I paid the hefty price and bought the lens. I am very satisfied with its performance. Its very sharp through the entire range. I tested my example in a shop before buying since I have heard about copies being not that sharp at 300mm. Mine is totally fine with open aperture. The bokeh is beatiful and the macro capability handy. So far I do not regret spending 1300€ on this.
I recently purchased this lens to go on my S5. It's superb. It's sharp at all focal lengths across the frame. It's heavy, but it has a great focal range and is very verstatile.
I'm being very honest: more important than the lens (and the excellent review) to me was to see you're up and gotten better health wise, Chris. Great to you see you're on track again. All the best and stay healthy!
No big deal, but when you guys and others make fairly sweeping statements about the availability of the L-mount lens, Leica L lens (who originated the mount) are often excluded. Leica have a 90-280 F2.8-4 lens which is beyond superlative (mind blowing actually). Yes, it is in a different price category, but it's still there. Very comprehensive review overall.
300k = congrats! Yea, I’m so much looking forward to your next videos with the K01! 1080p here we come! So long videos with High Dynamic Range! FYI, I’ve used to be a K-X user! ❤️ Pentax
Fantastic, the bison shot was incredible. I do wonder if the characteristics of these lenses is being orientated towards video. However, for me I’ve recently bought the Sigma 100-400 which really is excellent
I got a like new unit for 650 bucks, i have exactly one sports photo job per year and this will be used for that primarily, looking forward to using it!
When he said it was a bit expensive I expected the worst. But tbh it's kinda similar in price to the Sony. I think it's a bit unfair to compare it to some 80s DSLR lens designs from Canon or Nikon. But then if the performance isn't there, it's a hard pill to swallow. Seems common in Panasonic Lenses, I had the 100-300 for MFT and up until 200mm is was good, afterwards it fell off a cliff.
Welcome back! I have had the Pentax K-01 since it was new. It is a fun camera, and while not the complete package it is quite responsive and intuitive for what it does. It is very much lacking and EVF though, limiting usability outside. No idea how good (bad) it is at video though :)
I think price wise you shouldn't be comparing to the SLR lenses, you should be comparing to the RF and Z lenses. It is actually the same price as Sony's 70-300G.
I already have the 20-60mm lens. What do people think I should go for next - this 70-300mm or sell the kit lens and get a 24-105mm, plus a Sigma 150-600mm? I'm looking to have a lens for every occasion. I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist. Thanks
So it's about the same price ($1249 vs $1349) as a Canon 70-300 L, perhaps get an EF-L AF adaptor and see what the differences are, the Canon lens is quite old now but was well thought of and there will be a squillion of them on the used market. Oh and -20C, my fingers would have dropped off half-way through the opening speech... ouch....
"At 300mm that (focus breathing) largely goes away." ...Wat? It was nothing close to going away, there, Chris! I'm glad you mentioned the softness. Something looked up in the pictures at the beginning, it just looked... off.
I like the fact that the Panasonic S consumer lenses seem to offer a bit more than other makers entry-level lenses. Their nifty 50 is worlds better than the Canon RF counterpart. They tend to be sharp, with weather sealing, lighter weight, yet well built, and fairly uniform in design and function with their other lenses. The 70-300 started out expensive, but it’s come down quite a bit. $850 USD IN 2024.
If I can only get either the Panasonic 70-200 or 70-300 for my S5, which would you recommend? I have the 24-70 and a Sigma 45. What’s next, on a limited budget? I don’t shoot wildlife and seldom shoot sports. Thanks!
That’s my problem with a lot of the L Mount lenses and why I’m so confused by the S5, if you buy an S5 you want full frame at a lower price point, but then you go to explore the lenses and none of the L Mount lenses are amazing for the price. I have an S1H and an S1R and don’t get me wrong I like the cameras and lenses but the money you fork out for them and the lenses I really don’t know if you are getting that competitive of a product.
if i were you，i would probably pick up the sigma's conveted DLSR lenses first，they are all top performers in the ways they are meant to be used, just superb
Can you review the Sigma 100-400 (I know you mentioned it but I'd rather get a full review of course)!? I mean, with the issues on the long end here, even if the Sigma is a bit slower, I suspect that the quality cannot be worse (I have had some fantastic Sigma glass), so the price is very confounding...
