also, you can use hi-res handheld mode for semi-static wildlife. i was amazed how sharp and colorful they are. also, i sometimes use a button for the built-in 2x TC.
It would be interesting to compare these two set-ups to a Lumix G9 with the Leica 100-400 (200-800 eq FoV, of course). I get superb results with that combo, for long-range wildlife, "pseudo-macro" shots, and a wide variety of other situations where others might use a shorter lens from a closer distance. Also, it's much smaller/lighter (and a lot less expensive) than either of these alternatives, so it's more practical to carry and use (especially for back country/technical terrain). I considered the Oly but the relatively few cases where it may potentially offer an advantage don't make the case for me, although it looks like a great optic. The problem with ultra-long lenses is that they can't cut through atmospheric haze and heat distortion, so there's a practical FL limit in play a lot of the time. Also, even 7.5 stops of IS or a 'pod (which I only use for the rare long-exposure or high-res shot) may not be enough if it's really windy, even at a "mere" 800mm. Re MFT, it's the most popular format in Japan for a good reason--they're apparently smart enough not to buy into the ridiculous "bigger = better" BS. If you can't get portfolio/museum-worthy images with MFT, it's not the sensor. Anything larger is overkill for almost all situations. We need to keep pushing it until it receives the love/more widespread usage it deserves! Maybe the next-gen sensors will help convince more people that it's really the best way to go (although a "blind" comparison of large prints should be enough to do that now).
There's the Oly 100-400, which despite being heavier and longer than the Panasonic 100-400, only opens to F5 at the wide end; I like the internal focusing, but on paper the Panasonic has lots of advantages. At ~$1,500 US for either, there's too much overlap with them (between the 40-150 f/2.8 being an 80-300 f/5.6 with the MC-20 and then the 150-400 Pro) for me; but I agree they both sound like good alternatives that play into MFT portability strengths. I've become more optimistic over the past few months…although that was from a rather pessimistic position…that we might see something nice from OM in 2022-so here's hoping. When I ordered the 150-400, I did so with the expectation that the M.Zuiko and OM cameras could well be approaching an end (not knowing what to expect following the sale of the imaging business). I'm also looking forward to the GH6-but that's more for video; we'll see if that's just a sneaky way for Panasonic to wedge their way into my stills camera bag.
Great video. This lens is a unicorn for me since I’ve been on a waiting list so long I bought a Sony 200-600 for my a7R4. But, still my go to system is my omd ex1 with 300 F4. Again, great video,
Thanks for watching. Hopefully you're able to get the lens available--it's certainly an amazing combination of quality and portability, although not something I'll probably pack on family trips until my kids are much older :/ Although a nice thing is, that it would't need a dedicated bag like the equivalent focal length on the R6, if I did.
awesome! you gonna do more reviews of this lens? i would like to see sharpness difference with the build Teleconverter, and 1.4 and 2.0, each separated, also comparing with the 300mmm, will be super cool XD keep going amazing videos :)
Thanks for watching! I'm going to take a break from posting for a while after I wrap-up the M1 Max benchmarks-but when I come back I'll work-in a video comparing the teleconverter effects. I don't have the 300mm-a conscious decision as I was waiting on the 150-400, and unless I can find a good deal on it I don't think I'll add it to my inventory since the main benefit of my MFT kit, to me, is convenience and size (and that'd be negated by adding the prime… unfortunately). I'll compare it with the 40-150/2.8 though, which comes-in at 80-300/5.6 with the MC-20, at significantly cheaper than the 150-400/4.5.
Good luck, hopefully it arrives by Christmas (or at least Epiphany). I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, but the feedback from people who'd gotten to shoot with it was very positive-and I can see why. It's not the same as a FF 800mm/f4; both in the good (portability) and bad (optical flexibility), but I think it delivers on what one could expect from the lens, and plays to the strengths of the MFT system. I'd love to pair it with a higher resolving future MFT sensor … but we'll see what OM and Panasonic bring us. FWIW, less than a month before I got the shipping confirmation eMail (start of August), I was given the expected date of December 30, 2021…. And when I called a year ago, I was told the shipment was expected on December 30, 2020.
