For those of you who derive unexplained pleasure from pixel peeping, I have a gallery of about 50 full resolution images taken with the Olympus 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS lens (using E-M1 Mark III), all uncropped. You can find the link to that gallery in my blog article here: robinwong.blogspot.com/2020/08/olympus-mzuiko-100-400mm-f5-63-is-review.html Also, E-M10 Mark IV review is coming up. Stay tuned people. I am working extra hard to produce contents and publish them in timely manner.
You are the king of sharp and proper exposed hand-held shots! This might be something the birdie shooters and safari photographers will really love to use. Looks like $1500 introduced price in USA. Take care, Loren
USD1500 is very fair, considering you get full weather sealing, built in IS, and not to forget, ability to attach teleconverters! And the optics is very good too! Thanks for the kind words, Loren, appreciate that.
@@robinwong quick question for you. Can a button on my EM1-Mk III be assigned to select spot metering? I have my Nikons set up that way and would love to be able to do it with my Olympus as well. Thanks.
Thanks for the review, Robin. The images of the big cats, complex building facades and great apes were just spectacular. This lens is definitely a winner. I shoot both for publication and for pleasure, and I would not hesitate to use it. Looks like a winner to me !
Nice one Robin...! ....plz make sure to get some video clips in your next video w/the teleconverters......I am excited to see some video clips with the MC-20!!!!......Thank You.
I'll be very pleased once I have the opportunity to get the 12-100mm F4 plus this one. Wish I could go back to Malaysia to test them afterwards (I was there exactly one year ago). Thank you for your videos. Regards from Portugal
Your reviews are always excellent. I've watched a few of your uploads recently and don't know why it's taken so long for me to subscribe... SUBBED. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing more of your content.
OMG! Build quality looks so good! Comes with tripod mount! Shots looking really good. 800mm at reasonable price. I think Olympus just created something incredible. Robin, thanks a lot for review!
Liked this review very much. Being a proud owner of this new lens since mid October 2020, I can only confirm what you already told in this vid. Being aviation photography as my main subject, once i got this lens and, of course first updated the firmware, I took it through it's paces at the local military airfields near my hometown. Although i have it coupled to my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk.II, I found it a very easy to handle lens and I'm glad I was one of the happy few that was in the first batch of people that got it in the Netherlands. Considering the price that Olympus advertised it with, a whopping € 1,300.00, it values it more then enough. I also noticed that, when IBIS on auto and lens IS on, it does exactly what you said it will do. Pitch and yaw corrected by the lens, roll corrected by IBIS. Giving crispy harp photos, even on the 400mm side. The first day I took it for a go through it's paces and see what an how it would perform, the weather was nice, sunny with a light overcast of clouds. Second time I took it outside weather was at start sunny with overcast, later on overcast with from time to time light to moderate rain and lens kept working. Considering that my E-M 10mk.II isn't weatherproofed, I deliberated kept the rain cover off the camera and lens and it held out. So good to know when out at an airshow or photographing during airforce exercises and/or deployments. when you sometimes don't have enough time to put the rain cover out and on the camera and lens. Tip: always make sure you have a small, quick drying towel in your camera bag to wipe of the rain drops of your camera and lens before putting them away or putting the rain cover on. Conclusion: great lens for the price paid. Great for wildlife as for aviation/sports photography and really affordable for amateurs and enthusiasts alike. Especially when you want a lens tht has good and fast AF and C-AF capabilities.
Robin - Thanks a lot for the great review. I've been anticipating this lens eagerly and plan to buy one as soon as I can. I'm a little disappointed that Olympus did not implement IS Sync though, I wonder why? I've been a fan of your channel for a while now, so I just bought you a coffee. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for the coffee, and thanks for being here, I appreciate you! I guess not having 5-Axis Sync clearly differentiates this lens from the coming 150-400mm PRO, which should include 5-Axis Sync IS. You still get a very reliable 3-Axis IS (with selected compatible Olympus bodies) with the body IS stabilizing the rolling axis, so it is not all bad news.
Hi, Robin. Thanks for your videos. I have been shooting Olympus since 2006 and Olympus MFT since 2013. (Had a break to use Nikon due to a military commitment) I have been looking at (and enjoying) your blog and videos for some time. As I look at this latest offering from Olympus, I am torn. I have been anticipating the 150-400 f4,, but am very tempted to get this fine offering. Olympus is making it very difficult for me to wait for the latter!
Now after watching too many of your videos, I have bought a Em1 mark II. Now I like a 12-100 and/or a 100-400. That's because of watching too many of your clips. If I'll becoming friends with the EM then I will sell my Sony gear, Thanks Robin
As I've said a million times, great photos. Would I be happy with them, you bet. Light could be an issue but everything else seems so right, regardless of how it's achieved. Manageable quality, it would be interesting to compare with other brands...
I just fitted the dress ring from my 300mm f4 pro (when not using tripod ring) onto my 100-400 Olympus lens. Nice! I was trying to find the dress ring for the 100-400, but it does not exist.