Why's that SUV at 0:54 crossing the entire road, and going over the frozen centre line? If it's to give you guys at the side of the road some space I think it's more dangerous to do that than just stay in lane, I've never seen anyone give a person who isnt even in the road so much room. Unless they had just finished overtaking another car but I doubt it.
300k subscribers🥳 Chris please please get someone to film @jordandrake while you make vlogs with the K-01, we need to see his pain! It validates all the reviews you do giving us good equipment advice. LOL
Nikon's 300mm f/4 PF goes for just about the same price - that's smaller, lighter, sharper and a full stop faster. Why do manufacturers assume that anything mirrorless is OK to cost twice as much as its actually worth...
Yeyyyyyyyyyyyyy We dont want Nikon to be pronounced differently or whatever but Jordan have to shoot videos with Pentax - that is a thing . at 3:40 there is a spot from the center left top side - was it sensor or lens?
On price the Sigma 150-600mm murders this and there is a Tamron option for that. And using the EF mount adapter, you could save a lot more money while not suffering optically. If it had a constant F/4, it would make more sense, but for now, this isnt even on the radar for my S5.
Somebody mightve already said, but your breathing samples were the wrong way around- 300mm footage labeled as 70mm and vice versa. Nice to see you out and about, Chris
Well, Chris was complaining about how cold it was, but what the h-ll was he wearing!?!? Low shoes, some casual pants, your standard city jacket? Look at Jordan - he's better dressed and therefor he has to stand OUTSIDE the warm car to film Chris. But hey - great to see you guys out and about!
Next Sub-Goal 350k by Canada day : An episode where Jordan gets to use the kit of his choice while Chris does an in-depth review of a Nikon F5 Kodak DCS XXX (760. 660, etc) series digital camera.
Is it though? I keep hearing that but then the only alternative I would see that has clearly a cheaper offering is Nikon. Canon R5 and R6 are much higher priced than S1R or S1/S5. Not saying they aren't worth it but the S5 is pretty well priced for what it offers. Usually similarly spec'd new lenses also aren't cheaper in RF or Z mount as far as I can see.
@@janwedek I'm totally agree Canon is way worse than Panasonic in terms of price and even worse in terms of value. And also you take the only example that kind of invalidated what I said. The S5 is an amazing ( if not the best) price/value camera on the market. But the Panasonic lens for the original ones ( not the new f/1.8) are from my feeling a bit too much. Even if, as the owner of the S1, I have no regret buying them. And yes Nikon is a great cheaper alternative, also Fujifilm (my second camera). That why it makes me feel Panasonic are a bit over priced. But again I'm happy to pay a bit more for Panasonic than pay a lot more for Canon
@@nicolasletellier6162 Same. There are a lot of interesting lenses for Canon but I don't want to buy the R6 and the R5 is just too much money for me as a hobbyist really at this point. I do love my S1 but it is heavy and big. If they had put the S1 EVF into the S5, I would have swapped right away. It's still quite early with lenses, the new f1.8 primes look promising and are ok-ish in price for what they offer. Sigma is starting to offer some nice and cheaper things too like the f2 primes or the 100-400. Definitely not worse than Z mount. At this stage, I am basically holding out to see if they have the stamina to keep improving in the right direction (AF and weight really). Switching cost is just too high for marginal improvements I would get for what I do. Here's hoping to a "S5R" with PDAF :).
@@janwedek I bought the S1 because it was big and heavy ;) I prefer that to the usual little light body ( my X-T4 is not comfortable for me). As for the sigma lens, I have 2 of them and my experience is not great at all. I have the 85mm DG DN And the 105mm Macro. Honestly I usually never say that ( or even think it) but the focus is crap. It's okish when you take a portrait but moving subject is another story. In a video (i tried video with the 85mm only), the lens just gives up if the subject move more than a cm or 2 ( seriously did the test I moved 2 cm from my chair and after 10 minutes the sigma still didn't get the focus back) While if I use a Panasonic lens it works perfectly. So I would never recommend anyone to use sigma on L mount.
