Olympus M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO Review - Review 2022

Photographers invested in the Micro Iv Thirds system, whether on the Olympus or Panasonic side of the contend, have a gem of a lens in the Olympus G.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO. At $two,499.99, it'south the virtually expensive lens available for the mirrorless camera organization, simply that doesn't mean it's overpriced. For your money, you get a long telephoto reach, ane:4.ii macro magnification, a strong image stabilization organisation, and a conditions-sealed design. For fans of telephoto primes, it'southward an first-class selection, and earns Editors' Choice marks.

Design
The M.Zuiko ED 300mm is a hefty lens at iii.3 pounds. It's too long—it measures eight.nine past 3.six inches (Hard disk) without the tripod collar attached. It's not a adept match for a small camera similar the Panasonic GM5, but it balances well with Olympus' top-end OM-D Eastward-M1 ($799.95 at Amazon) . The forepart chemical element accepts 77mm filters and the integrated, collapsible lens hood makes it easy enough to install or remove a filter.

There are a two switches on the lens—one to toggle the in-lens stabilization organisation and another to set the focus limiter function. You can set the lens to focus beyond its full range, from 1.4 to 4 meters, or from 4 meters to infinity. My field testing showed that using the limiter is fundamental to speed autofocus performance, to properly acquire focus, and rails moving subjects. When the lens is allowed to hunt across its full range it sometimes has a tough time locking onto afar subjects when paired with the East-M1.

Even with the limiter enabled, the E-M1 can struggle in busy scenes. A clutch system switches between automatic and manual focus—pulling the ring back switches to a transmission focus arrangement with solid tactile feedback, and pushing it forrad switches dorsum to autofocus operation. This function can salvage a shot if you lot're trying to pinpoint a discipline in a decorated scene. I found that pulling the focus ring back, getting my shot shut to in focus, and pushing information technology dorsum forward to autofocus allowed helped the E-M1 when it struggled with busy scenes with blank tree branches at varying altitude from the lens.

There's also an L-Fn button on the barrel; its office can be set via the camera trunk. The lens is sealed confronting dust and wet, then you can feel free to apply it in rough atmospheric condition. I used the lens on a cold, rainy night and information technology performed like a gnaw. The tripod collar is removable, and a beauty ring is included to cover the gap it leaves on the barrel if you choose to remove it. Only I preferred to leave it on, even when working handheld, as it makes a fine attachment indicate for a BlackRapid strap. The 300mm field of view is equivalent to a 600mm prime on a full-frame camera. That's a pretty long reach ideal for photographing both sports and wildlife. You tin can add the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital i.4x Teleconverter MC-14field of view to an 840mm lens on a full-frame system. The teleconverter is as well sealed against the elements.

Working with a tight, stock-still field of view can exist tricky. Information technology can be difficult to detect a subject with your lens that's hands visible to your eyes, but with some practice, information technology gets easier. I did detect myself missing the ability to zoom to a wider field of view, as I've get accustomed to with the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-half-dozen.3 DG OS HSM ($824.00 at Amazon) . I missed catching a shot of ii geese flying low and coming in toward me quickly when I had the lens and teleconverter combination mounted. At present, I'one thousand not saying that I would have gotten the shot with a zoom, but I would take had a chance.

If yous recall a zoom is a amend choice, Panasonic is releasing its promising Leica DG Vario-Elmar f/4-6.3 ASPH. Power O.I.S. ($one,799.99) soon. But it comes with some compromises. We don't know how its resolution compares with the Olympus 300mm, and y'all can wait it to capture roughly half the calorie-free at the 300mm setting due to its variable aperture design. That'southward a real business concern not only for light gathering adequacy, simply as well depth of field control.

While the 300mm can't magnify shut objects to the same degree as a true i:1 macro lens like the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro ($399.00 at Amazon) , information technology does focus quite close for a telephoto. It tin can lock onto subjects as close as iv.6 feet (1.4 meters), projecting them onto the image sensor at about one-quarter life-size (1:4.2). It adds some versatility, making it possible to fill up the frame with smaller subjects.

