mferencz
Leading Member
Has anybody ever attached their M 4/3 camera to a manual focus telephoto 300mm or longer lens? If so how were the results? Were there any issues or concerns that developed?
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Long Tele Manual Lenses
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Alan_W1
Senior Member
Ive been using an MF 400mm f3.5 for a couple of years with my gh2, and have only good experiences with the combination.
I do need to use a sliding plate on my tripod head to balance the set-up, as the gh2 is lighter than my dslr, but the EVF is excellent for critical focusing when zoomed in.....if the situation allows the time {although not as good as my dslr's optical viewfinder, for full frame focusing}.
I do need to use a sliding plate on my tripod head to balance the set-up, as the gh2 is lighter than my dslr, but the EVF is excellent for critical focusing when zoomed in.....if the situation allows the time {although not as good as my dslr's optical viewfinder, for full frame focusing}.
baxters
Veteran Member
Depends on the lens. If it's a Spiratone 400mm f6.3, you will look pretty dangerous with the rig but you might have been better off cropping something off the kit lens.
Joel in Goe
Active member
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I just got a 300mm M42 mount lens (from Weltblick) for my EPL3; it's fun, but in fact less sharp than cropping my native 14-150 to the middle. So not really useful, though I don't regret spending the €17 
I would be interested in knowing what long teles are actually sharp enough to be worthwhile, given that I have the 14-150?
I would be interested in knowing what long teles are actually sharp enough to be worthwhile, given that I have the 14-150?
MatsP
Senior Member
And a Canon FD 800mm F/5.6L is on the way. That's going to be a new learning curve. The one used the most there is the Canon FD 500mm F/4.5L. I can successfully hand hold that for BIF's at 1/3200 and ISO 200 wide open at F/4.5. All are extremely sharp on both the NEX and G2
All the best and they do get used a lot ;-)
Danny.
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Birds and macro. NEX and m4/3
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www.birdsinaction.com
LincolnB
Senior Member
Yes on the G2. Now used on the NEX-7. The real advantage here with the NEX is focus peaking, real focus peaking which is adjustable in colour and contrasts. The G2 was fine on static birds or pre focused, but frustrating for birds in flight. So on a G5, OMD, GH2 / 3, etc, they are fine and work well with static subjects. Its something you need to be stubborn with, it does become a lot easier in time. Practise, practise and then practise some more.
The only less expensive lenses I would suggest is Canon or Nikon. Canon FD "L" and the Nikkor AI "ED" are excellent optics. I think Jeff uses a Nikkor 300mm AI ED lens in here, darn fine lens at that.
I do use quite a few long fast lenses on the NEX and they were used on the G2. Canon FD 300 F/2.8L, 500 F/4.5L, Sigma 500 F/4.5 APO and have a Canon FD 800mm F/5.6L arriving soon.
In real terms for IQ, you generally get what you pay for. If its serious, I wouldn't expect to pay less than $500 - $600 US for a good quality long fast lens of around 300mm. I don't actually own any AF lenses at all and I would like to keep it that way
http://www.birdsinaction.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzmacro/
That's a mix of NEX-7 and the G2 with long fast MF lenses
Danny.
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MatsP
Senior Member
It's all good. It does depend where you are as well. I've seen shots for bird shooters in Florida and they can get ridiculously close to birds ( I'm a little jealous, LOL), here in NZ I can't. Some in Florida are so used to humans you can reach out and touch them, crazy stuuf and I've seen shots of photographers within 1-2 meters of a Heron and Egret. Here, maybe 20 meters and that makes all the difference in the world to a shot. So I do need the longer focal lengths here.
Longer reach at 300mm, I would save up the extra cost and go for a Canon FD 300 F/4L. Its in the middle for cost, but worth saving for, for bird shots on m4/3.........IMO. Around $600 US I would consider an excellent cost for what you are getting in optics for birds. We are all different though and I realise that. Might sound a little snooby and I thought so as well at one time, but that "L" does make a mountain of difference when it comes to IQ. Better than Sigma APO's when it comes to CA. Nikkor ED, another excellent series of lenses.