@@nicolasletellier6162 :)). I see what you mean, but I still don't like the weight. I'd be fine with the size but I wouldn't mind shaving off 1/3 or more of the weight. Also, I had an Olympus E-M1iii and the body+grip was amazingly comfortable even though it is much more compact. I have the Sigma 85 dg dn as well, I am quite happy with it. But then again, I don't really do any video and for my kids in motion it's been fine. If the Panasonic 85m f1.8 had come out earlier, I would have bought that one and be happy with it (cheaper and lighter too).
Meanwhile the Sigma is a bit more expensive than the Panasonic - at least in Germany. The Lumix 70-300 ist fully weathersealed, lighter and shorter. The Minimum Focus Distance of the Lumix is 0,54m - 0,74m in comparison to the Sigma its 1,12m - 1,60m. The Lumix has Macro capabilites with magnification factor 0,5. I own the 70-300. The image quality is superb. So, there is a lot to like more about the Lumix over the Sigma 100-400. That said, I don't agree with your conclusion.
I paid the hefty price and bought the lens. I am very satisfied with its performance. Its very sharp through the entire range. I tested my example in a shop before buying since I have heard about copies being not that sharp at 300mm. Mine is totally fine with open aperture. The bokeh is beatiful and the macro capability handy. So far I do not regret spending 1300€ on this.
It looks great, I ordered it with the S5ii 24-105 f4 combo for an extra £699
I recently purchased this lens to go on my S5. It's superb. It's sharp at all focal lengths across the frame. It's heavy, but it has a great focal range and is very verstatile.
I'm being very honest: more important than the lens (and the excellent review) to me was to see you're up and gotten better health wise, Chris. Great to you see you're on track again. All the best and stay healthy!
That start was great. I hope you are feeling back to normal Chris! :)
is it better than the sony one?
3:37 I think the two clips are swapped there.
T'is
K-01! YES!!!! and sure, congrats on 300K
Very glad to see Chris is back! Also, can't wait to see the K-01 episodes.
No big deal, but when you guys and others make fairly sweeping statements about the availability of the L-mount lens, Leica L lens (who originated the mount) are often excluded. Leica have a 90-280 F2.8-4 lens which is beyond superlative (mind blowing actually). Yes, it is in a different price category, but it's still there. Very comprehensive review overall.
thanks for pointing this lens out-never heard of it before
Glad that you shared the sharpness results, important to consider when paying the premium
if Panasonic wants to get people to buy it for the price and been soft at 300mm is not a good deal.
He lives! Congrats on the recovery and safe family.
this is why I love this channel
so good, you guys have some of the best chemistry together.
Yaaaay Chris is out!!!
Very happy to see you guys in action!
Welcome back Chris!!!
Chris starting to rock the Mifune Red Beard look.
I've got sort of the same thing. Very dark brown hair but reddish brown facial hair.
Akahige coming to save us all
@@FinalLugiaGuardian yup, same here, and I'm half Greek half Swiss/Irish ;)
Still waiting on them to announce the rest of the 1.8 primes...
300k = congrats! Yea, I’m so much looking forward to your next videos with the K01! 1080p here we come! So long videos with High Dynamic Range!
FYI, I’ve used to be a K-X user! ❤️ Pentax
I had a K-30 and still have videos from it. The K-01 was a K-30 without a mirror.
The brightness and aura of light reminds me of my own migraines. Glad you are feeling better.
Congrats on feeling better and hitting 300k!!!
Beautiful photos Chris.
Glad you are back Chris!
Would love to see a review of the new Fuji XF 70-300mm F4-5.6
Chris is testing it right now
yea i thought this was going to be the review when i saw 70-300 but sadly it is this pany
Fantastic, the bison shot was incredible. I do wonder if the characteristics of these lenses is being orientated towards video. However, for me I’ve recently bought the Sigma 100-400 which really is excellent
Great lens for the L-mount. Nice pictures and video about the snow and winter.
Welcome back
Glad you feel better
I got a like new unit for 650 bucks, i have exactly one sports photo job per year and this will be used for that primarily, looking forward to using it!
