M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS, Super Telephoto Zoom, Suitable for all MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

Product Information

This product has been thoroughly tested by our team of photographers and we are happy to give a 6 month warranty as a result. If you need portability and telephoto pulling power, the Micro Four Thirds format is an appealing option. Generally, loons can be quite cooperative subjects and will often come up fairly close while I'm paddling. The super-telephoto focal lengths do, on the other hand, help create a shallow depth of field and good subject isolation, but given the smaller sensor area of Four Thirds and the narrow apertures of the 100-400mm, in many situations, you can't get that super smooth and "creamy" background blur like you could with, say, a 500mm f/4 or 600mm f/4 lens on a full-frame platform.

Once again, I'm comparing things to the Olympus 300mm Pro lens, but the side switches here with the 100-400mm are smaller and somewhat flimsier-feeling in that they are more easily moved by accident. For flowers, I found myself stopping the lens down to F10 to F14 since depth of field is so narrow when shooting so close. Another, albeit more minor, drawback to the 100-400mm's narrower aperture range is that it (along with the smaller Four Thirds sensor size) makes it more challenging to get a super-shallow depth of field look that is oh so enticing with classic wildlife photos. 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. In terms of features, the lens offers an IS switch for turning the 3-stop image stabilisation on or off and an AF/MF switch for selecting the focusing method.Excellent – The equipment should be close to being ‘Like New’ but there may be some small cosmetic blemishes that lower its grade.

Meanwhile, the Panasonic 100-400mm Leica was likely the most popular option for MFT shooters wanting a high-end super-tele zoom. I had no problem with zoom creep, but a switch allows locking at the 100mm position anyway, with a white inlay to show its status. There's no visible distortion or vignette in images, and the quality of the defocused blur is pleasing. IS lens from Olympus is an excellent addition for OM-D photographers, which offers a huge telephoto focal range of 200-800mm (35mm equivalent).Zuiko 100-400mm IS features a series of inner focusing lenses ensuring high speed, high precision autofocusing. I used the 5x5 focusing grid and was very pleased with how quickly (and accurately) the lens grabbed the little subjects. Switches: I don't use switches on either of the lenses, and I really wish I could disable them because sometimes they get knocked out of position. Once more, it was a battle to keep ISOs in-check while still having enough shutter speed to prevent blurring, and it was even more difficult with the longer focal lengths combined with even slower apertures. You'll enjoy the best results at f/8 and wider apertures—stopping down to f/11 and smaller nets softer, diffracted photos on Micro Four Thirds systems.