M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS, Super Telephoto Zoom, Suitable for all MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

Product Information

Zuiko 100-400mm tremendously, and it is a great lens to have if you intend to dive into wildlife photography, or shooting birds outdoor, but you don't want to immediately sell off one kidney to fund for the 150-400mm PRO. To check your lenses firmware version using your OM-D or PEN camera, go to MENU > Setup Menu (wrench icon) > Firmware and check the version next to Lens.

After catching my breath I carried my kayak into Muriel Lake and prepared myself to photograph some loons. But that was a mix of a) poor technique on my part, b) a LOT of wind the first days, making hand-holding tough and c) not adjusting SS due to worse stabilization.

In photography however, sometimes that planning has to happen very quickly otherwise you'll miss the shot. According to Olympus, the 100-400mm's lens IS is CIPA-rated for just 3-stops of correction, while the 300mm f/4's lens IS offers up to 4 stops by itself or between 6. The lens also has incredibly fast and reliable Autofocus performance, and I did test the lens on E-M1 Mark III, the accuracy is consistent, I had extremely high hit rate.

It was only until recently that Olympus introduced lenses with optical IS, and even then, they currently only have two other lenses with IS: the 300mm f/4 IS Pro and the 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro. Given the super-long focal lengths (not to mention when using the teleconverters) and dim aperture range, you really need some stabilization to properly hand-hold a lens like this and get usable shots. These bring extraordinary telephoto reach, equivalent to 1100mm and 1600mm at full telephoto, respectively.Still, it's a pretty compact affair for a lens that spans such a vast focal range, especially if you're coming from the world of DSLRs! There are three control switches on the left side of the barrel and a 'Lock' switch on the right side, which prevents the lens from being extended.

This is particularly so in good light and at relatively close range, where you can fill the frame with a subject without cropping, and aren’t affected by atmospheric distortion.Despite its relatively large size, I found the lens to be very easy to carry around, even for long periods. This minimum focusing distance is consistent throughout the zoom range and is not affected by the use of teleconverters. A Focus Clutch and a Focus Limiter allows switching between three AF levels according to subject distance providing quicker focusing and comfortable shooting even at super telephoto ranges. This performance makes it possible to zoom in close on subjects that are difficult to approach, delivering flattening effects for shooting which is unique to such a super telephoto lens.