@@NottaPro - Thanks for the info. I ordered mine through B&H and it is a first come first serve basis. I'm hoping there are not too many people in front of me but, you never know.
The major NYC vendor I used was also B&H. From the agents that were willing to talk a little, they sounded frustrated with the lack of information OM Digital Systems has been giving them.
Thanks for watching! At the rate pre-orders have been filled, I'd bet they'll still be making these in a couple year just trying to catch-up with existing orders. I wouldn't be surprised (given inflation and supply chain issues) if there's a price bump at some point though :/
I take lots of pictures while I trek. My Oly Em5 and 100-300mm is the best combo for me, weighing in at under 750g. I do not carry a tripod because the in-body stabilization of EM5 works very well. This is of course a great lens, one day when I retire from my treking I will consider buying this lens for bird photography. I think when you are not highly mobile the benefits of this lens vs the competition is not that obvious anymore.
Speaking of reduced mobilty, I was walking through a park in Manhattan, when I bumped into an older couple in wheel chairs in a shady corner, and a Canon L-lens sitting on a monopod. I don't think I'd mind that too much in retirement. The Panasonic 100-300 II does indeed look like a nice lens, small and light, and weather sealed-although I don't believe either Olympus or Panasonic officially acknowledge the level of weather sealing if you mixed brands. I'm curious if you have any observations on how well the weather sealing works in that combo (assuming you have the II version-I don't see any mention of environmental sealing on the original version which pre-dates any weather-sealed bodies IIRC).
@@NottaPro I do not think there is any IPX rating on the Panny and Oly 'weather sealed' M43 gear and so be careful to use it in heavy rain. There is no warranty for water damage. I can see that the covers of the Oly camera are pretty tight and the battery compartment door is protected by an O-ring. There is probably a protective membrane between the moving parts of the zoom barrel to avoid easy dust and water entry. I certainly do not recommend pouring water on the gear to prove the point as some youtubers do, LOL. That said, being weather sealed does put my mind at ease and so far it works well for me.
Why do you use and old E-M5 on the 150-400mm while the Canon is almost brand new … that is bad comparison … try with the E-M1X … than it is a fair deal.
Many of the shots were with the E-M1X, although I had the E-M5 attached while I was walking around central park since I could slip it into the messenger bag that way (as shown in the video; the E-M1X was too big); I actually did carry it around for some street shots, although most ended-up at 150mm anyway, which obviously would be more practical with the 40-150. I was actually amazed at how well the the E-M5 came-out; the R6 is certainly newer and cleaner at higher ISOs, but the E-M5 was respectable. A couple of the bird photos at the beginning were taken while walking around central park, so they were taken with the E-M5 (and yes, this is the original model E-M5 from … 2012 or thereabouts). I commented in response to another thread, which looks like it might have been deleted, but the moon-shots with the E-M5 and E-M1X (more-so the latter than the former) did have some more fine detail than the R6 with the 400+1.4x, which I don't think carries through to the final, compressed video (instead the R6 images with sharper macro contrast looks overall more-detailed, despite having cropped-in further and lacking as much detail).
Very interesting! I’m happy with my Olympus em1iii + 300f4 + 40-150f2.8! I think that they need to improve the AF and AI, bringing FW updates to the existing Cameras, and making Clear when they will launch the WOW Camera! The new Cameras and lenses from Nikon, Canon and Sony are very good, but I could not found something appealing for my needs. I just need quality glass in the smallest possible size and weight! For my needs OM system is the best!
I agree! I do really like the R6--and the R3 is really what I wanted from the RF mount a year ago; but at this point I'm probably going to pass until the R3 MII. It'll be up to OM to convince me whether or not I end-up getting that when the time comes. The "WOW" camera will set the tone for OM for the next several years--the lenses to date have been positive steps--and I do like leading with the lenses--but I think most of us are waiting to get a fuller picture of what we should be expecting from OM.
