Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm F4-5.6

[Robiro]

After buying my Pana 100-300mm on a secondary market, I soon learnt why it was offered on ebay. My particular copy will not accept any CPL filter. It will not focus properly witha CPL filter attached to it. I tried many, none worked.

Here is a typical example:

With CPL:



A few seconds later without CPL:





Believe me, it is no shutter shock or photographer error. My 100-300 will not focus properly with a CPL attached to it. Tried hundreds of times with multiple CPLs that work perfectly fine with my other lenses.

I learned to live with this limitation but I don't know what I will be telling the person I will be selling this lens to when the time comes.

 

[alcelc]

How about any filter, like an UV one?

 

[bigley Ling]

Just curious. What improvements would you suggest? I'm pretty happy with the current version.

Here's my list…

• Better overall image quality.
• Sharp throughout its range.
• Sharp wide open.
• Better build quality.
• Smooth zoom ring action (current one is noted for roughness).
• Include a tripod collar (it costs $100 to get a third-party one from Germany)
• 100-400mm f4

I find the image quality of the existing 100-300 to be very good already. Have you noticed otherwise?

I frequently shoot with my 100-300 wide open and get very descent results for a large tele zoom.

It's a good lens for the price, it's just that I'd prefer something better. It really needs to be set at f7.1 and left there, adjusting shutter speed and ISO as necessary.

I agree, the build quality could be improved, give us weatherproofing

Oooops, forgot about weathersealing. YES!

I already have the tripod color mod which I purchased second hand for a much lesser cost. It is the best 3rd party accessory I think I have ever used.

Yeah, the Rösch Feinmechanik tripod collar is an excellent and worthwhile addition.

hmm 100-400mm f4 would be nice, but then the lens would not be as compact as a 100-300. I think that can be best suited for another lens option, rather than a replacement for the 100-300.

Yes, a higher quality 100-400mm f4 would be bigger and heavier, but I'd be willing to fork over more money and lug it around for a marked improvement over the current 100-300mm. There would be absolutely no reason to stop selling the 100-300mm either.

A better 100-300mm f4 plus a teleconverter 1.4x or 2x… usable with ANY M4/3 lens please!!!!… would be a good alternative. The lens would be smaller, lighter and cheaper than a 100-400mm and the teleconverter would give it (and like I said ANY M4/3 lens) the extra range that many of us crave.

hmm, as well as having a pany 100-300, I also have the Oly 4/3 50-200 and EC-14, and that gets maximum focal length of 280mm f4.5 with the teleconverter. Is that closer to the lens you were wanting? The IQ of this lens is remarkable wide open, and focus works great for both focus acquisition and and tracking as long as you use it on an Olympus E-M1.

The Oly 50-200mm wouldn't do it, especially having to get a bunch of stuff to make it almost where I'm at right now with the 100-300mm. Something longer than 300mm would be ideal.

true but at least these lens is exceptionally sharp wide open, and f4.5 is quite a bit faster than f5.6 on th pany 100-300. Also this lens is fully weathersealed.

 

[bigley Ling]

my 100-300 works perfectly fine with a UV filter. Have not tried a CPL with it though.

 

[Robiro]

How about any filter, like an UV one?

It will focus fine with a UV filter.

But when I attach a varianble ND filter.... a disaster. Totally blurry.

 

[pede59]

Just curious. What improvements would you suggest? I'm pretty happy with the current version.

I think that the biggest weaknesses of the lens are

- manual focus ring is terrible. way to hard to turn

- AF is too slow

I think both should be possible without increasing size and prize.

I think given the price and size the optical quality of the lens is acceptable but an improvement in that area is always welcome. Especially at the long end (that is where i use it mostly)

 

[tinpusher]

After buying my Pana 100-300mm on a secondary market, I soon learnt why it was offered on ebay. My particular copy will not accept any CPL filter. It will not focus properly witha CPL filter attached to it. I tried many, none worked.

