Olympus 75-300

[isabel95]

I don't see any messages reporting about this lens.

Has anyone had experience with it?

How fast is the focusing?

Isabel

 

[dhazeghi]

I don't see any messages reporting about this lens.

Has anyone had experience with it?

How fast is the focusing?

Isabel

Gregm61 over at dpreview has the 75-300 and seems fairly pleased with it.

DH

 

[isabel95]

Thanks for the link...

Very helpful.

Would love to see more bird pics.

Isabel

 

[everythingsablur]

I don't see any messages reporting about this lens.

Has anyone had experience with it?

How fast is the focusing?

I don't think that lens is as popular as the Panasonic 100-300 because it's considerably more expensive, a half stop slower at either end, lacks IS, and is nearly as big and heavy. If I'm looking for something to get up to 300mm, I'd go Panasonic (cheaper, brighter, has OIS). Other than saving 90 grams of weight, I can't really see why one wouldn't consider the Panny for the same FL.

It's probably a good lens in it's own right, but the Panny is a better value.

 

[isabel95]

Good points!

I have neither and have mixed feelings about the 100-300, but certainly IS is in its favor.

Isabel

 

[Gusnyc]

I am very interested in this discussion. I am considering getting the Olympus 75-300 because all of my cameras are Olympus. I understand about the compatibility with Panasonic, but I have the idea that Zuiko lenses were made for the Olympus bodies. Am I wrong? Is it possible that the Zuiko will be faster to focus on the OM-D?

Comparing the lens to the 100-300 Panasonic, I don't know how important is the difference in the lens aperture. It is worth the extra size and weight? The OIS will have to be disabled anyway on the Olympus body, right?

I just got the OM-D E-M5 and the IBIS is spectacular. I think it will work very well with the 75-300 (or 100-300). I am quite confused about which lens to choose.

 

[ssgreenley]

I have the 75-300. I like it. It's advantages over the 100-300 are that it is noticeably smaller and lighter, it's a 4x zoom that goes much closer the 45mm range where kit lenses and (so far) primes stop, and the only comparison I could find online at the time said the Olympus was sharper (I wish I'd kept a link for threads like this one!).

To answer the original question, on my e-pl2 it is not super fast to focus. It's not bad, but I suspect that its large focul length complicatesthings. It may be quicker on the newer Olympuses (Olympi?), I'm not sure.

There are a few bird pics on the example photos thread.

 

[isabel95]

I don't mind paying more if the IQ is better....

I have resisted getting the 100-300 because the output just doesn't come close to what I get from my Canon 300f4L IS.

Yes...faster focusing and stabilization are nice to have, but if feathers look smudged I don't want this lens.

Will be interested to see what users of the 75-300 on the em5 have to say and show about it.

Isabel

I have the 75-300. I like it. It's advantages over the 100-300 are that it is noticeably smaller and lighter, it's a 4x zoom that goes much closer the 45mm range where kit lenses and (so far) primes stop, and the only comparison I could find online at the time said the Olympus was sharper (I wish I'd kept a link for threads like this one!).

To answer the original question, on my e-pl2 it is not super fast to focus. It's not bad, but I suspect that its large focul length complicatesthings. It may be quicker on the newer Olympuses (Olympi?), I'm not sure.

There are a few bird pics on the example photos thread.

 

[Maczero]

I got one about a month ago (I was offered a good price on it). I have the FT 70-300 and 50-200, and have had the Panny 45-200, although I don't now.

I have paired it with an E-P3. I am more than happy with the results, although using a super zoom (any one) actually is a bit of an acquired skill.

What do I like:
- Size and weight (I have the impression - no figures to hand - that it is about the same as the Panny 45-200. It is certainly lighter than the FT equivalent.
- Build quality.
- I can reuse my FT 70-300 lens hood.
- Image quality, which is excellent even wide open.

What I'm not so sure about:
- How well IBIS copes at long focal lengths.
_ Aperture limitations: on the one hand the lens is darker than its Panny or FT equivalent. On the other hand, depth of field at 300 mm is wafer thin anyway.

Speed of focus: I can't tell if this is a problem or not for BIF since this is a matter of technique as much as anything else. I am pretty happy in most light conditions up to ISO 1600 on the E-P3. I tend to use S mode and let the ISO take care of itself, since short exposure mitigates handheld shake problems.

Bottom line: I like the lens. Is it better than the Panny? Don't know, because I don't have both. But the quality of the glass is excellent and there seems to be little distortion to be corrected. I have some images on the 75-300 image thread.

Andrew

 

[everythingsablur]

The OIS will have to be disabled anyway on the Olympus body, right?

I just got the OM-D E-M5 and the IBIS is spectacular. I think it will work very well with the 75-300 (or 100-300). I am quite confused about which lens to choose.

On anything but perhaps the E-M5, I would actually go the other way and shut off IBIS in favour of the OIS. No hard proof, but I have to suspect that the OIS that is custom designed for that focal length will be superior to the standard Oly IBIS which is not necessarily tuned for that FL. A little shake at 600mm equivalent focal length can really translate into a lot of shake. The E-P3 is my first camera with IBIS, so I've yet to see how far it can actually stabilize a long lens.

 

[Bill Gordon]

I am very interested in this discussion. I am considering getting the Olympus 75-300 because all of my cameras are Olympus. I understand about the compatibility with Panasonic, but I have the idea that Zuiko lenses were made for the Olympus bodies. Am I wrong? Is it possible that the Zuiko will be faster to focus on the OM-D?

