50-200 mm and em5

ian barker said:

Has anyone got any experience of the 50-200 mm ED lens coupled to the em5 with appropriate adapter.

Regards

Ian

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yes and on my experience I wouldn't recommend it, very slow to focus and hunted a lot (but excellent on the EM-1)

Hi Ian.. it hunts quite a bit before finding focus.. the more contrast on the subject the quicker it focuses, but its still slow..but useable. I have it set to af +mf in the menu..and if it starts to struggle i just mf. This is a lovely lens and a cheaper allternative & a longer reach to the m4/3 40-150mm f2.8.. tho' a good bit bigger & heavier. On my EM1 it is fast..due to the extra phase detect pixels...hope this helps

ian barker said:

Has anyone got any experience of the 50-200 mm ED lens coupled to the em5 with appropriate adapter.

Regards

Ian

Click to expand...

I had both the 50-200mm ED and 50-200mm ED SWD, and an E-M5 and E-M1. The non-SWD version focused faster than the SWD version on the E-M5, but slower on the E-M1. Both lenses, of course, were much faster on the E-M1 than E-M5.

So, I sold the non-SWD version; I don't use 4/3 lenses on my E-M5 because focus is too slow (even with the CDAF optimized lenses).

I just wish Olympus had kept some of the features of the non-SWD version (more compact lens hood, mount for ring flash). But the focus speed is the primary issue.

I would not recommend it if you want to shoot moving subjects. It is also rather large. But it will work with adapter and EC-14 converter as well. Better quality images, IMO, than the slower m4/3 telephoto lenses. But I would recommend saving for a 40-150 f/2.8 and TC-14; that is the best combination for E-M5.

The 50-200 SWD is an excellent excellent lens and if your not shooting greatly moving targets focus peaking works great with this lens.....

My 50-200 SWD took a tumble down a flight of stairs and the autofocus quit working so I have to manually focus it but with focus peeking this isn't such a drawback.















--
If it moves shoot it ;-)
eyespy.

I agree. Awesome on the EM-1

The E-M5 does not have focus peaking. You can use the Key Line art filter to simulate focus peaking. You can define a MySet with the filter active. But with the E-M5, that's a bit of a hassle because the function button switch to a MySet isn't a toggle; you have to hold the button down. I'd prefer using the Fn1 button, but that one is too hard to hold down. And I use Fn2 and Video for AF/MF and Magnify.

RANT: The E-M1 MySet switch is a toggle, the E-M5 is press and hold. Would Olympus please get their act together on user interface. And boy would I like a firmware update for the E-M5 to bring whatever can be brought up to date. Especially the planned customization of the SCP.

Yes and like the others, found the combination very hard to use. Not only is focus slow, in some settings it's incapable of locking on my target, picking a subject of its own preference. Similarly, the E-M1 cures those issues and the 50-200, either version, becomes a welcome addition to m4/3, especially paired with the EC14.

Cheers,

Rick

I "had" experience with that. I stuck a Pany adapter in the middle and didn't use it much. It was, in the new techie world we are in, slow. Now slow for one is not slow int he real sense, but it is slower and noticeable. Maybe half as slow, or 3 times sometimes. If you don't care about "slow", then do it, because the 50-200 is a great lens....on an E-1, E-3, E-5 or the E-M1.

As for handling, a bit on the front heavy side too compared to the older E-1 thru 5 series. Need to cup/hold the lens more that grip the E-M5. Back in the day you could hold the E-1 and cradle the 50-200, but on an E-M5 you need to hold the lens more.

In the end, it didn't take long to realize I would not be happy and ended up getting a good deal on the Pany 100-300 and went that route and have been quite happy. I do not have the "non-pro" Oly 40-150 R and like that as well as the Pany, as it is lighter and easier to carry when I don't need to reach as far.

Thanks guys, nice to have different perspectives.

So next question, does anyone know how it compares on the em1 to the e3

ian barker said:

Thanks guys, nice to have different perspectives.

So next question, does anyone know how it compares on the em1 to the e3

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Assuming E-3 AF is like the E-30 and E-5, SAF is similar, CAF is quite different. The focus point patterns are different and the PDAF array isn't the cross-point type as with the E-system. CAF isn't blazing fast but seems more accurate--I never trusted E-series CAF.

Overall accuracy in good light is very good but I see more misses as things dim. One big OM-D advantage is the EVF keeps me shooting in conditions too dark for the E-5.

Cheers,

Rick

ian barker said:

Has anyone got any experience of the 50-200 mm ED lens coupled to the em5 with appropriate adapter.

Regards

Ian

Click to expand...

Yep, it's a great lens IMO, slow to focus on the EM-5, though. EM-1 does MUCH better I hear.
By that time I had the 40-140/2.8, the son drives the EM-5


. . .BOTH straight OOC, no processing.