Welcome back Chris and best of luck to Jordan for his trial by pentax fire
Hilarious intro. I love how overly bright the light was coming through a frosted window on an overcast day. You guys are great!
300k we did it!
Poor Jordan...
Welcome back in the outside world Chris :0) Iwas thinking how would this lens compare to the new fuji 70-300 mm? :0)
When he said it was a bit expensive I expected the worst. But tbh it's kinda similar in price to the Sony. I think it's a bit unfair to compare it to some 80s DSLR lens designs from Canon or Nikon. But then if the performance isn't there, it's a hard pill to swallow. Seems common in Panasonic Lenses, I had the 100-300 for MFT and up until 200mm is was good, afterwards it fell off a cliff.
I can't wait to get it for landscape photography! 300mm+high-res photomode=1200mm
I hope that's sarcasm. At 300mm, let alone 1200, high res photo mode will be irrelevant because all detail will be blurred by atmospheric haze anyway.
@@youknowwho9247 I can get 420mm equivalent with my 24-105 with great results...I'll let you know if I'll get the same results with this lens.
What drugs do you take? 😆
Welcome back! I have had the Pentax K-01 since it was new. It is a fun camera, and while not the complete package it is quite responsive and intuitive for what it does. It is very much lacking and EVF though, limiting usability outside. No idea how good (bad) it is at video though :)
1:14 Did you find the suitcase with the money from Fargo?
That's a beautifully cinematic shot.
panasonic l-mount teleconverters have been on back order for 12 months now. It'd be great if they'd put some more on the shelves!
is this lens compatible with Lumix S5?
I think price wise you shouldn't be comparing to the SLR lenses, you should be comparing to the RF and Z lenses. It is actually the same price as Sony's 70-300G.
Love that Pentax K-01!
Would this be GOOD on a LUMIX GH7 and a 20 TC to extend the focal length even more, being a MFT sensor ? For wildlife *
Can't wait to Test on My New LUMIX S5ii
I already have the 20-60mm lens. What do people think I should go for next - this 70-300mm or sell the kit lens and get a 24-105mm, plus a Sigma 150-600mm?
I'm looking to have a lens for every occasion. I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist.
Thanks
any reason for no panasonic s5 review YET?
Where did you guys find a poster for Rushmore? 90's era abandoned theater complex?
So -40°C is like -4576 in American temp, right?
It’s -40 in American.
Hi Christ, to complete your review the only alternative is the 80-280mmm Leica... there isn’t a lot to deal with actually.
So it's about the same price ($1249 vs $1349) as a Canon 70-300 L, perhaps get an EF-L AF adaptor and see what the differences are, the Canon lens is quite old now but was well thought of and there will be a squillion of them on the used market.
Oh and -20C, my fingers would have dropped off half-way through the opening speech... ouch....
"At 300mm that (focus breathing) largely goes away."
...Wat? It was nothing close to going away, there, Chris!
I'm glad you mentioned the softness. Something looked up in the pictures at the beginning, it just looked... off.
Compare with the 70-200+tc!
Any chance of a review for the Viltrox 85mm f1.8 for Z mount?
How does this compare to sigma 70mm macro? Is this a better option for macro?
I like the fact that the Panasonic S consumer lenses seem to offer a bit more than other makers entry-level lenses. Their nifty 50 is worlds better than the Canon RF counterpart. They tend to be sharp, with weather sealing, lighter weight, yet well built, and fairly uniform in design and function with their other lenses. The 70-300 started out expensive, but it’s come down quite a bit. $850 USD IN 2024.
Reminds me of Sony’s G 70-300. Overpriced too, but no “macro”
Except the Sony is considerably sharper, especially at the long end, who wants soft macro? the Sony is cheaper too.
If I can only get either the Panasonic 70-200 or 70-300 for my S5, which would you recommend? I have the 24-70 and a Sigma 45. What’s next, on a limited budget? I don’t shoot wildlife and seldom shoot sports. Thanks!
Lol you guys are the funniest. The Top Gear of photography.