Comparing the lens to the 100-300 Panasonic, I don't know how important is the difference in the lens aperture. It is worth the extra size and weight? The OIS will have to be disabled anyway on the Olympus body, right?

I just got the OM-D E-M5 and the IBIS is spectacular. I think it will work very well with the 75-300 (or 100-300). I am quite confused about which lens to choose.

I agree totally with your statement "Olympus lenses are made for Olympus Cameras"....reason being......they talk to each other....another body with an Oly lens...or an Oly body with Oly lens are made to be compatible! It is unfair for people to judge a lens unless it was made for the body that you are using it on!

Just the thoughts of an Old Man.

 

[isabel95]

Links to your photos, please?

I checked out the sample photos thread and didn't see any.

It's entirely possible I missed them - but a link or links would help.

TIA.

Isabel

I have the 75-300. I like it. It's advantages over the 100-300 are that it is noticeably smaller and lighter, it's a 4x zoom that goes much closer the 45mm range where kit lenses and (so far) primes stop, and the only comparison I could find online at the time said the Olympus was sharper (I wish I'd kept a link for threads like this one!).

To answer the original question, on my e-pl2 it is not super fast to focus. It's not bad, but I suspect that its large focul length complicatesthings. It may be quicker on the newer Olympuses (Olympi?), I'm not sure.

There are a few bird pics on the example photos thread.

 

[Gusnyc]

On anything but perhaps the E-M5, I would actually go the other way and shut off IBIS in favour of the OIS. No hard proof, but I have to suspect that the OIS that is custom designed for that focal length will be superior to the standard Oly IBIS which is not necessarily tuned for that FL. A little shake at 600mm equivalent focal length can really translate into a lot of shake. The E-P3 is my first camera with IBIS, so I've yet to see how far it can actually stabilize a long lens.

I tried the Zuiko 14-150 with the IBIS on the OM-D. The results are outstanding. I can't tell you how much better it is to focus and frame a shot (on the tele end) when the IBIS is active in the OM-D (shutter half-pressed, it has to be activated in the menu). I think focusing at 300 will benefit a lot from the OM-D IBIS as well.

I guess you can't use both systems (IBIS and OIS) at the same time, right? I think I read that in a post (which I can't find now).

If the Pana lens is less sharp, I will pay the difference and go to the Olympus, even if the lens is a little darker. Besides, I would appreciate the difference in size and weight.

 

[fredlong]

I agree totally with your statement "Olympus lenses are made for Olympus Cameras"....reason being......they talk to each other....another body with an Oly lens...or an Oly body with Oly lens are made to be compatible! It is unfair for people to judge a lens unless it was made for the body that you are using it on!

Just the thoughts of an Old Man.

Micro 4/3 lenses are built to a standard that includes communication with the camera body. So far all the lenses made by Panasonic and Olympus adhere to the standard and are fully functional across brands. Sigma is a m4/3 member and their lenses are fully compatible. Other m4/3 members, including Cosina, only make fully manual lenses so far. The only compatibility is the mount.

Panasonic cameras add chromatic aberration correction which is not part of the standard.

Fred

 

[RT_Panther]

IMHO,
If money isn't an object, I'd get the M. Zuiko over the Panasonic based upon size difference alone :smile:

 

[isabel95]

To save a few hundred dollars and have to settle with less than stellar IQ is a waste of money. From what I've seen of the 75-300 images - they're better.

Of course when images are posted on the web you don't know about the skill of the photographers. It's been my experience that most of the first images from a new camera are pretty bad and discouraging...and then when people really learn how to use it - and the advanced guys who know what they're doing start posting, my opinion of the camera improves.

It's also completely possible that the experience photogs are waiting for the "gottahaveitrightnow" people to beta test a new camera.

 

[ssgreenley]

I checked out the sample photos thread and didn't see any.

It's entirely possible I missed them - but a link or links would help.

TIA.

Isabel

I don't know how to link specific photos, but they're here:
https://www.mu-43.com/f80/olympus-75-300-f-4-8-6-7-image-thread-15775/index2.html

The newest couple are of birds.

 

[ssgreenley]

I don't know how to link specific photos, but they're here:
https://www.mu-43.com/f80/olympus-75-300-f-4-8-6-7-image-thread-15775/index2.html

The newest couple are of birds.

Actually, now that I look, there are a few other birds in there as well (including two that I shot!), but the last couple are the most traditional "bird shots." I especially love the penultimate one...

 

[isabel95]

Thanks for the link...

All I found was the couple of birds - not really enough to make a good judgment about the lens.

Isabel

Actually, now that I look, there are a few other birds in there as well (including two that I shot!), but the last couple are the most traditional "bird shots." I especially love the penultimate one...

 

[Gusnyc]

Still deciding

To save a few hundred dollars and have to settle with less than stellar IQ is a waste of money. From what I've seen of the 75-300 images - they're better.

I completely agree with your statement. I prefer to spend a little more upfront and get the best lens possible, considering that I will probably keep that lens for future camera bodies.

I have a trip to Chicago next week. I am considering getting the lens before I go, but I still have to decide what is more important, a brighter lens (the Pana) or a darker but (allegedly) sharper one (Oly).

Decisions... decisions...