Robin, I am looking forward to buying new gear and Olympus looks great except for the price. This lens is $1500 whereas for $1850 I can buy the combo of Sigma 100-400/f5-6.3 full frame lens + Sony a6400 combo which weighs even less than the lens and camera you have used in this video and provides better autofocus performance. Does not have 800 mm reach but a6400's 24MP sensor will allow me crop more and can extend the reach to 600mm plus. How will I justify the price tag of this lens and an Olympus camera in that comparison?
Thanks for the review. Looks like a very good lens with an extraordinary reach. I have no need for this kind of reach and I cannot afford it anyway, lol. Awesome pictures.
Great informative clip as always Robin. This lens is a direct competitor to the Panasonic/Lumix/Leica 100-400mm lens which suffers from stiff and jerky zoom action and lack of sharpness and clarity at full 400mm - unless you can set the f-stop to f11. I did not remember you mentioning if the zoom action on this lens is smooth ? I will wait until the 150-400mm plus X1.25 teleconverter giving 500mm pro lens is released.
The zooming was perfectly smooth. However, obviously the lens I was testing was very new. I can't comment after frequent abuse and using the lens for... say 2 years, maybe it won't be that smooth anymore. OH yes, the 150-400mm PRO is coming, that is something to look forward to definitely.
Robin Wong - Well my Panasonic / Leica has always been stiff and jerky on the zoom since new and in warm countries also becomes even more difficult to turn. Also the image suffers from sharpens when fully extended to 400mm and the subject is a long way from me. That is why I already have the 300mm pro which is far superior even when used with the x1.4 and x2.0 telephoto adapters. The only slight drawback with this set up is trying to find the subject - say a bird in flight - in the distance. This is why I am waiting for the 150 - 400mm pro with the zoom capability. I can put a x1.4 teleconverter on and initially start with a 210mm focal length before zooming into 700mm !!!! Let us hope the image will be sharp and the sync stabilisation works well. Keep on posting.
Great review! I would like to hear some comments regarding this lens quality as-is vs that of the 40-150 pro with the MC20 teleconverter. Thanks for all your reviews and "instructional" videos!!
Looks like a good lens but the lack of sync IS may make it harder to sell than the Panasonic G9 & 100-400 combo. I guess saving the sync IS for the 150-400. This one could have been so good but without sync IS not sure.
I am more impressed with the images shown here than what you posted on Facebook. Still interested in the 150-400 Pro and will probably wait to see pricing and reviews on that one before making a decision. Great review.
I don't remember posting anything on Facebook, besides a small thumbnail. And you should never really judge anything from thumbnails, or from Facebook with heavy compression/resizing.
Good review. I was excited to see an upgrade to my 75-300 until I saw the price.....more than three times my 75-300. Oh well, but still good review. Thanks
75-300mm is a good lens, budget-friendly and compact. The 100-400mm is a different lens altogether, better built, with full weather-sealing matching reliability of a PRO lens, much better optical construction, longer reach of 400mm, has built in IS, and can take in tele-converters. I just don't see how this lens can be any lower in price. Unless Olympus removes the IS, weather-sealing, and some more features.
I'm waiting to see what the 'pro - telephoto zoom lens' in the 70-250mm range on the roadmap turns out to be before I look at this, the reach isn't going to be as big, naturally, but maybe it will work well with teleconverters.
My experience with the Olympus 100-400mm has been positive so far, even all the way till 400mm longest end. AF was very good too. But I did not shoot in the pitch darkness of the night of course, that is a different story.
I love how you can use those teleconverters on it. Would have like to have seen dual sync US though. Maybe they'll release a heavier or costlier variant with that in. While not cannibalising the upcoming 150-400
So I am an amateur bird photographer and I have this lens. I have to say I don't get anywhere near the same quality/sharpness that you do and I find the lens very heavy to handle. This causes me to fatigue and then lose stability. I have updated my camera (Mk ii) firmware. I will keep practicing, I'm completely open to it being user error/inexperience but can't help feeling disappointed.
It's a beauty! Sure, it would be nice if it was faster at the short end, but you can't have everything, and it would be larger and heavier then (and more expensive). In good light, I don't see any issues, especially since you say it's really sharp at widest apertures. The images look stunning, btw (checking them out in full screen glory on your blog). The OIS and IBIS combo might be a compromise, but again, in decent light, I can't see this being an issue. The price seems fair, although I doubt I'll be running out to buy it, when the 75-300 might be good enough for my needs. If I was a wildlife / bird photographer, I wouldn't hesitate.
Thanks for the kind words Andrew. 75-300mm is already a good lens to begin with, 300mm is a lot of reach, and I don't see many situations that we need to stretch beyond that. Sure the 100-400mm is a step up from 75-300mm, but it is also much pricier, larger and heavier. 75-300mm is truly remarkable for being so compact and budget-friendly, yet delivering very good images.