That’s my problem with a lot of the L Mount lenses and why I’m so confused by the S5, if you buy an S5 you want full frame at a lower price point, but then you go to explore the lenses and none of the L Mount lenses are amazing for the price. I have an S1H and an S1R and don’t get me wrong I like the cameras and lenses but the money you fork out for them and the lenses I really don’t know if you are getting that competitive of a product.
if i were you，i would probably pick up the sigma's conveted DLSR lenses first，they are all top performers in the ways they are meant to be used, just superb
Yes, the K-01 episodes will be very interesting to see!
Poor Jordan...
Can you review the Sigma 100-400 (I know you mentioned it but I'd rather get a full review of course)!? I mean, with the issues on the long end here, even if the Sigma is a bit slower, I suspect that the quality cannot be worse (I have had some fantastic Sigma glass), so the price is very confounding...
Why's that SUV at 0:54 crossing the entire road, and going over the frozen centre line? If it's to give you guys at the side of the road some space I think it's more dangerous to do that than just stay in lane, I've never seen anyone give a person who isnt even in the road so much room.
Unless they had just finished overtaking another car but I doubt it.
Silver Canadian Fox spotted in the intro 😎
I got an oly 70-300mm lens with macro, good.
Great review. Thank you.
Richard Wong review of this lens shows good sharpness, compared to this test
..the red blobb..! love you guys!
finally an outdoor video! look at all that protein
Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 FE anytime soon?
K-01 a mirroless camera with DSLR lens mount. It could be a hit if it had good AF performance.
300k subscribers🥳
Chris please please get someone to film @jordandrake while you make vlogs with the K-01, we need to see his pain!
It validates all the reviews you do giving us good equipment advice. LOL
How about shooting the next 4 episodes on 4 different Pentax cameras? I was hoping to see some K-1 footage. At least the ergonomics would be better :P
Chris has finally managed to escape!
Olympus 40-150 f2.8 TOP 👏 forever
For being the basic zoom telephoto. I expect better at 300mm wide open. This is a deal breaker and the price is not helping
Nikon's 300mm f/4 PF goes for just about the same price - that's smaller, lighter, sharper and a full stop faster. Why do manufacturers assume that anything mirrorless is OK to cost twice as much as its actually worth...
Hey Jordan. Welcome back to 2012. There is good news though. You'll have more hair and fit in smaller trousers. 🤣
Panasonic needs to improve the AF systems on S1...
not if you are a photographer.panasonics af is very good for pictures, its the video af that could be better.
Chris' out!
Yeyyyyyyyyyyyyy We dont want Nikon to be pronounced differently or whatever but Jordan have to shoot videos with Pentax - that is a thing .
at 3:40 there is a spot from the center left top side - was it sensor or lens?
With how sharp it is, I'm pretty sure it was on the sensor. Could have been on the back of the lens, but I doubt it.
On price the Sigma 150-600mm murders this and there is a Tamron option for that. And using the EF mount adapter, you could save a lot more money while not suffering optically. If it had a constant F/4, it would make more sense, but for now, this isnt even on the radar for my S5.
3:29 Hearing THAT comment from you at a balmy -20 Celsius... Are you sure you're Canadian? 😉
it has build-design. wow
Why would anyone pick this over a Sigma 100-400?
If you don't need or want the extra reach, then the macro capability is pretty compelling.
@@janwedek Who wants soft macro?
@@joewellham1 that wasn’t the question. And peak sharpness wide open is not the only measure to evaluate a lens.
Is he snowblind?
Somebody mightve already said, but your breathing samples were the wrong way around- 300mm footage labeled as 70mm and vice versa. Nice to see you out and about, Chris
Jordan has been fired and will be rehired shortly.
@@niccollsvideo get someone with Pentax experience. They'll need it... :D
Is -20 temperature actually -40 with a micro 4/3 lens?
Instead of reviewing every new piece of gear, I'd love to see some more education videos, like you used to do. Maybe one about cinematography?
so this lense is what a 40-150 mm 2.8 pro lense from olympus is. same depth of field same reach if you use it on a mft camera.
Well, Chris was complaining about how cold it was, but what the h-ll was he wearing!?!? Low shoes, some casual pants, your standard city jacket? Look at Jordan - he's better dressed and therefor he has to stand OUTSIDE the warm car to film Chris. But hey - great to see you guys out and about!
