Olympus 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS - my review

Very nice Petr.  These are impressive for the target audience. Olympus went all out with the feature set for this lens.

Sleepy Capybara wrote:

So my PL 100-400 is only 340mm on the long end. Reason enough for me to opt Olympus.

I was confused with that as well. It happens only at short focus distance about 3m. I did not tested where it turns to 400mm as for distant objects it was equal. Compared to Panasonic 200mm + TC 2x the difference can be also easily observed and both zooms are shorter than fix lens with TC. Again at the short distance objects. I am far from technical explananation, there must be some construction compromises by those zoom lenses. Just try Olympus once on market for yourself and compare results.

Thank you very much for this review Petr, I will certainly pour over your full res shots. As a long time user of the PL 100-400 the lens looks very similar optically, I shall await reviews of CAF and BiFs! A shame it has taken Olympus so long to bring this one out, it would have been nice to have had the choice back in 2017 when I got my panasonic.

I'm a little surprised by some of the negative comments on here and I for one really appreciated your side by side comparison with the PL 100-400- just what I was hoping for!

Thanks

Jo

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Auf Reisen wrote:

Amazing shots as always, Petr.

Do I understand it correctly that you are saying that this lens is not offering Sync-IS with Olympus bodies? Or that the Sync-IS did not work as well as other lenses? Could that have to do with this being pre-production?

It is not IS synchro lens at all. I thought it was just sample lens "feature" but it is not officially synchronized (don't ask me why 😂). Attached on E-M1 III or E-M1 X it is 7EV vs 7,5EV difference so not big deal at all. But yes, once IS on the lens, why not allow sychro...

Very interesting, as the naming says : M.Zuiko Digital ED 100–400mm F5.0–6.3 IS , which means that it is supposed to have IS - but maybe the sync comes only later in an FW upgrade for the cameras?

Jan

Thanks for the review, Petr.  I'm spoiled with the 300f4 so I will probably hold out for the 150-400 Pro lens, but this one looks much better for the current market than I could have hoped for.   Very encouraging to see Olympus release new hardware.  Maybe a substantial 1X firmware update is coming after all.   Best to you, and keep up the good work.

Joe

Dennis1972 wrote:

Photos look quite soft despite the small size you share.

Looks wayyyy over-sharpened as well.

Great photo nonetheless, but compromises and corners have to be cut on a "budgeted" 200-800mm f10 - f13 equiv lens.

Oh dear.
Time for a trip to SpecSavers, matey  

Very helpful review, Petr. Many thanks for the good work. 
Hope all’s well.

Auf Reisen wrote:

Auf Reisen wrote:

That is actually something I wondered about for some time now. It is common wisdom that lens IS is better than IBIS for long lenses. I wonder if that is just a relict from the times when other manufacturers had to defend the fact that they didn't have IBIS in their bodies or if there is something to it. Can anybody attest to that?

Gordon from cameralabs provides a very handy comparison of the lens on an EM1-II with IBIS/OIS off:off; on/off, and off/on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxXfO1uPVTA

In fact, this is the most comprehensive and useful review I have seen of the lens so far, do check it out!

Given that this lens might also drive down the price of the PL 100-400, it might be a very difficult choice. I do like the close-focusing performance of the Oly though. Then again, the PL is lighter. Hmmm.

Aren't the two lenses the same at 1.3m

Joe Lynch wrote:

Thanks for the review, Petr. I'm spoiled with the 300f4 so I will probably hold out for the 150-400 Pro lens, but this one looks much better for the current market than I could have hoped for. Very encouraging to see Olympus release new hardware. Maybe a substantial 1X firmware update is coming after all. Best to you, and keep up the good work.

Joe

Thank you, Joe. I fully understand your point of view. This lens is all-around midrange lens but very promising for upcoming 150-400 which I believe will be absolutely TOP in terms of sharpness and microdetail. And based on preproduction pictures it will also focus from 1.3m. In combination with announced Bird tracking I expect to be really interesting lens Just few corona more waves and it will be here

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Joe Lynch wrote:

Thanks for the review, Petr. I'm spoiled with the 300f4 so I will probably hold out for the 150-400 Pro lens, but this one looks much better for the current market than I could have hoped for. Very encouraging to see Olympus release new hardware. Maybe a substantial 1X firmware update is coming after all. Best to you, and keep up the good work.

Joe

Thank you, Joe. I fully understand your point of view. This lens is all-around midrange lens but very promising for upcoming 150-400 which I believe will be absolutely TOP in terms of sharpness and microdetail. And based on preproduction pictures it will also focus from 1.3m. In combination with announced Bird tracking I expect to be really interesting lens Just few corona more waves and it will be here

If it is an all-around midrange lens how would you say the Oly 75-300mm compares to it?

acfo wrote:

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Joe Lynch wrote:

Thanks for the review, Petr. I'm spoiled with the 300f4 so I will probably hold out for the 150-400 Pro lens, but this one looks much better for the current market than I could have hoped for. Very encouraging to see Olympus release new hardware. Maybe a substantial 1X firmware update is coming after all. Best to you, and keep up the good work.

Joe

Thank you, Joe. I fully understand your point of view. This lens is all-around midrange lens but very promising for upcoming 150-400 which I believe will be absolutely TOP in terms of sharpness and microdetail. And based on preproduction pictures it will also focus from 1.3m. In combination with announced Bird tracking I expect to be really interesting lens Just few corona more waves and it will be here

If it is an all-around midrange lens how would you say the Oly 75-300mm compares to it?

I don't know, never even hold in my hands

Petr Bambousek wrote:

acfo wrote:

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Joe Lynch wrote:

Thanks for the review, Petr. I'm spoiled with the 300f4 so I will probably hold out for the 150-400 Pro lens, but this one looks much better for the current market than I could have hoped for. Very encouraging to see Olympus release new hardware. Maybe a substantial 1X firmware update is coming after all. Best to you, and keep up the good work.

Joe

Thank you, Joe. I fully understand your point of view. This lens is all-around midrange lens but very promising for upcoming 150-400 which I believe will be absolutely TOP in terms of sharpness and microdetail. And based on preproduction pictures it will also focus from 1.3m. In combination with announced Bird tracking I expect to be really interesting lens Just few corona more waves and it will be here

If it is an all-around midrange lens how would you say the Oly 75-300mm compares to it?

I don't know, never even hold in my hands

Pity.

So do I get the Pana Leica 100 to 400 because it is smaller and lighter, the Oly 100-400 because it has a blue ring or do I get the 300f4 because of the IQ?

All this choice is making me crazy... maybe I should wait an see what the Oly 150-400 is like.