Image Quality
Normally we examination lenses using Imatest and a standard SFRPlus test chart. The problem with super-telephoto prime lenses is that you need to get far, far back from the nautical chart in gild to properly frame it for analysis. Our Manhattan offices don't let for that. I used a smaller ISO 12233 chart to visually analyze epitome shot with the 300mm lens paired with the OM-D E-M1.

At f/4 image quality is excellent, with even performance across the frame. I was able to visually identify distinct lines at the markings for 2,400 lines per picture that's visible on our copy of the chart. Color moiré gives the line pattern a colorful grid pattern at the more intricate 2,800 and three,000 lines blocks. There is a very slight softness at the edges of text and lines on our test nautical chart at f/4, simply identifying it required viewing images at two:1 pixel magnification. At f/5.6, those aforementioned edges are extremely well-baked, even when viewed at ii:1. Epitome quality is simply well-nigh the aforementioned at f/8, and some softness sets in (due to diffraction) at f/11. The sweet spot is definitely at f/five.half dozen, but actually, it'southward a slight advantage over f/4.

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I saw no evidence of color fringing or chromatic aberration in our lab tests, nor was information technology an upshot in the field, fifty-fifty in high contrast areas of the frame. Illumination, which I analyzed via Imatest using images shot through an ExpoDisc, is very even. At f/4, in that location is just a 0.5EV drop in illumination at the corners and sides of the frame—barely a business organization in the real world. From f/5.6 onward the illumination is dead even from border to edge.

Olympus cameras include in-body epitome stabilization as a rule. Its decision to besides include in-lens stabilization here turned some heads, but with an extreme telephoto lens like this one it'due south a good one. When paired with a body with stabilization, similar the E-M1, the 300mm'southward in-lens stabilization organization works in concert with the camera to provide 6 stops of correction. When used with a photographic camera that omits in-body stabilization, like those made by Panasonic, stabilization is limited to 4 stops. I was able to go the occasional sharp handheld shot at speeds as long as 1/6-2nd, but found that results were more consistently sharp at 1/15-second or shorter. Stabilization is too quite useful for video—the clip below shows several scenes with the IS enabled and i with it turned off and then you tin can become an thought just how important information technology is for recording moving pictures.

Conclusions
I have nothing notably negative to say about the Olympus Yard.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO. It captures crisp images, has an extremely constructive prototype stabilization system, focuses close, and is designed for all-weather photography The extreme telephoto reach is necessary for many types of sports and wildlife subjects, and the ability to pair with a one.4x teleconverter adds to its usefulness for those purposes. My primary complaint is that, when paired with the OM-D Eastward-M1, the focus organisation tin can occasionally hunt a chip. But that'south non a knock on the lens, and the focus limiter switch and manual clutch system are constructive in sidestepping the occasional focus woes.

The 300mm is the most expensive Micro Four Thirds lens out there, at least to this signal. Simply fifty-fifty at $2,500, it's a value when compared with similar lenses for other systems. Canon and Nikon APS-C shooters volition pay more for a 400mm lens to pair with an APS-C body, or a 600mm one for a full-frame body. And SLR owners accept to bargain with larger, heavier lenses when reaching these telephoto extremes—the Yard.Zuiko 300mm fulfills the promise of the smaller-sensor Micro Iv Thirds arrangement's ability to give photographers a lighter kit that doesn't skimp on image quality.

It would be tough to ask more of the lens. It is a prime number, and some photographers may prefer a zoom. At present, zoom lenses aren't without compromise—nosotros've not yet had a chance to review the 300mm's closest competitor, the new Panasonic 100-400mm f/4-6.3, which should be available for purchase shortly. Information technology adds the power to change focal lengths, and reaches a chip further, but is more than than a finish slower when zoomed in. If you think y'all'd prefer that versatility, at the cost of some light gathering capability and depth of field control, it'south worth it to wait and see how well the Panasonic zoom performs in the real world. But if you're shooting with a Micro 4 Thirds arrangement, and comfortable with an extreme telephoto prime, you'll notice the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO to be a phenomenal improver to your kit.

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Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/cameras/10798/olympus-mzuiko-ed-300mm-f40-is-pro-review

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