Olympus 500mm on the cards

[panamike]

https://www.43rumors.com/olympus-says-they-are-developing-a-new-500mm-mft-lens/

 

[Phocal]

So hope they make it f/4.0, not sure I would be a buyer if it’s anything slower.

 

[Holoholo55]

Seems to me that Olympus is focusing on the wildlife photography market with this lens. It's too long for sports. Really? Is there a big enough market to make it worth it? Even if this lens is half the weight and cost of a 35mm frame 1,000 mm lens, just how many wildlife photographers would ditch their 35mm frame systems for Olympus? I dunno.

 

[Holoholo55]

So hope they make it f/4.0, not sure I would be a buyer if it’s anything slower.

Canon, Sigma, and Sony have 500 f4s, so it should be possible.

 

[ac12]

I wish they would make an updated autofocus 500/8 mirror lens.
Maybe bump it up a stop to a f/5.6 lens.

 

[ac12]

Seems to me that Olympus is focusing on the wildlife photography market with this lens. It's too long for sports.

It would work from the upper bleachers or outfield bleachers of a major stadium.
I shoot high school baseball and softball, and from deep outfield (outside the fence), a 300mm still has a lot of dead space around the player.

You can shoot surfing. That has always been a tough sport to shoot, since they can be pretty FAR from you.

But this is a rather limited used of the lens, and I don't shoot enough to justify an $$$$$ lens.
I just use an old 500/8 mirror, when I have to reach out that far.

 

[Phocal]

Canon, Sigma, and Sony have 500 f4s, so it should be possible.

I know it’s possible, use to own the canon 500/4. I’m just worried they will make it f5.6 to keep cost/size down. That’s just to slow if you want to use TCs.

 

[retiredfromlife]

I just hope they make a dual IS 100-400 for the enthusiast end of the market, so Oly shooters dont have to buy the Panasonic one.

Glad they are trying for the pro market, but nothing seems to be anounced for the every day oly shooter.

 

[Steph]

" The policy is now to announce multiple lenses every year from this year. "
Sounds great.

 

[Holoholo55]

I know it’s possible, use to own the canon 500/4. I’m just worried they will make it f5.6 to keep cost/size down. That’s just to slow if you want to use TCs.

I think it would have been more accurate if I said feasible rather than possible. As you say, a 500 f4 would not be cheap. Neither are any of the aforementioned lenses.

 

[Holoholo55]

It would work from the upper bleachers or outfield bleachers of a major stadium.
I shoot high school baseball and softball, and from deep outfield (outside the fence), a 300mm still has a lot of dead space around the player.

You can shoot surfing. That has always been a tough sport to shoot, since they can be pretty FAR from you.

But this is a rather limited used of the lens, and I don't shoot enough to justify an $$$$$ lens.
I just use an old 500/8 mirror, when I have to reach out that far.

I was thinking about pro sports photographers, who would be a lot closer. Not likely they would be shooting from the outfield or upper bleachers. A school photographer can probably access the dugout or bleachers just above them. Most of we amateurs couldn't afford a $$$$$ lens to shoot sports occasionally. I used my 50-200 SWD+EC-14 to shoot kids soccer games. Even for U14, those fields were pretty big, and even though I roamed the sidelines, they were still pretty far away. Still, could get some good fills on the shots. I think something like the Leica 100-400 would have worked if it was available then. That would probably be as long as I would go, since hand-holding longer lenses would be difficult for me.

The upcoming 150-400 f4.5 Pro would be good, but again, this is gonna cost ya.

 

[ac12]

I was thinking about pro sports photographers, who would be a lot closer. Not likely they would be shooting from the outfield or upper bleachers. A school photographer can probably access the dugout or bleachers just above them. Most of we amateurs couldn't afford a $$$$$ lens to shoot sports occasionally. I used my 50-200 SWD+EC-14 to shoot kids soccer games. Even for U14, those fields were pretty big, and even though I roamed the sidelines, they were still pretty far away. Still, could get some good fills on the shots. I think something like the Leica 100-400 would have worked if it was available then. That would probably be as long as I would go, since hand-holding longer lenses would be difficult for me.

The upcoming 150-400 f4.5 Pro would be good, but again, this is gonna cost ya.

If you shooting from outfield, pro or amateur, you are outside the fence, and need a LONG lens.

I use the 75-300 for these shots.​

At my high school, the umps let me shoot on the foul line inside the outfield fence; as long as I get out of the area if a ball heads that way, so as to not interfere with the play.​

​

When I am shooting from near 1st or 3rd base, the 12-100 is normally on the camera. Great lens for infield work.

Agree. I'm not paid for any of my pics, so I have to save and be careful where I spend my play money.
I tell my wife, camera gear is cheaper than booze and night clubs.

 

[wjiang]

" The policy is now to announce multiple lenses every year from this year. "
Sounds great.

Lol "announce". No indications of when they'll be available though.

 

[ac12]

Lol "announce". No indications of when they'll be available though.

RELEASE would have been a better word.
But with translation from Japanese to English, the meaning could have gotten lost.

 

[Steph]

I think we will see great things at a faster pace from now on since their move to Vietnam is completed. Make sense to me. Pretty sure 2020 will be pricey though..
That's being said I'm more interested in the wide-normal Primes side of things.

 

[walter_j]

Olympus rep mentioned the Pen F too, so maybe it's still in the cards.

 

[Brownie]

• A super telephoto lens that reaches 1000mm in FF terms is under development, and it will reach 2000mm with a 2x teleconverter
• True value of MTF lies in scenes where mobility, image stabilization, and tripods cannot be used. It is possible to provide photos with a high degree of freedom that cannot be achieved by other companies.

Seems counterintuitive. It's going to be tough to handhold 2000mm even with the best IS on the market, except for the most favorable conditions. It's going to have to be one helluva' lens.

I want a 200-600 f4 or faster.

 

[ac12]

Seems counterintuitive. It's going to be tough to handhold 2000mm even with the best IS on the market, except for the most favorable conditions. It's going to have to be one helluva' lens.

Depends on your hand-holding technique.
I was surprised, but I can do a 500mm with IBIS, fairly easily. That is a crazy 20x magnification.
But for a lens that long, putting it on a rest of some kind is the best method.

 

[The Grumpy Snapper]

I already have a 500mm f/4 with a 1.4x teleconverter behind the OM Zuiko 350mm.

A smaller, lighter 500mm f/5.6 would be nice. I only remember needing more than 500mm once in the past couple of years.

 

[getoutnshoot]

This is exactly the lens I was hoping Olympus might someday make. I will wait for it and pass on the 150-400 zoom with built-in TC. I suppose I also hope it is f/4, and I'm guessing it will be since they specifically mention using it with a 2X TC. But I won't be that disappointed if it is f/5.6. I would use this lens without any TC most of the time, for bird photography. And f/5.6 would be much more affordable.

Dave