The best lens I have ever owned bar none

After a month of ownership, I thought a review might be in order. It's a long time since I have done one of these so bear with me if Its not as professional as some.

History: I have owned the Zuiko 70-300 and the Panny 100-400 and while both were excellent value for money, the 100-400 is in a different class. I am a specialist photographer in that virtually everything I take is related to my interests, so virtually all my pictures are of planes, birds, insects and a few trains, all of which have a habit of moving. I take some holiday snaps mainly with the Panny 14-140 which I really like but to be quite honest a P&S like my other half's TZ would serve me perfectly adequately. The Zuiko 70-300 suffered a bit from hunting and the 100-300 didn't hunt as badly but it did let me down sometimes with not locking the focus. The other noticeable failing of the 100-300 was that if I lost a moving subject, I could say goodbye to the shot. (more of that later).

Ergonomics and handling: It is not lightweight and people who think m4/3s is about low weight should stop reading now. After a month I have adjusted to the extra weight. I am using an Optech sling strap which definitely helps a lot. Much has been said about the stiffness of the zoom ring but I think mine straddles that too stiff/too loose thing just about right. I do find that it is very easy to move the lock ring and even a little movement is enough to add noticeable stiffness. There are 3 switches on the lens, I have Power OIS on all the time, even for fast moving subjects. I won't comment on it's effectiveness because IS isn't a big thing for me but I do see that stability in the viewfinder s very good. AF/MF is on AF all of the time. If I want MF I use the switch on the camera. I have accidentally switched the MF on a few times, creating panic while I work out why the camera isn't focusing. The full/5m limiter switch sounds like it would be good for someone like me but in fact because the focusing is just so damn good I have it on full all of the time. I have a GX7 and a G7 but the G7 was already getting most of the attention and bringing this lens on board has just added to that. The G7 and 100-400 are a dream team.

Performance: Well focusing with the G7 is just brilliant. A huge improvement over my previous lenses. I'm just about coming into my main BIF season but I have high hopes for it. Yesterday I was shooting fast jets. I would focus quickly but by far the best thing about this lens is I would lose the subject, defocus and if the subject remained in the viewfinder, I was refocusing in an instant. If you haven't experienced the downside of shooting like that it's hard to describe just how bloody fantabulous this is. Both my previous long lenses produced good results when they nailed the shot so what's different about this one? Well basic IQ is an obvious step up but it's what you can do after that matters. I am cropping and post processing with much greater confidence than before. I don't pixel peep but it is very clear once you start to play with the pictures that you have a huge amount more flexibility to fiddle and still be left with something worthwhile at the end.

I have experienced some back focusing issues. Initially with close ups such as flowers which I have largely overcome by changing the way I use focus boxes. I am still experiencing some back focus issues with BIFs especially against typically green backgrounds. It's probably reasonable to say that my previous lenses never showed this problem but that might well have been because they never nailed a difficult focus in the first place. I shall see how this goes over the next few months but at the moment it is no more than a slight niggle.

The 300f4 may still have the edge in IQ but I have to say it must be marvellous to better some of the results I have been getting. A fixed lens is very impractical for my shooting habits so it's not really a competitor for me at any price. In the last few days I have been shooting alongside 99% Canikon shooters and based upon what has been posted on line, I can hold my head up high alongside them

Summary: This lens puts m4/3s into a completely different ball game. If you shoot the sort of things that I do, sell your grandmothers jewellery to get it. It is heavy but not compared to any competition. It is expensive but again, is it really alongside comparable competition. I love it!

'll post a few shots but be warned , I am not interested in OOC results, these have all been processed and it's what I can do with a picture that matters much more to me than what the camera produces.

hand held 1/125 second

a very difficult bird to capture the texture

close up

and not so close up

Horse Fly, I'd have been pleased with that with a macro lens

nice light, good detail

What long lenses do best

Typhoon with full weapons load and you can see them all

F35, very fast and you can read Marines, very easily

Another oomphy shot

If i ever win the lottery!

Most excellent photography-- and I share your view about post processing-- very nice work.  And I'm really liking my PL 100-400 too.

JL

Beautiful images and a nice review. I agonized over which lens to own, the PL or the Oly, and finally decided on the 300 Pro. Lately, it has become clear to me that both are exquisite lenses, and a few times I have found myself wishing I was shooting with the more versatile PL. There certainly is little if anything to choose from in terms of  image quality.

Vesku wrote:

Interesting review. Do you know or can you test if the aperture changes smoothly in video recording when using shutter priority (S) in creative video mode. Panasonic says it can:

"The LEICA DG 100-400 performs smooth aperture changes in video to eliminate sudden jumps in exposure"

All my Panasonic lenses makes exposure jumps in video when the lens adjusts aperture in steps.

Sorry, I have no interest in video, I wouldn't know the rights and wrongs

I don't know, but the colors on most of those pictures look a bit cold, only the black bird looked neutral. But probably nothing to do with the lens?

All beautiful shots Trevor,

Your selection illustrates the lens attributes

very well,

katy

Brent Lossing wrote:

They are all great but that first, one for me, would just have me giddy with delight

It has really been fun watching you grow through the years - to end up here

Congrats on your happiness!

you got me thinking, just how long have I been here.  My first post was March 2006 on the Konica Minolta forum moaning because my Z6 didn't seem to be as good as my previous Z3.  Now on digital camera number 11.

Excellent images Trevor, the first one is magical.

Peter Del

doccy wrote:

Great review and pics. I remember when you were posting loads about not needing the 100-400 as you were getting good shots with the 100-300 Looks like you have fully come round!

One day i will have my lens. Ordered in Jan... still not delivered in July. I definitely picked the wrong shop.

Yes, I think it is fair to say that the initial reviews and samples which had a few of us hovering didn't do the lens justice.  It's been said many times but professional reviewers cannot use and evaluate specialist lenses.  Unless it's a clown and a martini bottle ,they should leave testing to the experts on the DPR m4/3s forum.

Wow!  All beautiful and nicely processed but that first one just blows me away. Absolutely gorgeous!  I know you were in a quandry over buying it but I'm glad you did and happy you're enjoying it so much.

Excellent review, Trevor, great supporting pix -- and now you have pumped up my GAS again!!!

As Katy and others have said, top, top pix but that first one is just plain lovely! Talk about a picture for the wall -- a picture which is an antidote for modern life. The first of the aircraft taking off pix stands out too -- really captures a feeling of brute force.

Now, a technical question, the horse fly. How did you get that magnification?

Love the moth and the horsefly!