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

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Jessops Care & Protect offers accidental damage protection and (after the manufacturer’s guarantee has ended) breakdown cover for your selected item, and it is provided by Domestic & General Insurance PLC. Center Valley, PA, August 4, 2020 – Olympus is pleased to announce the M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS lens, an ultra-compact, lightweight super-telephoto zoom lens that covers a broad telephoto focal length of 200-800mm equivalent1 and is compliant with the Micro Four On an APS-C camera, like a Fujifilm X mirrorless model, or a Canon EF-S DSLR, a 100-400mm lens will provide an effective focal length of 150-600mm. On a Micro Four Thirds camera from Olympus or Panasonic, meanwhile, a 100-400mm will provide a considerable focal range of 200-800mm, allowing for impressively long-ranged shooting. lens hood). Olympus say that this is due to making room at the base of the lens for the optional 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.

We test lenses using both real world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. We find the combination of lab and real-word testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics. Before I get into more detail about … well, fine details, I’d like first to mention a few points about the nomenclature. When chatting to my photographer colleagues about their lens capturing sharp, detailed photos, I often come across two statements. Colloquially speaking, they are expressed as “ it’s clear as mud” or “ it’s razor-sharp“. I’d like to expand this range a little, and similarly expressively, I’d describe it as follows: “ clear as mud”–“ meh”–“ so-so”–“ just peachy”–“ razor-sharp“. Personally, I think that the amount of sharp in-focus details M.Zuiko 100-400mm captures is very good for its class, range and price. You are sometimes tempted to expect more, because looking at the photos themselves they are surprisingly very sharp and clear. But when you compare it with a photo taken for example with the aforementioned Olympus 300mm/ 4 IS, you can find that there can be even more sharpness and fine detail captured. This is perhaps due to the absence of a micro-detail the latter is blessed with. Anyone who’d expect that for half the price the amount of fine detail of this lens would be the same as with a prime 300mm lens will be disappointed due to unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, this lens gets pretty close. But as I said, in my opinion, the sharpness scale has many more variables than simple ‘mud’ or ‘razor-sharp’, and I really think that the 100-400mm doesn’t have to be ashamed of its performance at all.

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We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 100mm, ISO 1600, f/5, 1/13s, handheld Centre sharpness is average at 100mm and slightly disappointing at longer focal lengths. It's the same story when it comes to corner sharpness, which is acceptable at 100mm and 200mm, but rather poor at 300mm and longer, regardless of the chosen aperture.

Just to show you what I mean by lower sharpness with the MC-14, this is a photo of a Goldeneye Drake with the teleconverter attached. It does show a loss of fine detail around the beak and eye which made me think there was minimal gain to be had from using it. I'm tempted to hire/buy/obtai Given the fact that this 100-400mm lens includes many of Olympus' top amenities and features, such as several high-performance optical elements, IPX1-rated weather-sealing and being one of the few Zuiko lenses with optical image stabilization, it's surprisingly not designated as a "Zuiko Pro" lens like the 300mm f/4 or the upcoming 150-400mm. When asked about this, Olympus didn't provide a definitive answer; the image quality, as I'll discuss later more, is certainly not a differentiating factor here. What we were told, however, is that the lens didn't get the "Pro" moniker likely due to its variable aperture design. To date, all Zuiko Pro lenses have a constant aperture design, so that answer certainly makes sense. I have a question though regarding the MC-20 - is it worth getting to allow me to get closer to some of the more timid birds, or is it a step too far? I'm guessing F13 will involve a noticeable decrease in sharpness because of diffraction, plus I understand that in anything other than bright light I'd need a monopod. I have taken many successful images with this lens which has performed better than the equivalent Lumix lens. The Lumix lens is hard to use due to a stiffish zoom ring. It is also not as sharp and cannot be used with some of the cameras features.

Mute Swan, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 400mm, ISO 250, f/6.3, 1/1600s, handheld The original Nikon AF lens relied on an autofocus motor in the host camera, coupled via a screw-drive mechanism. It was actually one of Nikon’s slowest lenses in terms of autofocus performance, and made autofocus completely unavailable with cameras like the D40, D3xxx and D5xxx series. Some MFT users may prefer the greater flexibility of the Panasonic lens, but if you're using Olympus cameras, this M.Zuiko lens will probably provide a better overall user experience. Still, the MFT system is designed to let you craft your own setup, so ultimately it's down to you which lens feels best! At high ISO settings you’ll see little fine detail, due to the effects of noise. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, 100-400mm at 400mm, 1/1000sec at f/8, ISO 12,800 With IS enabled on both the lens and the body, you'll see stabilization benefits from both components: yaw and pitch stabilization from the lens and roll stabilization from the IBIS (as far as we know and according to the specs, X- and Y-shift correction from the IBIS doesn't seem enabled or available with the 100-400mm). Should you want, you can also enable or disable IBIS or Lens IS separately, and to turn IS off entirely, you need to switch it off on the lens and in the camera.

I don't know, but I think it's possible. The sensor is moving in the camera to compensate for the motion of the camera, but a bird floating in the water is moving as well. I wonder if there are circumstances where the sensor motion combined with the motion of the subject act in such a way as to increase blur, at least at long focal lengths. Weather-sealed construction guards the lens against dust and moisture for working in harsh environments. Just to show you what I mean by lower sharpness with the MC-14, this is a photo of a Goldeneye Drake with the teleconverter attached. It does show a loss of fine detail around the beak and eye which made me think there was minimal gain to be had from using it. I'm tempted to hire/buy/obtain an MC-20 though to see if this combination would be better than cropping alone however.Zoom Precision– Olympus has a much smoother and more precise zoom performance. When twisting the zoom with two fingers on the Panasonic, the values skip over the entire range. Secretarybird, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 314mm, ISO 250, f/7.1, 1/320s, handheld The 72mm filter thread does not rotate on focus, which is good news for users of polarisers and graduated neutral density filters. It uses 21 elements in 15 groups,including four Extra-low Dispersion (ED) lenses for suppressing colour bleeding, two Super High Refractive Index (Super HR) lenses, and two HR (High Refractive Index) lenses. Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS (400mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO400) (Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World) Key features