@@robinwong yes, exactly, I really enjoy a good quality, compact tele-zoom. On my Pentax, the 55-300mm was probably my second most used lens. I really miss that reach when I'm shooting with my E-M10 MKII, so I'll have to buy it soon :)
Hi Robin. I have a 100-400mm on order and should arrive soon. I understand both IS on lens and body should be on. My question is on the body, what IS setting should I use? Auto or 1. Thanks lots 😊
1. Try to use the EM-1 Mark III with x2 converter to taking 1600mm photo for the Jupiter and the Saturn. 2. Testing the stabilizability when at the 400mm side(800mm 135mm frame) as how much seconds you can doing the effection handheld photo taking. please.
@@robinwong you can use an augmented reality astronomy app for smartphone. You will find Jupiter and Saturn very fast. 😉 Thank you for all these videos!
@@tudorp2610 thee skies in Malaysia are cloudy in the evening 175% of the time, with 250% chance of rain, and 50% chance thunderstorm. Good luck finding anything in the sky. I did however capture some nice lightning shots. People in Australia are jealous though.
@@robinwong Just wow. If anything Olympus are just making it hard for themselves to jaw drop people with the performance 150-400mm Pro. Looks like this one might become a sleeper lens like the 75mm f/1.8.
I was waiting for this lens for quite some time. It is unfortunately a bit pricier as I expected, but neverless this one is now on my next Black Friday shopping list and will replace my Panasonic 100-300mm.
I'm glad Olympus gave you permission to pour all that water on the lens, albeit likely not the weakest area. The IP1x rating is the lowest rating available within that rating system & states a pass against vertical falling droplets. Your test was way beyond this in the area of the lens tested.
Great review, Robin-thank you. And a lot more information than on the Olympus UK website where the spec sheet is almost blank! Very impressed by your photographs of the animals in particular. The bokeh looks a bit intrusive to me, but the sharpness certainly seems impressive. Would like to know how the combined lens / body 3-axis IS compares with using the OMDE-M1 Mk III 5-axis IBIS alone. Any chance of you testing this, please?
Thanks Steven, appreciate the kind words. That is very strange indeed, the Malaysian Olympus website has a lot of good information, not just the specifications. There really is no point testing the 5-Axis body IS versus the lens IS. The lens is incredibly long, the shake happens far away from the camera body, there is only so much the body IS can do to stabilize the lens movement. It makes sense to include lens IS to stabilize the movement on the lens itself, and the rolling stabilization is not dependent on focal length so the body IS can take care of that. The 5-Axis IS can stabilize the lens very well, maybe 100-200mm, but anything further than that, the lens IS will be effectively more superior.
Nice, sharp images even at 400mm. Looking at Gordon Laing's review, I see that it also does a good job with closeup, semi-macro photography. What is your sense of the closeup performance?
It can do very good close up shooting for sure, but it is also extremely difficult to execute. 400mm hand-held and at high magnification are not a good combination.
Hi Robin. Great review! I would like to ask you for advice. What telephoto zoom would you choose for a Safari trip: the Zuiko 100-400mm f5-6.3 OR the Zuiko 40-150 f2.8 PRO + MC-20 2X? Thanks!!
Hi Robin, if you compare the 100-400mm lens with the 14-150mm would you consider that they have similar image quality? In general I have been very happy with photos with this kit lens. I am sure I will not want the 150-400 PRO due to weight and price, but I am tempted by the 100-400mm. EDIT: Just looking at the full resolution photos - they look fabulous!
I know you did an excellent video on the 75-300 lens. For the NON PROFESSIONAL, do you feel it's a good upgrade to spend the $1,500 US dollars to purchase the 100-400???
Technically, you can switch off the lens IS. The body IS will work very well for 100mm, maybe 150mm, but at the further end, say 300-400mm, the lens IS works much better.
Yes I think that is the lens only fault, also because of this there is no compelling reason to not just but the Panasonic which is slightly faster at the wide end also
At the time of testing, there is no firmware available for E-M1 Mark II yet so I can't test the lens on my E-M1 Mark II. Will try to test it again later.
Hello Robin, what do you think about the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO plus 2.0 teleconverter as an alternative to the new M.Zuiko ED 100-400 mm IS? The combination of the would at least offer a higher max aperture if used without the converter. Would be grateful if you could compare in a video. I am still struggling to buy the new 100-400 lense because it is so light-weak.
Thanks for the review Robin, - was it a pre-production sample you tested ? I`m looking forwart to a QI comparison between it and the 75-300mm :-) Keep up the spirit and keep safe. ;-)
I don't think a comparison is necessary. I have a full resolution image gallery (about 50 images, all uncropped). Go see for yourself the images in full size. Link in my blog article. That should be enough to judge if the lens is better than 75-300mm lens.
Hey do you have any blog or video guide on how to edit raw images from Olympus camera.. I have been following your reviews and recently bought EM1 mk ii ..very happy with purchase... Got 100 400 with it as I am into birding and wildlife .. I am stuck up with OM workspace as I am old Canon guy who used DPP very much .. compared to DPP, OM workspace feels useless.... Any suggestion for me on what's best to start for editing RAW? Or do you have any guide on OM Workspace that I can refer?
