The lens has a massive focal length of 500mm (equivalent focal length of 1000mm) with the in-lens teleconverter applied. It is also fast at a constant f/4.5 maximum aperture, even at 400mm. The lens is compatible with Sync IS on Olympus and OM System bodies.

Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS (400mm, 1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO200) (Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World) Verdict Because most Micro Four Thirds lenses are manufactured by either Olympus or Panasonic, it’s tempting to compare the two brands. I really don’t think one is overwhelmingly better than the other. Some Olympus lenses outperform the Panasonic equivalent and vice versa. Other types of lenses are only made by one brand and don’t have an equivalent. Thirds System standard. This lens features the same dustproof and splashproof performance as the M.Zuiko PRO lens series, and when paired with the M.Zuiko Digital 2x Teleconverter MC-20, delivers up to 1600mm equivalent1 super telephoto shooting. This lens offers superior autofocus performance, even handheld, and in-lens image stabilization for the optimal shooting experience.Manual focusing is possible in a focus-by-wire fashion. This should not put you off using it as it feels pretty natural in use, and actually enables the camera to display a magnified view of the subject automatically, i.e. without you having to press a dedicated button or enter the menu. The focus ring is generously sized and more than adequate for the job. Zooming is not internal - The front extends considerably upon zooming to 400mm, extending from 20.5mm to reach nearly 25cms in length, at which point the lens cannot be considered tiny any more.

Despite being a mid-range lens, it boasts a myriad of professional PRO lens range features. At first glance and touch, it features very precise workmanship, an ArcaSwiss profile tripod plate, and absolutely silky-smooth running of the focusing and zoom rings. Both of these are also distinguishable from each other by touch thanks to the ingenious use of different types of non-slip rubber coating. The lens also shares extensive hermetic sealing on the entire lens barrel assuring the same level of dust, splash and freezeproof performance as the PRO series. Anyone who used Olympus lenses against the elements of unpredictable weather knows that these claims are not just plain words, but an actual guarantee of exceptional endurance during any environmental conditions. Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 100mm, ISO 1600, f/5, 1/13s, handheldVignetting is also very low for a zoom lens, again suggesting that maybe a fair amount of compensation is built into the system from the start. Aperture Compared with typical 100-400mm lenses, this Pentax sets its sights a little higher, with a 150-450mm zoom range. It gives you generous telephoto reach on full-frame cameras, boosted to an effective 230-690mm range on APS-C format bodies.

Tripod Mounting Plate– Olympus has a built-in rounded ArcaSwiss plate. It secures the lens better than a Panasonic square plate. Those higher-end options include the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO and the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7, which would be better choices for low-light photography thanks to the wider maximum apertures. You can also consider a prime lens if you want a brighter option, which I’ll cover next. We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm/ 5.0-6.3 IS will surely please those who are looking for an economically appealing telephoto solution with a wide focal range taking full advantage of all the possibilities the focal length of 200-800mm in conjunction with a short focusing distance of 1.3m offers. It is especially interesting thanks to its compact & lightweight dimensions of about 1.2 kg allowing you to make handheld photographs of a variety of motifs. It is particularly well suited for wide, open habitats where the minimum aperture of F/6.3 works really well. Shooting in short series and choosing the sharpest one of the lot worked well for me. If your photos require the same focal range but a higher standard of output quality, it might be worth waiting until the end of 2020, when a second zoom M.Zuiko 150-400mm/ 4.5 IS lens with a built-in 1.25x converter was announced to arrive on the market. But it will be quite a different story. The best Micro Four Thirds lenses are small, fast, and sharp. This is the beauty of the Micro Four Thirds format. There are so many excellent sharp, compact, and high-performing lenses available. Before getting to the best lenses, I want to highlight how Micro Four Thirds lenses are different from other lenses. Navigating the 2x crop factorThere are also a set of in-camera aberration corrections available with current and recent Canon and Nikon bodies, curbing peripheral illumination, distortion and lateral chromatic aberration. At the 400mm end, the angle of view is 3.1°, which is the same as that of a 800mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera. Alternative telephoto lenses in Olympus’ line-up include the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO lens and eye-wateringly good Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO. Both are more expensive, justifying their price increase with stabilisation and fixed aperture. However this Digital ED 100-400mm offers an excellent compromise between price and features, with a considerable cost saving over both of these other options.

I tried this with a few different focal lengths (which bumped up the aperture), and while it was still prevalent, it wasn’t as obvious an issue. Still, it’s something to keep in mind if you rely on focus and recompose like I do. The Olympus 100-400 is the lightest of the bunch except for the Sigma and Panasonic which don’t include a tripod mount in their weights. The Olympus 100-400 lens weighs 1,120g / 2.47 pounds without the tripod mount so it is still a little heavier than the Panasonic. Focal Length Range The lens is minimalistic and compact in design, featuring only a buttery focus ring and weighing 130 grams / 0.29 pounds. It’s built of 12 elements in 9 groups, including two extra low dispersion elements and one ultra-high refractive index element.

The Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS delivers 200-800mm of reach – but is its image quality as impressive?

Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS (400mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO800) (Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World) Performance Consequently, and unsurprisingly for a super tele, your technique will be critical in getting clean images. Tripod-based shots are obviously free from the perils of amplified camera shake, but shooting handheld will require textbook form to ensure sharp shots. Lab tests The lens also sin’t as sharp as the others in this list, but despite that, it’s sharp enough for everyday use. I’ve taken many of my favorite images with this lens, which speaks to its utility. The 100-400m lens features built-in image stabilisation worth 3 stops to help to combat camera shake, while 9 circular diaphragm blades give the aperture a rounded shape.