[t0ny]

I got to fly in a B-25 ( photos here ). And it is so loud in the B-25 if you were standing next to someone and screaming they would not know it. It has two 1,850 hp engines!
Any ways my camera during the flight a few times the auto focus would not work. But it still took pictures as if it was. And normally it would know. It got so bad it was not even trying, but after I turned it off then back on it worked fine for a while. Once I was back on the ground I did not have a single problem.

Any ideas what was going on? Thanks.

[shuttertalk]

Wow, that's awesome! How did you manage to score the flight?

Regarding the AF problems - perhaps the camera was being tricked by the glass canopy? i.e. it could be trying to focus on the glass while you're trying to focus on the landscape behind it?

[t0ny]

I was shooting out of a plexi glass window and a hole in the side of the plane. Here is pictures of the hole here and here. The second photo it has the plug in it.
Any ways it was having the same problem in both locations.
My camera only once tried to focus on the glass its self.

I got to go up in it because I volunteer at the Warhawk Air Museum and I work my butt off .

Thanks for the help.

[NT73]

USM being affected by the engine/prop whine/vibration.? Just a suggestion.

[Toad]

Good also be that the heat fronm the engines confused th auto focus...

[t0ny]

The engines don't have that much heat. I can't see any blur from them at all.

[shuttertalk]

Hm... now I'm inclined to go with NT73's theory about vibrations... maybe..

Or maybe because up there, the camera's trying to find a subject, but everything would be too far away. Maybe try locking focus to infinity or shooting in landscape mode or something...

[matthew]

Olympus's lenses use conventional motors, not USM ones. (some Sigma USM lenses are available for 4/3, though.) I have to admit that I'm completely at a loss as to why the camera would behave differently. My SWAG answer would be that it's trying to do its thing, but failing - missed focus points, locking on the wrong thing, lack of contrast... Olympus isn't known for fast focusing, but it's usually dead on. But, none of these things are problems that would be unique to the aircraft environment. So I'm wondering (still SWAG) if maybe the piston engines are creating some sort of electromagnetic interference?

[NT73]

Just a thought.
1.Piston engines themselves create mechanical vibrations.
2. Noise is sound waves (vibrations) carried in the air.
3. The props create vibrations.
4.The wings and rudder surfaces create vibration. (makes you wonder how they fly?)
Vibration affects focussing.

Maybe a combination at a certain pitch or speed affecting the lens's ability to focus correctly.
It is still only a suggestion. I am no Einstein, although e=mc squared.

[t0ny]

Just a thought.
1.Piston engines themselves create mechanical vibrations.
2. Noise is sound waves (vibrations) carried in the air.
3. The props create vibrations.
4.The wings and rudder surfaces create vibration. (makes you wonder how they fly?)
Vibration affects focussing.

Maybe a combination at a certain pitch or speed affecting the lens's ability to focus correctly.
It is still only a suggestion. I am no Einstein, although e=mc squared.

My thoughts too. Is there another ccd sensor for focusing? How does it work?