Very interesting. With this new lens, where do you think the 75-300 keeps placed? Beyond the 100m extra telephoto and the weather sealing, do you think this new 100-400 improves significantly the 75-300? Thank you!
75-300mm is still an every bit a good lens. It is more budget-friendly, 300mm is still plenty of reach, and most people don't need anything more than that.
Nice review! But how to choose between this lens and the Panasonic leica 100-400mm f4-6.3. They seem quite similar, except the f4 vs f5.6 at 100mm. Even the price is close (1300€ vs 1500€). The main reason to choose the Olympus over the Panasonic is if I have an Olympus body?
Advantages of Olympus 100-400mm lens 1) Can take in teleconverters MC-14 and MC-20, effectively extending the reach to 1600mm equivalent, longest for Micro Four Thirds native lens now 2) Olympus generally has better weather-sealing 3) And yes, if you are using Olympus body, it makes sense since you can further stabilize your shots with Body IS for rolling axis
Nice video Robin. Will you recomend this lens more for BIF photography than the Oly 40-150mm f2.8(maybe with a 1.4x converter),considering price and weight.
Both are very different lenses. 40-150mm is excellent for the focal length range that it covers, and is a PRO lens, which will give superior image quality. The 40-150mm can't reach as far as the 100-400mm even with teleconverter, so if you need the reach and you are on the budget, go for 100-400mm. Else there is the coming 150mm-400mm PRO.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
For those of you who derive unexplained pleasure from pixel peeping, I have a gallery of about 50 full resolution images taken with the Olympus 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS lens (using E-M1 Mark III), all uncropped. You can find the link to that gallery in my blog article here: robinwong.blogspot.com/2020/08/olympus-mzuiko-100-400mm-f5-63-is-review.html
Also, E-M10 Mark IV review is coming up. Stay tuned people. I am working extra hard to produce contents and publish them in timely manner.
With the em1 pictures are not great at all, dissaponting even
Got the email from Olympus about the lens announcement. Headed over to RUclips to hopefully see more from you. You did not disappoint.
Thanks, glad I did not!
You are the king of sharp and proper exposed hand-held shots! This might be something the birdie shooters and safari photographers will really love to use. Looks like $1500 introduced price in USA. Take care, Loren
USD1500 is very fair, considering you get full weather sealing, built in IS, and not to forget, ability to attach teleconverters! And the optics is very good too! Thanks for the kind words, Loren, appreciate that.
The lens looks pretty impressive but, the biggest thing is that I'm so happy you're still able to create and post videos! Thanks so much Robin!
Thanks Alan, the government has U-Turned on their decision, thank goodness! Let's hope it stays that way.
@@robinwong quick question for you. Can a button on my EM1-Mk III be assigned to select spot metering? I have my Nikons set up that way and would love to be able to do it with my Olympus as well. Thanks.
I’ve used it quite a bit now and have never stopped it down. It’s truly amazing!
Thanks, Robin
Thanks for the Video. I use that and feel very satisfied and started as beginner few years ago but made many pics in the meantime.
would be very nice to see technical performance comparisons of the oly 100-400 vs the panasonic 100-400
I am impressed. The photos with this lens are fantastic and so sharp. Thanks for your video.
Thanks for the review, Robin. The images of the big cats, complex building facades and great apes were just spectacular. This lens is definitely a winner. I shoot both for publication and for pleasure, and I would not hesitate to use it. Looks like a winner to me !
Nice one Robin...! ....plz make sure to get some video clips in your next video w/the teleconverters......I am excited to see some video clips with the MC-20!!!!......Thank You.
I'll be very pleased once I have the opportunity to get the 12-100mm F4 plus this one. Wish I could go back to Malaysia to test them afterwards (I was there exactly one year ago). Thank you for your videos. Regards from Portugal
I didn't thought I needed a telephoto. That's symply awesome
Thanks, appreciate that
Fantastic, looks wonderful
It is a fantastic lens indeed!
Good to see you still making videos!
Glad to be able to continue here too
Wonderful images and an excellent analysis of another superb Olympus lens. Inspirational stuff!!
Thanks, appreciate the kind words!
Great review Robin!
Olympus image quality does not disappoint. Looks like a great lens.
Indeed, the lens exceeded my initial expectations.
You got some beautiful images.
First! Impressed that even at 6.3 it has background blur.
At such long focal length, you still get shallow depth of field
It's quite smooth too, that's another plus.
em10 mkiv! i'm excited for it
Your reviews are always excellent. I've watched a few of your uploads recently and don't know why it's taken so long for me to subscribe... SUBBED. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing more of your content.
OMG! Build quality looks so good! Comes with tripod mount! Shots looking really good. 800mm at reasonable price. I think Olympus just created something incredible. Robin, thanks a lot for review!
No worries MIke, do check out the sample gallery!
Thank you Robin for that fantastic video. Clear and interesting. I hopefully see more from you. You do a great job. Bonjour de Montréal.