All the very best and hope it all works out well for you. It is fun for sure
Danny.
I've used a number of manual focus lenses - among the longer teles, the ones that seemed worthwhile were the Olympus OM 300mm f4.5 and the Tamron 60-300/3.8-5.4 zoom (with an extraordinary 1.55:1 macro capability at 60mm as a bonus!). I also tried some of the manual 300/2.8's, but they were just too awkward to manage and I ended up stopping them down to get good sharpness.
There are also a couple of Tamron mirror lenses that are great for a lightweight long kit: the 350/5.6 and the 500/8, if you want to go really long and can manage the unique bokeh!
There are also a couple of Tamron mirror lenses that are great for a lightweight long kit: the 350/5.6 and the 500/8, if you want to go really long and can manage the unique bokeh!
That surprises me. Yes they are awkward to balance for sure, way too front heavy for hand holding, but possible with the faster shutter speeds.
So I take it those 300 F/2.8's were Tokina, Tamron or Sigma ??. The Canon is outstanding wide open and that's what it was built for. Stopping down on that lens actually does very little IMO. Interesting and I'm pretty sure Matt in the NEX forum uses his Nikkor 300 F/2.8 wide open as well.
All the best and you are right, they are not a nice balance hand held, the 500 F/4.5 is the total opposite, beautiful balance.
Danny.
Jeff Semprebon
Active member
I have used both the Tamron SP 60-300mm 3.8-5.6 (with a cheap Chinese Canon-knock off tripod ring on a AD2 -MFT adapter tube) and a venerable T-mount Soligor 350mm, both with home-made shoulder stocks. The Soligor is surprisingly light, a good match for the E-P1 for squirrels and chipmunks, IF the light is sufficient.
I have used the following on my OM-D with great success:
Olympus OM 350mm f2.8 + 1.4X yielding up to 980mm on the OM-D
Vivitar series 1 120-60mm f5.6-8.0 yielding up to 1,200mm on OM-D
Zoomar 1,000mm f5.6 yielding up to 2,000mm on OM-D
It's one of the reasons I bought the OM-D, with it's body contained IS system.
The various combinations of lenses and adapters give me a broad range of focal length capabilities.
Texsport
Olympus OM 350mm f2.8 + 1.4X yielding up to 980mm on the OM-D
Vivitar series 1 120-60mm f5.6-8.0 yielding up to 1,200mm on OM-D
Zoomar 1,000mm f5.6 yielding up to 2,000mm on OM-D
It's one of the reasons I bought the OM-D, with it's body contained IS system.
The various combinations of lenses and adapters give me a broad range of focal length capabilities.
Texsport
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I inherited a leica 280mm/f2.8 and a 560mm/f5.6 with 1.4X and 2.0X which I have been playing with. It's been frustrating although entirely an issue of "operator training needed". I've been using them on an E-P3 which I'm planning on upgrading to an OMD. Hoping to be used to the whole thing for a trip to Africa in a year or so. One problem I've had is switching between magnified focus and back; I haven't come up with a reasonable way to do it that works for me, and I can't reasonably achieve sharp focus without the magnification. I'd be interested in how others deal with this. I would like the magnified focus to revert to normal view on a half shutter press, rather than having to press a different button again; but I don't see a way to force that. The extremely shallow DOF doesn't leave much room for error.
LincolnB
Senior Member
That was the difference between my Olympus E-P1 and my Panasonic G2 and G3. The E-P1 required a second button-push to cancel the magnification while the G2/G3 cancels the magnification with a half-shutter press.
tedolf
Forum Pro
Not too hard to use with monopod. Need tripod (good one) for Moon shots.
The hand held shots are tough:
cost about $75.00.
TEdolph
mferencz
Leading Member
Glad to see your back Tedolf, this place isn't the same without you.
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