Olympus 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS Field Test A portable & powerful super-telephoto zoom for the wildlife and nature enthusiast

Still, it's a pretty compact affair for a lens that spans such a vast focal range, especially if you're coming from the world of DSLRs!

A ZERO (Zuiko Extra-Low Reflection Optical) coating has been applied to individual elements to minimise lens flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color fidelity when working in strong lighting conditions. At Jessops, we know how easy it is to accidentally drop or damage things and then have the inconvenience of finding the cash for a replacement. The TG-6 is now discontinued and has been replaced by the upgraded TG-7 version which will be supplied instead. I am wondering if you noticed any loss of image quality on the Panasonic due to it being used on an Olympus body. I have a Panasonic 100-400 and plan to use it on an Olympus OM-D E-M1 ii body. Seeing that the 2 image stabilization systems do not work together, which should I have on? The lens or the camera or should I have both on? Fortunately, if you're photographing mostly static subjects, Olympus' excellent image stabilization really helps, allowing you to use surprisingly slower shutter speeds (even at super-telephoto distances) and still come away with sharp, blur-free images. That said, the 100-400mm aperture range makes this approach quite difficult; by limiting my high ISO level, shutter speeds were often very slow, especially when shooting at 400mm f/6.3, making blurry images due to camera shake a common frustration. But, if you're patient and steady with your hands, you can you get some good shots, even in lower light situations.

Teleconverter– Olympus is compatible with TC 1.4x and TC 2x. Panasonic does not allow you to connect any TCs at all. Secretarybird, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 314mm, ISO 250, f/7.1, 1/320s, handheld Granted, it's got a maximum aperture of f/5, as opposed to the Panasonic which tops out at f/4, but it's got impressive weatherproofing, and its compatibility with Olympus's 2x Teleconverter MC-20 and 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 means you can extend that colossal reach even further! The optical formula features some of Olympus' best lens technology, including four Extra-low Dispersion lenses (to suppress color bleeding), and two Super High Refractive Index lenses and and two High Refractive Index lenses for edge-to-edge brightness and clarity across the full zoom range. The Google Pixel 6 may not be the latest Google smartphone any more, but it might still be the best value

First impressions

Weatherproofing: IEC Standard publication 60529 IPX1 (applies when the lens is used with Olympus splashproof Body) / Dustproof construction The IBIS on the body and the IS on the lens can be used independently. If you keep both active, the roll axis is combined with pitch and yaw on the lens. Although this means that sensor and optical stabilisation can work together, it is far less advanced that what Sync IS does where all the axes on the sensor shift are used. With IS enabled on both the lens and the body, you'll see stabilization benefits from both components: yaw and pitch stabilization from the lens and roll stabilization from the IBIS (as far as we know and according to the specs, X- and Y-shift correction from the IBIS doesn't seem enabled or available with the 100-400mm). Should you want, you can also enable or disable IBIS or Lens IS separately, and to turn IS off entirely, you need to switch it off on the lens and in the camera. But I was less happy with the images I got in even moderately low light, where the requirement for very high ISOs means that it’s difficult to capture much in the way of fine detail. How much this will matter to you depends on how you assess your files: if you demand sharp, noise-free results at 100% onscreen, forget about it. But if instead of pixel peeping you view the image as a whole, you might well be rather happier. OM System/Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS: Use with teleconverters Although Olympus does not call the M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS a macro lens, you can at least fill the frame when shooting at 400mm, with a maximum 0.57x magnification rating and the ability to focus at 1.3m/4.27ft away from the subject. Bokeh

Switching to the MC-20 is definitely a step too far. It does provide ludicrous reach, and at full zoom you can almost fill the frame with the moon. But the lens becomes extremely difficult to handle, and the tiny aperture means there’s precious little fine detail to be seen. As it turns out, ye cannae change the laws of physics. OM System/Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS: VerdictThe OM System/Olympus 100-400mm f/5-6.3 is much larger and heavier than the Panasonic 100-400mm f/4-6.3 on the left it has been to sporting events, the lens has been bumped around, and it has been clanged into at a zoo, and the Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 IS just brushes everything off.” Brett Day – Gear Editor

Azure Bluet, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 400mm, ISO 500, f/6.3, 1/400s, handheld Just to show you what I mean by lower sharpness with the MC-14, this is a photo of a Goldeneye Drake with the teleconverter attached. It does show a loss of fine detail around the beak and eye which made me think there was minimal gain to be had from using it. I'm tempted to hire/buy/obtain an MC-20 though to see if this combination would be better than cropping alone however. Weighing in at about 1.4kg with the tripod mount and hood attached, and measuring over 20cm in length, this is one of the largest and heaviest Micro Four Thirds lenses. As a result, it feels distinctly front-heavy even on high-end Micro Four Thirds cameras. Just to show you what I mean by lower sharpness with the MC-14, this is a photo of a Goldeneye Drake with the teleconverter attached. It does show a loss of fine detail around the beak and eye which made me think there was minimal gain to be had from using it. I'm tempted to hire/buy/obtai

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS Aperture range

Despite producing the relatively small image circle used by APS-C format cameras, the lens is about the same weight as competing Canon and Nikon full-frame compatible lenses. Thanks to the APS-C crop factor, the effective zoom range is boosted to 150-600mm and you can bump it up even more with one of Fujifilm’s 1.4x or 2x tele-converters, albeit with a loss of one or two f/stops in aperture width. 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. I know I am not taking this seriously? Well it's a pointless question to be honest, there is NOTHING wrong with it as it wouldn't have been released! There is no downside apart from the obvious that's more money than most of you expected (covered above).