Liked this review very much. Being a proud owner of this new lens since mid October 2020, I can only confirm what you already told in this vid.
Being aviation photography as my main subject, once i got this lens and, of course first updated the firmware, I took it through it's paces at the local military airfields near my hometown. Although i have it coupled to my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk.II, I found it a very easy to handle lens and I'm glad I was one of the happy few that was in the first batch of people that got it in the Netherlands. Considering the price that Olympus advertised it with, a whopping € 1,300.00, it values it more then enough. I also noticed that, when IBIS on auto and lens IS on, it does exactly what you said it will do. Pitch and yaw corrected by the lens, roll corrected by IBIS. Giving crispy harp photos, even on the 400mm side.
The first day I took it for a go through it's paces and see what an how it would perform, the weather was nice, sunny with a light overcast of clouds. Second time I took it outside weather was at start sunny with overcast, later on overcast with from time to time light to moderate rain and lens kept working. Considering that my E-M 10mk.II isn't weatherproofed, I deliberated kept the rain cover off the camera and lens and it held out. So good to know when out at an airshow or photographing during airforce exercises and/or deployments. when you sometimes don't have enough time to put the rain cover out and on the camera and lens.
Tip: always make sure you have a small, quick drying towel in your camera bag to wipe of the rain drops of your camera and lens before putting them away or putting the rain cover on.
Conclusion: great lens for the price paid. Great for wildlife as for aviation/sports photography and really affordable for amateurs and enthusiasts alike. Especially when you want a lens tht has good and fast AF and C-AF capabilities.
Very good review as always … thank you
Glad to see you again!!
Glad to be seen
Thanks for this review Robin! It's a lens a definitely want to buy in the future.
No worries, very happy to do this review.
Robin - Thanks a lot for the great review. I've been anticipating this lens eagerly and plan to buy one as soon as I can. I'm a little disappointed that Olympus did not implement IS Sync though, I wonder why? I've been a fan of your channel for a while now, so I just bought you a coffee. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for the coffee, and thanks for being here, I appreciate you! I guess not having 5-Axis Sync clearly differentiates this lens from the coming 150-400mm PRO, which should include 5-Axis Sync IS. You still get a very reliable 3-Axis IS (with selected compatible Olympus bodies) with the body IS stabilizing the rolling axis, so it is not all bad news.
Good job as always Robin. Thank you for the great video.
Thanks, glad I could contribute a little.
Fantastic review Robin. Keep up the good work.
Best regards.
Thanks Mike, appreciate that
Hi, Robin. Thanks for your videos. I have been shooting Olympus since 2006 and Olympus MFT since 2013. (Had a break to use Nikon due to a military commitment) I have been looking at (and enjoying) your blog and videos for some time. As I look at this latest offering from Olympus, I am torn. I have been anticipating the 150-400 f4,, but am very tempted to get this fine offering. Olympus is making it very difficult for me to wait for the latter!
@6:43 = "Hanging On" -- Great Shot!
Olympus lenses are so beautiful
Great video. Look forward to your preview of the E-M10 IV. Haven't seen many reviewing that camera.
Working hard on that review now.
Very interesting lens.
Thanks nice review, Robinさん.
Now after watching too many of your videos, I have bought a Em1 mark II.
Now I like a 12-100 and/or a 100-400.
That's because of watching too many of your clips.
If I'll becoming friends with the EM then I will sell my Sony gear,
Thanks Robin
As I've said a million times, great photos. Would I be happy with them, you bet. Light could be an issue but everything else seems so right, regardless of how it's achieved. Manageable quality, it would be interesting to compare with other brands...
wow!! I better start saving.
I just fitted the dress ring from my 300mm f4 pro (when not using tripod ring) onto my 100-400 Olympus lens. Nice! I was trying to find the dress ring for the 100-400, but it does not exist.
Thnx......Appreciate if u cud upload performance of this lens with reference to bird in flight photography
Robin, I am looking forward to buying new gear and Olympus looks great except for the price. This lens is $1500 whereas for $1850 I can buy the combo of Sigma 100-400/f5-6.3 full frame lens + Sony a6400 combo which weighs even less than the lens and camera you have used in this video and provides better autofocus performance. Does not have 800 mm reach but a6400's 24MP sensor will allow me crop more and can extend the reach to 600mm plus. How will I justify the price tag of this lens and an Olympus camera in that comparison?
Very nice! My dream lens is the 300mm prime, but considering the price points I should take a good look at this.
The 300mm will be superior surely, but yes, it also costs almost double!
Thanks for the review. Looks like a very good lens with an extraordinary reach. I have no need for this kind of reach and I cannot afford it anyway, lol. Awesome pictures.
Sure, I am in the same boat. I don't need such crazy reach!
Great informative clip as always Robin. This lens is a direct competitor to the Panasonic/Lumix/Leica 100-400mm lens which suffers from stiff and jerky zoom action and lack of sharpness and clarity at full 400mm - unless you can set the f-stop to f11.