Si, de seguro es cara; pero, creo que recibes qué compras. Olympus indicated that there are tighter tolerances and higher-quality finishing to what must be a much more limited run, so there needs to be some increase to account for that, and when looking at similar focal ranges (Sony 100-400, 200-600, Canon 100-500) those are already $2k-$3k (USD), with smaller, non-constant apertures (cheaper) and a larger expected market (cost efficiencies). I wouldn't doubt that OM has a good margin on the lens, and it costs more than any other Olympus or Panasonic MFT lens to date-but it does feel high quality, and it looks like they really wanted to create something they could point to as a high-quality, usable, product. … and it's compact enough to fit any many standard camera bags (I've packed it in my Micro Trekker 100, unattached with hood reversed)!
… sorry, I got distracted mid-post; the point of mentioning the $2k-$3k lenses was also to highlight how the OM 150-400 nicely fits in between them and the "big" primes, like the RF 400 f/2.8 and RF 600 f/4; also smaller markets, more glass (higher cost), but really the league in which the lens wants to position itself with the convenience of MFT size and zoom. The OM 150-400 splits the difference ($7.5, US, then $12k or $13k for the RF lenses), so cost and margin speculations aside-it looks and feels like a reasonable positioning-more so than I'd say than most MFT lenses (like the 40-150 f/2.8, which I also think is great, but) which have often been released at price points much closer to the "equivalent" lens in a full frame system (e.g. EF 70-200 f/2.8).
Notta Pro = "Not a Professional"? Do you know how non-professionals talk about cameras and lenses? Let me tell you that they don't sound like you in this video.
There's a wide spectrum of non-professional photographers. One of the greatest benefits of photography being simply a hobby, is not needing to find a business justification for purchases-instead I can look at what it'll open-up as an area to explore or learn more. Granted, this lens in particular probably won't be on *many* hobbyist's shopping lists, but it is a lot more approachable than the full frame options with the same field of view.
also, you can use hi-res handheld mode for semi-static wildlife. i was amazed how sharp and colorful they are. also, i sometimes use a button for the built-in 2x TC.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I look forward to the next video.
Thanks for watching!
I love the way you end this video.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed watching!
Me too...that made me laugh a lot, that's style.
It would be interesting to compare these two set-ups to a Lumix G9 with the Leica 100-400 (200-800 eq FoV, of course). I get superb results with that combo, for long-range wildlife, "pseudo-macro" shots, and a wide variety of other situations where others might use a shorter lens from a closer distance. Also, it's much smaller/lighter (and a lot less expensive) than either of these alternatives, so it's more practical to carry and use (especially for back country/technical terrain). I considered the Oly but the relatively few cases where it may potentially offer an advantage don't make the case for me, although it looks like a great optic. The problem with ultra-long lenses is that they can't cut through atmospheric haze and heat distortion, so there's a practical FL limit in play a lot of the time. Also, even 7.5 stops of IS or a 'pod (which I only use for the rare long-exposure or high-res shot) may not be enough if it's really windy, even at a "mere" 800mm.
Re MFT, it's the most popular format in Japan for a good reason--they're apparently smart enough not to buy into the ridiculous "bigger = better" BS. If you can't get portfolio/museum-worthy images with MFT, it's not the sensor. Anything larger is overkill for almost all situations. We need to keep pushing it until it receives the love/more widespread usage it deserves! Maybe the next-gen sensors will help convince more people that it's really the best way to go (although a "blind" comparison of large prints should be enough to do that now).
There's the Oly 100-400, which despite being heavier and longer than the Panasonic 100-400, only opens to F5 at the wide end; I like the internal focusing, but on paper the Panasonic has lots of advantages. At ~$1,500 US for either, there's too much overlap with them (between the 40-150 f/2.8 being an 80-300 f/5.6 with the MC-20 and then the 150-400 Pro) for me; but I agree they both sound like good alternatives that play into MFT portability strengths.
I've become more optimistic over the past few months…although that was from a rather pessimistic position…that we might see something nice from OM in 2022-so here's hoping. When I ordered the 150-400, I did so with the expectation that the M.Zuiko and OM cameras could well be approaching an end (not knowing what to expect following the sale of the imaging business). I'm also looking forward to the GH6-but that's more for video; we'll see if that's just a sneaky way for Panasonic to wedge their way into my stills camera bag.
