DPReview.com is closing April 10th - Find out more

New Oly 100-400 at the zoo

Started Oct 25, 2021 | Discussions thread
skysurfer5
OP skysurfer5 Senior Member • Posts: 1,124
Re: The 100-400 at relatively slow shutter speeds
2

Without question, the 100-400 is not the best birding lens in MFT.  The 150-400 is a full stop faster at maximum focal length and I suspect it focuses much quicker as well.  However, in good light, I can see the 100-400 doing a decent job with flying birds.  Since I am not a birder (I just play around with it from time to time), I think spending 20% of the cost of the 150-400 to get a lens this good is a screaming deal.  On the other hand, I would not turn down a 150-400 if someone gave it to me.

BTW, the purpose of my macaw experiment was to see how slow I could go handheld with stationary or nearly stationary objects.  What I found was that down to 1/100s at 400 mm, the combo of IBIS and Lens IS made almost everything a keeper unless I messed up.  Slower than that required better technique (like bracing my elbows on my knees).  Down to 1/30s, my keeper rate was no worse that about 2/3.  I didn't try anything slower.

One final thing I neglected to mention:  while looking at the elephants I got try out the weather sealing on my 100-400.  Yep, it rained maybe three dozen drops over a two-minute period.  Came through with flying colors. 

-- hide signature --

'Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?'
…Winston S. Churchill

 skysurfer5's gear list:skysurfer5's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 Pro +20 more
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum PPrevious NNext WNext unread UUpvote SSubscribe RReply QQuote BBookmark MMy threads
Color scheme? Blue / Yellow