I did not remember you mentioning if the zoom action on this lens is smooth ?
I will wait until the 150-400mm plus X1.25 teleconverter giving 500mm pro lens is released.
The zooming was perfectly smooth. However, obviously the lens I was testing was very new. I can't comment after frequent abuse and using the lens for... say 2 years, maybe it won't be that smooth anymore.
OH yes, the 150-400mm PRO is coming, that is something to look forward to definitely.
Robin Wong - Well my Panasonic / Leica has always been stiff and jerky on the zoom since new and in warm countries also becomes even more difficult to turn. Also the image suffers from sharpens when fully extended to 400mm and the subject is a long way from me. That is why I already have the 300mm pro which is far superior even when used with the x1.4 and x2.0 telephoto adapters. The only slight drawback with this set up is trying to find the subject - say a bird in flight - in the distance. This is why I am waiting for the 150 - 400mm pro with the zoom capability. I can put a x1.4 teleconverter on and initially start with a 210mm focal length before zooming into 700mm !!!! Let us hope the image will be sharp and the sync stabilisation works well. Keep on posting.
Great review! I would like to hear some comments regarding this lens quality as-is vs that of the 40-150 pro with the MC20 teleconverter. Thanks for all your reviews and "instructional" videos!!
The 40-150mm PRO lens will still be a better lens, being PRO. But it does not go all the way to 400mm.
Looks like a good lens but the lack of sync IS may make it harder to sell than the Panasonic G9 & 100-400 combo.
I guess saving the sync IS for the 150-400. This one could have been so good but without sync IS not sure.
well done robin! can't wait to see your opinion with the mc1.4 and mc2.0
It is coming soooooon
great video and review, love the production elements in this one, music and cuts.
Thanks, appreciate that.
I am more impressed with the images shown here than what you posted on Facebook. Still interested in the 150-400 Pro and will probably wait to see pricing and reviews on that one before making a decision. Great review.
I don't remember posting anything on Facebook, besides a small thumbnail. And you should never really judge anything from thumbnails, or from Facebook with heavy compression/resizing.
Good review. I was excited to see an upgrade to my 75-300 until I saw the price.....more than three times my 75-300. Oh well, but still good review. Thanks
75-300mm is a good lens, budget-friendly and compact. The 100-400mm is a different lens altogether, better built, with full weather-sealing matching reliability of a PRO lens, much better optical construction, longer reach of 400mm, has built in IS, and can take in tele-converters. I just don't see how this lens can be any lower in price. Unless Olympus removes the IS, weather-sealing, and some more features.
I'm waiting to see what the 'pro - telephoto zoom lens' in the 70-250mm range on the roadmap turns out to be before I look at this, the reach isn't going to be as big, naturally, but maybe it will work well with teleconverters.
Great review, Robin. Your images look excellent at 400mm--even at 1/80s and 1/40s! (And even while looking at the photos on compressed RUclips.)
You can view them full resolution in a gallery, go to my blog for that !
Can't wait to try this lens, the PanaLeica 100-400 is pretty weak past 300mm, and the AF is inconsistent.
My experience with the Olympus 100-400mm has been positive so far, even all the way till 400mm longest end. AF was very good too. But I did not shoot in the pitch darkness of the night of course, that is a different story.
Sharp subjects, nice bokeh, great close-ups, and all hand-held! What’s not to like?
Thanks! What's not to like indeed!
Great review as always Robin.
Thanks!
I love how you can use those teleconverters on it. Would have like to have seen dual sync US though. Maybe they'll release a heavier or costlier variant with that in. While not cannibalising the upcoming 150-400
I don't think it makes sense to have another similar focal length lens in Olympus collection, since we have 100-400mm, and the PRO 150-400mm coming
great review
So I am an amateur bird photographer and I have this lens. I have to say I don't get anywhere near the same quality/sharpness that you do and I find the lens very heavy to handle. This causes me to fatigue and then lose stability. I have updated my camera (Mk ii) firmware. I will keep practicing, I'm completely open to it being user error/inexperience but can't help feeling disappointed.
It's a beauty! Sure, it would be nice if it was faster at the short end, but you can't have everything, and it would be larger and heavier then (and more expensive). In good light, I don't see any issues, especially since you say it's really sharp at widest apertures. The images look stunning, btw (checking them out in full screen glory on your blog). The OIS and IBIS combo might be a compromise, but again, in decent light, I can't see this being an issue.
The price seems fair, although I doubt I'll be running out to buy it, when the 75-300 might be good enough for my needs. If I was a wildlife / bird photographer, I wouldn't hesitate.
Thanks for the kind words Andrew. 75-300mm is already a good lens to begin with, 300mm is a lot of reach, and I don't see many situations that we need to stretch beyond that. Sure the 100-400mm is a step up from 75-300mm, but it is also much pricier, larger and heavier. 75-300mm is truly remarkable for being so compact and budget-friendly, yet delivering very good images.