Great video. This lens is a unicorn for me since I’ve been on a waiting list so long I bought a Sony 200-600 for my a7R4. But, still my go to system is my omd ex1 with 300 F4. Again, great video,
Thanks for watching. Hopefully you're able to get the lens available--it's certainly an amazing combination of quality and portability, although not something I'll probably pack on family trips until my kids are much older :/ Although a nice thing is, that it would't need a dedicated bag like the equivalent focal length on the R6, if I did.
This thing's incredible, but I'm going to have to stick with the 300mm f/4 prime as a reasonable goal.
awesome! you gonna do more reviews of this lens? i would like to see sharpness difference with the build Teleconverter, and 1.4 and 2.0, each separated, also comparing with the 300mmm, will be super cool XD
keep going amazing videos :)
Thanks for watching! I'm going to take a break from posting for a while after I wrap-up the M1 Max benchmarks-but when I come back I'll work-in a video comparing the teleconverter effects. I don't have the 300mm-a conscious decision as I was waiting on the 150-400, and unless I can find a good deal on it I don't think I'll add it to my inventory since the main benefit of my MFT kit, to me, is convenience and size (and that'd be negated by adding the prime… unfortunately). I'll compare it with the 40-150/2.8 though, which comes-in at 80-300/5.6 with the MC-20, at significantly cheaper than the 150-400/4.5.
I'm still waiting on mine. Several months ago I was told it would be sometime in January 2022.
Good luck, hopefully it arrives by Christmas (or at least Epiphany). I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, but the feedback from people who'd gotten to shoot with it was very positive-and I can see why. It's not the same as a FF 800mm/f4; both in the good (portability) and bad (optical flexibility), but I think it delivers on what one could expect from the lens, and plays to the strengths of the MFT system. I'd love to pair it with a higher resolving future MFT sensor … but we'll see what OM and Panasonic bring us.
FWIW, less than a month before I got the shipping confirmation eMail (start of August), I was given the expected date of December 30, 2021…. And when I called a year ago, I was told the shipment was expected on December 30, 2020.
@@NottaPro - Thanks for the info. I ordered mine through B&H and it is a first come first serve basis. I'm hoping there are not too many people in front of me but, you never know.
The major NYC vendor I used was also B&H. From the agents that were willing to talk a little, they sounded frustrated with the lack of information OM Digital Systems has been giving them.
Thank you 🙏
Thanks for watching!
I quite like the direction with which you compose your videos. Hopefully in a couple of years, this lens will still be around to order for me to get!
Thanks for watching! At the rate pre-orders have been filled, I'd bet they'll still be making these in a couple year just trying to catch-up with existing orders. I wouldn't be surprised (given inflation and supply chain issues) if there's a price bump at some point though :/
I take lots of pictures while I trek. My Oly Em5 and 100-300mm is the best combo for me, weighing in at under 750g. I do not carry a tripod because the in-body stabilization of EM5 works very well. This is of course a great lens, one day when I retire from my treking I will consider buying this lens for bird photography. I think when you are not highly mobile the benefits of this lens vs the competition is not that obvious anymore.
Speaking of reduced mobilty, I was walking through a park in Manhattan, when I bumped into an older couple in wheel chairs in a shady corner, and a Canon L-lens sitting on a monopod. I don't think I'd mind that too much in retirement.
The Panasonic 100-300 II does indeed look like a nice lens, small and light, and weather sealed-although I don't believe either Olympus or Panasonic officially acknowledge the level of weather sealing if you mixed brands. I'm curious if you have any observations on how well the weather sealing works in that combo (assuming you have the II version-I don't see any mention of environmental sealing on the original version which pre-dates any weather-sealed bodies IIRC).
@@NottaPro I do not think there is any IPX rating on the Panny and Oly 'weather sealed' M43 gear and so be careful to use it in heavy rain. There is no warranty for water damage. I can see that the covers of the Oly camera are pretty tight and the battery compartment door is protected by an O-ring. There is probably a protective membrane between the moving parts of the zoom barrel to avoid easy dust and water entry. I certainly do not recommend pouring water on the gear to prove the point as some youtubers do, LOL. That said, being weather sealed does put my mind at ease and so far it works well for me.
Why do you use and old E-M5 on the 150-400mm while the Canon is almost brand new … that is bad comparison … try with the E-M1X … than it is a fair deal.
