Photographers invested in the Micro Four Thirds system, whether on the Olympus or Panasonic side of the fence, have a gem of a lens in the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO. At $2,499.99, it's the most expensive lens available for the mirrorless camera system, but that doesn't mean it's overpriced. For your money, you get a long telephoto reach, 1:4.2 macro magnification, a strong image stabilization system, and a weather-sealed design. For fans of telephoto primes, it's an excellent choice, and earns Editors' Choice marks. Design The M.Zuiko ED 300mm is a hefty lens at 3.3 pounds. It's also long—it measures 8.9 by 3.6 inches (HD) without the tripod collar attached. It's not a good match for a small camera like the Panasonic GM5, but it balances well with Olympus' top-end OM-D E-M1 ($799.95 at Amazon) . The front 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 system and another to set the focus limiter function. You can set the lens to focus across its full range, from 1.4 to 4 meters, or from 4 meters to infinity. My field testing showed that using the limiter is key to speed autofocus performance, to properly acquire focus, and track moving subjects. When the lens is allowed to hunt across its full range it sometimes has a tough time locking onto distant subjects when paired with the E-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 manual focus system with solid tactile feedback, and pushing it forward switches back to autofocus operation. This function can save a shot if you're trying to pinpoint a subject in a busy scene. I found that pulling the focus ring back, getting my shot close to in focus, and pushing it back forward to autofocus allowed helped the E-M1 when it struggled with busy scenes with bare tree branches at varying distance from the lens. There's also an L-Fn button on the barrel; its function can be set via the camera body. The lens is sealed against dust and moisture, so you can feel free to use it in rough weather. I used the lens on a cold, rainy night and it performed like a champ. 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. But I preferred to leave it on, even when working handheld, as it makes a fine attachment point 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 can add the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14field of view to an 840mm lens on a full-frame system. The teleconverter is also sealed against the elements. Working with a tight, fixed field of view can be tricky. It can be difficult to find a subject with your lens that's easily visible to your eyes, but with some practice, it gets easier. I did find myself missing the ability to zoom to a wider field of view, as I've become accustomed to with the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM ($824.00 at Amazon) . I missed catching a shot of two geese flying low and coming in toward me quickly when I had the lens and teleconverter combination mounted. Now, I'm not saying that I would have gotten the shot with a zoom, but I would have had a chance. If you think a zoom is a better choice, Panasonic is releasing its promising Leica DG Vario-Elmar f/4-6.3 ASPH. Power O.I.S. ($1,799.99) soon. But it comes with some compromises. We don't know how its resolution compares with the Olympus 300mm, and you can expect it to capture roughly half the light at the 300mm setting due to its variable aperture design. That's a real concern not only for light gathering capability, but also depth of field control. While the 300mm can't magnify close objects to the same degree as a true 1:1 macro lens like the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro ($399.00 at Amazon) , it does focus quite close for a telephoto. It can lock onto subjects as close as 4.6 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 the frame with smaller subjects. Image Quality Normally we test 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 chart in order to properly frame it for analysis. Our Manhattan offices don't allow for that. I used a smaller ISO 12233 chart to visually analyze image 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 3,000 lines blocks. There is a very slight softness at the edges of text and lines on our test chart at f/4, but identifying it required viewing images at 2:1 pixel magnification. At f/5.6, those same edges are extremely crisp, even when viewed at 2:1. Image quality is just about the same at f/8, and some softness sets in (due to diffraction) at f/11. The sweet spot is definitely at f/5.6, but really, it's a slight advantage over f/4. I saw no evidence of color fringing or chromatic aberration in our lab tests, nor was it an issue in the field, even 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, there is just a 0.5EV drop in illumination at the corners and sides of the frame—barely a concern in the real world. From f/5.6 onward the illumination is dead even from edge to edge. Olympus cameras include in-body image stabilization as a rule. Its decision to also include in-lens stabilization here turned some heads, but with an extreme telephoto lens like this one it's a good one. When paired with a body with stabilization, like the E-M1, the 300mm's in-lens stabilization system works in concert with the camera to provide six stops of correction. When used with a camera that omits in-body stabilization, like those made by Panasonic, stabilization is limited to 4 stops. I was able to get the occasional sharp handheld shot at speeds as long as 1/6-second, but found that results were more consistently sharp at 1/15-second or shorter. Stabilization is also quite useful for video—the clip below shows several scenes with the IS enabled and one with it turned off so you can get an idea just how important it is for recording moving pictures. Conclusions I have nothing notably negative to say about the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO. It captures crisp images, has an extremely effective image 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 1.4x teleconverter adds to its usefulness for those purposes. My main complaint is that, when paired with the OM-D E-M1, the focus system can occasionally hunt a bit. But that's not a knock on the lens, and the focus limiter switch and manual clutch system are effective in sidestepping the occasional focus woes. The 300mm is the most expensive Micro Four Thirds lens out there, at least to this point. But even at $2,500, it's a value when compared with similar lenses for other systems. Canon and Nikon APS-C shooters will 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 have to deal with larger, heavier lenses when reaching these telephoto extremes—the M.Zuiko 300mm fulfills the promise of the smaller-sensor Micro Four Thirds system'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, and some photographers may prefer a zoom. Now, zoom lenses aren't without compromise—we'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 soon. It adds the ability to change focal lengths, and reaches a bit further, but is more than a stop slower when zoomed in. If you think you'd prefer that versatility, at the cost of some light gathering capability and depth of field control, it's worth it to wait and see how well the Panasonic zoom performs in the real world. But if you're shooting with a Micro Four Thirds system, and comfortable with an extreme telephoto prime, you'll find the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO to be a phenomenal addition to your kit. What is the minimum focus distance for Olympus 300mm f4 pro?With a minimum focusing distance of just 4.5 feet (1.4m) and a maximum magnification of 0.48x (35mm equivalent), this super telephoto lens is equally adept in close quarters, delivering stunning, high magnification macros shots. |