@@robinwong yes, exactly, I really enjoy a good quality, compact tele-zoom. On my Pentax, the 55-300mm was probably my second most used lens. I really miss that reach when I'm shooting with my E-M10 MKII, so I'll have to buy it soon :)
I was eyeing up the Panny 100-400, might wait a bit more longer now, Thanks Robin
The Olympus 100-400mm has a few advantages - allows use of teleconverters for more reach, and better stabilization if you use Olympus bodies.
@@robinwong True that thou I think it's going to cost a lot more than the Panny here in New Zealand, will wait & see :-)
@@seangray4512 that is strange, here in Malaysia, and also in US, the pricing is lower than Panasonic!
Here in France also: the Olympus costs 200€ less than the Panasonic.
Also the Panasonic x2 multiplier costs 100€ more than the Olympus’.
For us, we’re looking for new Macro len’s from Olympus! Still, great update!
Hi Robin. I have a 100-400mm on order and should arrive soon.
I understand both IS on lens and body should be on.
My question is on the body, what IS setting should I use? Auto or 1. Thanks lots 😊
When is your EM 10 M4 review? Looking forward!
Working hard on it. It is coming
1. Try to use the EM-1 Mark III with x2 converter to taking 1600mm photo for the Jupiter and the Saturn.
2. Testing the stabilizability when at the 400mm side(800mm 135mm frame) as how much seconds you can doing the effection handheld photo taking. please.
I don't even know where Jupiter and Saturn are or how they look like. I am not that kind of photographer.
@@robinwong you can use an augmented reality astronomy app for smartphone. You will find Jupiter and Saturn very fast. 😉 Thank you for all these videos!
@@tudorp2610 thee skies in Malaysia are cloudy in the evening 175% of the time, with 250% chance of rain, and 50% chance thunderstorm. Good luck finding anything in the sky. I did however capture some nice lightning shots. People in Australia are jealous though.
That moon shot at the end got me to take notice. Will love to see how moon shots work out with the teleconvertors.
Go the sample gallery. I've shots from both teleconverters
@@robinwong Just wow. If anything Olympus are just making it hard for themselves to jaw drop people with the performance 150-400mm Pro. Looks like this one might become a sleeper lens like the 75mm f/1.8.
OLYMPUS is the best camera and lens of the World ! #OLYMPUS !
Thanks a lot :) Nice review
Cheers, glad you liked it
Your animal photos were amazing. Do you have a video on taking moon pics? That was an incredible shot. Thanks!
Thanks, appreciate that. Yes, I did a very quick video on moon. Do a quick search "moon" on my videos.
Wow, I think I want one, do you think it will work well, EM1 ll?
I was waiting for this lens for quite some time. It is unfortunately a bit pricier as I expected, but neverless this one is now on my next Black Friday shopping list and will replace my Panasonic 100-300mm.
What's price ?
@@romainprovost7164 I'v read 1.300 € or 1,400 USD.
I'm glad Olympus gave you permission to pour all that water on the lens, albeit likely not the weakest area. The IP1x rating is the lowest rating available within that rating system & states a pass against vertical falling droplets. Your test was way beyond this in the area of the lens tested.
Well, the trick is, do it first and ask questions later!
@@robinwong 😕👀😆
Great review, Robin-thank you. And a lot more information than on the Olympus UK website where the spec sheet is almost blank! Very impressed by your photographs of the animals in particular.
The bokeh looks a bit intrusive to me, but the sharpness certainly seems impressive.
Would like to know how the combined lens / body 3-axis IS compares with using the OMDE-M1 Mk III 5-axis IBIS alone. Any chance of you testing this, please?
Thanks Steven, appreciate the kind words. That is very strange indeed, the Malaysian Olympus website has a lot of good information, not just the specifications.
There really is no point testing the 5-Axis body IS versus the lens IS. The lens is incredibly long, the shake happens far away from the camera body, there is only so much the body IS can do to stabilize the lens movement. It makes sense to include lens IS to stabilize the movement on the lens itself, and the rolling stabilization is not dependent on focal length so the body IS can take care of that.
The 5-Axis IS can stabilize the lens very well, maybe 100-200mm, but anything further than that, the lens IS will be effectively more superior.
@@robinwong Understood-thank you for that. Makes complete sense.
Imagine this lens on my digital Pen-f! Awesome! 😆
It will look so cool, but the handling... I am having my doubts!
Great review. I´m waiting te new 150-400 f4.5 to decide which of the two to buy. Do you know the price of the 150-400? Thanks
Hi, waiting for your reviews of the EM-10 Mark VI and Mark IIIS ;)
Working hard on the review
Nice, sharp images even at 400mm. Looking at Gordon Laing's review, I see that it also does a good job with closeup, semi-macro photography. What is your sense of the closeup performance?
It can do very good close up shooting for sure, but it is also extremely difficult to execute. 400mm hand-held and at high magnification are not a good combination.
Hi Robin. Great review! I would like to ask you for advice. What telephoto zoom would you choose for a Safari trip: the Zuiko 100-400mm f5-6.3 OR the Zuiko 40-150 f2.8 PRO + MC-20 2X? Thanks!!
