exposure. With experience, I can often guess this quite quickly. At night it’s much harder to guess, so I use the table instead. If it’s really dark, you don’t need ND filters.

8. SIS is left on for tripod and hand-held shots. With most cameras, this is not recommended, but it is a good idea with the OM1. The OM1 techs say that in static conditions SIS has no effect on sharpness, but in windy conditions it can help with tripod vibrations. Hence, there is no button assigned to SIS. The handheld assist option is turned off by default as it is quite intrusive.

9. The OM1 Mark II has a computational graduated ND filter capability, to reduce the exposure in the sky for example. The advantage is that a high DR can be obtained with a single shot, and a wide range of shutter speeds can be used. However, for it to work well, it requires the light/dark boundary to be fairly straight. Otherwise, as with a physical grad ND, the filter will make dark areas even darker. The max effect of GND is 3 stops.

An alternative is to use normal ND, which at ND 64 increases the dynamic range by 2.5 stops from 9.5 to 12. This is as effective, and unless there is movement in the scene, more flexible for post processing.

10. With the f1.2 and f1.4 lenses in very dark or twilight conditions, metering starts normally with no numbers flashing. With the f2.8. or F4 lens the shutter speed number flashes. However metering still seems to take place and is fairly accurate.

11. Indicated dynamic range in the dark seems to be much worse than in the light with the same ISO, judging from the H/S blinkies. A scene taken in light conditions will show no or minimal H/S blinkies. The same scene taken in dark conditions with the same ISO but with a longer shutter time shows both light and dark blinkies flashing. My solution for this is to use exposure bracketing/HDR bracketing at night.