the e∙M1 is mine at last!

 

Yes, I've owned it for a month or more. No one threatened to take it from me, no credit agency repossessed it. But I finally found the secret to AF button programming as I wanted it, and had deemed lost by regressing from the mark-II body. 

Hooray!

Each camera change comes with new adjustments, whether a new brand or just a 'small' change in a same-brand same-model camera. The eM1.ii had several incredible features but included the flipout screen that I am .. not thrilled with. Other features I liked quite a bit, and a few others sounded promising. When the chance came to give an eM1.Classic a tryout I decided to let other expensive experiments go - and that included the mark-ii and two recently-acquired Four Thirds lenses.

With the 1.Classic I gained the tip screen that I prefer, lost a few Mpix off the sensor and the ability to  select manual lenses quickly from a personalized list. Beyond that I lost very little that mattered and gained more flexibility in the family budget. However, I also lost the ability to use a front-side button for autofocus. First encountered on the D600 and GX8, I found that location ideal for focus on demand - after all my fingers are already resting on the buttons, no groping across the upper-right side of the body for the AFL button (which is too far left on the 1.Classic for my pointer finger to reach easily). 

After shopping among other new bodies for that button assignment (which would again force a flipout screen on me) I decided to sit down and force the issue. At times I've found that some Olympus button assignments preclude assigning functions to other buttons, and it deserved my best efforts. I reset pretty nearly every function button to Custom-WB Set, then turned to the front two. 

And sure enough, I could now set AEL/AFL to a front button!

Once that was set up (I chose the lower front), it was time to reassign the other buttons. The assignments aren't quite as flexible as the mark.ii (especially the Multi-Function list) so I'll be revisiting the setup at some point. I like having some pairs of options (e.g. raw/jpeg and aspect ratio, peaking and magnify) handy and adjacent, but the superCP can take care of some of those items. Trial and adjustment is in order. 

Curiously enough, even with a front button set to AEL/AFL that function is still available to some rear buttons - and I'd swear that doesn't happen in reverse!!

I cannot bring myself to complain at this point. The one assignment that I once had and lost has been found again!