Hi Robin, if you compare the 100-400mm lens with the 14-150mm would you consider that they have similar image quality? In general I have been very happy with photos with this kit lens. I am sure I will not want the 150-400 PRO due to weight and price, but I am tempted by the 100-400mm.
EDIT: Just looking at the full resolution photos - they look fabulous!
Hi Robin, any idea how this compares to the Leica 100-400 Panasonic? Thanks.
Really liked your video. What is it like compared to the 75-300mm from Olympus ? Is it worth upgrading ? Thanks
It is definitely a huge step up from 75-300mm lens. Better in every way.
How close to objects can you get and still be able to focus?
I know you did an excellent video on the 75-300 lens. For the NON PROFESSIONAL, do you feel it's a good upgrade to spend the $1,500 US dollars to purchase the 100-400???
Hi Robin, what if you turn off the lens IS? Does it work with IBIS only? And what's the expected performance?
Technically, you can switch off the lens IS. The body IS will work very well for 100mm, maybe 150mm, but at the further end, say 300-400mm, the lens IS works much better.
@@robinwong Thank you!
Do you have to choose either lens IS only or IBIS only? Or they can work together?
Price is decent. Quality also it seems. But really a bummer it hasn't Sync-IS.
Yes I think that is the lens only fault, also because of this there is no compelling reason to not just but the Panasonic which is slightly faster at the wide end also
Thx Robin. Do you know when the new 8-25mm Lens is coming out?
At this moment, no info available yet
Thank you Robin, really look forward to seeing your videos each week. Can you tell me if this lens supports Pro-capture for my em1 mk2?
At the time of testing, there is no firmware available for E-M1 Mark II yet so I can't test the lens on my E-M1 Mark II. Will try to test it again later.
Hello Robin, what do you think about the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO plus 2.0 teleconverter as an alternative to the new M.Zuiko ED 100-400 mm IS? The combination of the would at least offer a higher max aperture if used without the converter. Would be grateful if you could compare in a video. I am still struggling to buy the new 100-400 lense because it is so light-weak.
Hi Robin how does this lens compare to the Panasonic/Leica 100-400?
Thanks for the review Robin, - was it a pre-production sample you tested ?
I`m looking forwart to a QI comparison between it and the 75-300mm :-)
Keep up the spirit and keep safe. ;-)
I don't think a comparison is necessary. I have a full resolution image gallery (about 50 images, all uncropped). Go see for yourself the images in full size. Link in my blog article. That should be enough to judge if the lens is better than 75-300mm lens.
his eyes are so small. so cute hahahhahaa i want to have this lens...
Wondering if this lens is compatible to em5markiii camera?
Hey do you have any blog or video guide on how to edit raw images from Olympus camera.. I have been following your reviews and recently bought EM1 mk ii ..very happy with purchase... Got 100 400 with it as I am into birding and wildlife .. I am stuck up with OM workspace as I am old Canon guy who used DPP very much .. compared to DPP, OM workspace feels useless.... Any suggestion for me on what's best to start for editing RAW? Or do you have any guide on OM Workspace that I can refer?
hello robin can i using this lenght on OMD E5 MARKIII ? Thanks your vidéo.
Very interesting. With this new lens, where do you think the 75-300 keeps placed? Beyond the 100m extra telephoto and the weather sealing, do you think this new 100-400 improves significantly the 75-300? Thank you!
75-300mm is still an every bit a good lens. It is more budget-friendly, 300mm is still plenty of reach, and most people don't need anything more than that.
Nice review!
But how to choose between this lens and the Panasonic leica 100-400mm f4-6.3. They seem quite similar, except the f4 vs f5.6 at 100mm.
Even the price is close (1300€ vs 1500€).
The main reason to choose the Olympus over the Panasonic is if I have an Olympus body?
Advantages of Olympus 100-400mm lens
1) Can take in teleconverters MC-14 and MC-20, effectively extending the reach to 1600mm equivalent, longest for Micro Four Thirds native lens now
2) Olympus generally has better weather-sealing
3) And yes, if you are using Olympus body, it makes sense since you can further stabilize your shots with Body IS for rolling axis
@@robinwong Thank you for this clear answer !
Nice video Robin. Will you recomend this lens more for BIF photography than the Oly 40-150mm f2.8(maybe with a 1.4x converter),considering price and weight.
Both are very different lenses. 40-150mm is excellent for the focal length range that it covers, and is a PRO lens, which will give superior image quality. The 40-150mm can't reach as far as the 100-400mm even with teleconverter, so if you need the reach and you are on the budget, go for 100-400mm. Else there is the coming 150mm-400mm PRO.
Robin, I have the Pana 100-400 but I think this Olympus will be more flexible and the stabilization a little bit better. What do you think about that?
I don't have the Panasonic so I can't comment, but the Olympus takes teleconverters, and has better weather-sealing.
Hi Robin, how many stops can you achieve with this lens with the E-M1 III ?
Is ist not possible to use both IS even if they are not synch???