Here is a typical example:

With CPL:



A few seconds later without CPL:



Believe me, it is no shutter shock or photographer error. My 100-300 will not focus properly with a CPL attached to it. Tried hundreds of times with multiple CPLs that work perfectly fine with my other lenses.

I learned to live with this limitation but I don't know what I will be telling the person I will be selling this lens to when the time comes.

I put the top image through FocusMagic to correct for Motionblur 090 degrees/7pixels as the shutter speed seemed slow.

I use my copy at AirShows and always handheld and generally get sharp images ; in fact it's now just about the only time I use m4/3.

Here's typical sharpnes at 286mm

 

[jeffharris]

How about any filter, like an UV one?

It will focus fine with a UV filter.

But when I attach a varianble ND filter.... a disaster. Totally blurry.

What brand filters are you using? Brand X?

I use a B+W UV filter and a B+W polarizer filter (not at the same time ;-) ) on mine with no ill effect.

BTW, what's a CPL filter?

 

[jeffharris]

After buying my Pana 100-300mm on a secondary market, I soon learnt why it was offered on ebay. My particular copy will not accept any CPL filter. It will not focus properly witha CPL filter attached to it. I tried many, none worked.

I learned to live with this limitation but I don't know what I will be telling the person I will be selling this lens to when the time comes.

I put the top image through FocusMagic to correct for Motionblur 090 degrees/7pixels as the shutter speed seemed slow.

I use my copy at AirShows and always handheld and generally get sharp images ; in fact it's now just about the only time I use m4/3.

Here's typical sharpnes at 286mm

Great shot!

Here's a B29 I happened to catch one day while out on my terrace in New York City! I was messing with my GH2 and 100-300mm, heard strange airplane engines, looked up and snagged for a few shots. I was so excited I forgot to zoom, so it's at 100mm.

Converted from a RAW file, no sharpening or anything. This was before I learned the f7.1 trick for the 100-300mm. Sometimes it's great just to get the shot!



Full-sized JPEG


100% Crop

 

[alcelc]

How about any filter, like an UV one?

It will focus fine with a UV filter.

But when I attach a varianble ND filter.... a disaster. Totally blurry.

What brand filters are you using? Brand X?

I use a B+W UV filter and a B+W polarizer filter (not at the same time ;-) ) on mine with no ill effect.

BTW, what's a CPL filter?

Dear Jeff, a Circular Polarizing filter. It seems lately Robiro should had problem of blurry images on using ND filter instead of CPL(?). Strange enough....

 

[alcelc]

[No message]

 

[jeffharris]

Thanks. I was just so happy to be out with my camera at the right time.

One time I was biking down the Hudson River, heard engines and looked up to see two P-51s and a B17 flying up the river… low, maybe 500 feet! Of course, NO CAMERA. Luckily I managed not to crash as they flew by.

 

[Owen]

Can you tell me of your experience and your opinion of this lens? I am considering whether I should buy it or not. I have read a number of reviews, some of which say the lens is unacceptably soft beyond 250mm, while others say it is too soft at any length. I expect to use it for a little birding, and explore what else it might be good for. I have a Nikon 300mm f4 which I enjoy, but nothing in my MFT kit of a similar focal length.

Why not just use the Nikon 300mm with an adapter on your m4/3rds camera? It has to give you better quality shots than a zoom lens.

Owen

 

[Robiro]

How about any filter, like an UV one?

It will focus fine with a UV filter.

But when I attach a varianble ND filter.... a disaster. Totally blurry.

What brand filters are you using? Brand X?

I use a B+W UV filter and a B+W polarizer filter (not at the same time ;-) ) on mine with no ill effect.

BTW, what's a CPL filter?

Dear Jeff, a Circular Polarizing filter. It seems lately Robiro should had problem of blurry images on using ND filter instead of CPL(?). Strange enough....

Gradual ND filter are basically two CPL filters on top of each other. Total disaster for my 100-300, which can't tolerate single one.

 

[Hen3ry]

Love your "so excited I forgot to zoom", Jeff. Been there, done that, got a whole collection of the t-shirts! LOL.