Many of the shots were with the E-M1X, although I had the E-M5 attached while I was walking around central park since I could slip it into the messenger bag that way (as shown in the video; the E-M1X was too big); I actually did carry it around for some street shots, although most ended-up at 150mm anyway, which obviously would be more practical with the 40-150. I was actually amazed at how well the the E-M5 came-out; the R6 is certainly newer and cleaner at higher ISOs, but the E-M5 was respectable. A couple of the bird photos at the beginning were taken while walking around central park, so they were taken with the E-M5 (and yes, this is the original model E-M5 from … 2012 or thereabouts).
I commented in response to another thread, which looks like it might have been deleted, but the moon-shots with the E-M5 and E-M1X (more-so the latter than the former) did have some more fine detail than the R6 with the 400+1.4x, which I don't think carries through to the final, compressed video (instead the R6 images with sharper macro contrast looks overall more-detailed, despite having cropped-in further and lacking as much detail).
By the way … I suffered a lot to get that lens ..like with the 300mm … I love them both to pieces. Alike the E-M1X
Very interesting! I’m happy with my Olympus em1iii + 300f4 + 40-150f2.8! I think that they need to improve the AF and AI, bringing FW updates to the existing Cameras, and making Clear when they will launch the WOW Camera! The new Cameras and lenses from Nikon, Canon and Sony are very good, but I could not found something appealing for my needs. I just need quality glass in the smallest possible size and weight! For my needs OM system is the best!
I agree! I do really like the R6--and the R3 is really what I wanted from the RF mount a year ago; but at this point I'm probably going to pass until the R3 MII. It'll be up to OM to convince me whether or not I end-up getting that when the time comes. The "WOW" camera will set the tone for OM for the next several years--the lenses to date have been positive steps--and I do like leading with the lenses--but I think most of us are waiting to get a fuller picture of what we should be expecting from OM.
Eso es un pepino de objetivo... 🙌🙌😲😲👌👍👍
👏👏👏👏 M.Zuiko 150-400 ... is Fantastic... 👌👌👍 but 6000 €... 😓😓
Si, de seguro es cara; pero, creo que recibes qué compras. Olympus indicated that there are tighter tolerances and higher-quality finishing to what must be a much more limited run, so there needs to be some increase to account for that, and when looking at similar focal ranges (Sony 100-400, 200-600, Canon 100-500) those are already $2k-$3k (USD), with smaller, non-constant apertures (cheaper) and a larger expected market (cost efficiencies). I wouldn't doubt that OM has a good margin on the lens, and it costs more than any other Olympus or Panasonic MFT lens to date-but it does feel high quality, and it looks like they really wanted to create something they could point to as a high-quality, usable, product. … and it's compact enough to fit any many standard camera bags (I've packed it in my Micro Trekker 100, unattached with hood reversed)!
… sorry, I got distracted mid-post; the point of mentioning the $2k-$3k lenses was also to highlight how the OM 150-400 nicely fits in between them and the "big" primes, like the RF 400 f/2.8 and RF 600 f/4; also smaller markets, more glass (higher cost), but really the league in which the lens wants to position itself with the convenience of MFT size and zoom. The OM 150-400 splits the difference ($7.5, US, then $12k or $13k for the RF lenses), so cost and margin speculations aside-it looks and feels like a reasonable positioning-more so than I'd say than most MFT lenses (like the 40-150 f/2.8, which I also think is great, but) which have often been released at price points much closer to the "equivalent" lens in a full frame system (e.g. EF 70-200 f/2.8).
@@NottaPro Right ... 👌🏻👍🏻 I think the same ... 👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻
👋🏻🙋🏻♂️😃
I am lucky I get it last feb 2021
Notta Pro = "Not a Professional"? Do you know how non-professionals talk about cameras and lenses? Let me tell you that they don't sound like you in this video.
There's a wide spectrum of non-professional photographers. One of the greatest benefits of photography being simply a hobby, is not needing to find a business justification for purchases-instead I can look at what it'll open-up as an area to explore or learn more. Granted, this lens in particular probably won't be on *many* hobbyist's shopping lists, but it is a lot more approachable than the full frame options with the same field of view.