Olympus E-M1 Firmware Update Resets All Of Your Settings; Don't Forget To Reset Your Image File Numbers

Wagon Wheel and Cactus (click to enlarge)

A week ago Olympus publically released a major firmware update for the E-M1 and the E-M5II.  If you haven't already installed it and don't already know, when updating the firmware in your Olympus M4/3 cameras, after the update is complete you will find all of the cameras settings reset back to default.  I don't know why Olympus' procedure requires this, but I know when updating firmware in my Nikon cameras and my Fujifilm cameras, my settings are not returned to default.  But that is neither here nor there, the fact is the change in settings is going to happen.  So, you need to be prepared and do something about it before you update.

Before installing the update, I suggest you either write down your settings or make a small JPEG image of each menu screen before commencing with the update.  That way, you have a reference point to which to refer before you lose all of your many, many, many settings. I wrote a blog post and listed all of my settings that you can find here.  I have now changed a couple of them but that is just how things evolve with usage over time. Most are still the same.  If you haven't written yours down, these might be a good starting point for you for reference.  One additional thing—in the new firmware some of the menu items are now located in different menus, so that just complicates things.

Oh!  One more thing that you may find helpful...

That is to reset your image file numbers, whether or not you use the default file names or you customize your file names.  The firmware update will set your file names back to 00001 as though you just bought the camera.  If you just start making images, you may create duplicate file names and/or numbers.  Also, if you do use a custom file naming scheme, that too will be lost.  I customize my file name for each camera I own so I had to rename both my Adobe RGB and my sRGB file names.  I leave my image files in numerical sequential order, so I had to fix that issue as well.

Here is how I do it:

I go into the menu and rename my file names under the File Edit menu.  

Then I go into my computer (Lightroom) to find the last image I made with my E-M1 and transfer that image back onto a memory card that has at least one E-M1 created image already on it.  If you try to transfer an image to a freshly formatted card, you will find no file structure and the camera will not recognize it.  After inserting the memory card, delete any other image file from the card and just leave the one you just transferred to the card.

If you insert this memory card into the camera which now contains the last image you made before the firmware update, the next image you make will follow along in that sequence and you won't have duplicate files.

For example, I rename my files, as an example, such as this:

M10000 (you want to rename both Adobe RGB and sRGB options)

The last image I took before I upgraded my firmware was M108565

If I copy that last photo back to my memory card, then the next photos I take will be M108566, M108567, M108568, etc.  

If I don't copy the last photo, the firmware update reset the camera as though no images have ever been taken and your image files will start all over again at 0000, which then would duplicate all the image files you have already made.

Clear as mud?  I hope not.  Good luck!

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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