PANASONIC S5 REVIEW??????????? WHERE IS IT?
only minus 20c! nice to know it works in low temps lol
I hope sigma brings their 150-600 to the l mount
Alright 300,000 suckers and counting! Congratulations :)
On the focus breathing...”slight hint” 🤣🤔?
CAN WE SEE A GFX100S vs SONY ALPHA 1 SHOWDOWN....😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Next Sub-Goal 350k by Canada day : An episode where Jordan gets to use the kit of his choice while Chris does an in-depth review of a Nikon F5 Kodak DCS XXX (760. 660, etc) series digital camera.
LOL, apparently they did a review of the Kodak NC2000 back in the CS days.
300k subs eyyy
I agree in fact I feel the whole FF line of Panasonic is a bit overpriced. And most people forgot Panasonic actually makes amazing lens m43 and FF.
Is it though? I keep hearing that but then the only alternative I would see that has clearly a cheaper offering is Nikon. Canon R5 and R6 are much higher priced than S1R or S1/S5. Not saying they aren't worth it but the S5 is pretty well priced for what it offers. Usually similarly spec'd new lenses also aren't cheaper in RF or Z mount as far as I can see.
@@janwedek I'm totally agree Canon is way worse than Panasonic in terms of price and even worse in terms of value. And also you take the only example that kind of invalidated what I said. The S5 is an amazing ( if not the best) price/value camera on the market. But the Panasonic lens for the original ones ( not the new f/1.8) are from my feeling a bit too much. Even if, as the owner of the S1, I have no regret buying them.
And yes Nikon is a great cheaper alternative, also Fujifilm (my second camera). That why it makes me feel Panasonic are a bit over priced. But again I'm happy to pay a bit more for Panasonic than pay a lot more for Canon
@@nicolasletellier6162 Same. There are a lot of interesting lenses for Canon but I don't want to buy the R6 and the R5 is just too much money for me as a hobbyist really at this point. I do love my S1 but it is heavy and big. If they had put the S1 EVF into the S5, I would have swapped right away. It's still quite early with lenses, the new f1.8 primes look promising and are ok-ish in price for what they offer. Sigma is starting to offer some nice and cheaper things too like the f2 primes or the 100-400. Definitely not worse than Z mount.
At this stage, I am basically holding out to see if they have the stamina to keep improving in the right direction (AF and weight really). Switching cost is just too high for marginal improvements I would get for what I do. Here's hoping to a "S5R" with PDAF :).
@@janwedek I bought the S1 because it was big and heavy ;) I prefer that to the usual little light body ( my X-T4 is not comfortable for me). As for the sigma lens, I have 2 of them and my experience is not great at all.
I have the 85mm DG DN And the 105mm Macro. Honestly I usually never say that ( or even think it) but the focus is crap. It's okish when you take a portrait but moving subject is another story. In a video (i tried video with the 85mm only), the lens just gives up if the subject move more than a cm or 2 ( seriously did the test I moved 2 cm from my chair and after 10 minutes the sigma still didn't get the focus back) While if I use a Panasonic lens it works perfectly. So I would never recommend anyone to use sigma on L mount.
@@nicolasletellier6162 :)). I see what you mean, but I still don't like the weight. I'd be fine with the size but I wouldn't mind shaving off 1/3 or more of the weight. Also, I had an Olympus E-M1iii and the body+grip was amazingly comfortable even though it is much more compact.
I have the Sigma 85 dg dn as well, I am quite happy with it. But then again, I don't really do any video and for my kids in motion it's been fine.
If the Panasonic 85m f1.8 had come out earlier, I would have bought that one and be happy with it (cheaper and lighter too).
Nice & Thanks :)
Meanwhile the Sigma is a bit more expensive than the Panasonic - at least in Germany. The Lumix 70-300 ist fully weathersealed, lighter and shorter. The Minimum Focus Distance of the Lumix is 0,54m - 0,74m in comparison to the Sigma its 1,12m - 1,60m. The Lumix has Macro capabilites with magnification factor 0,5. I own the 70-300. The image quality is superb. So, there is a lot to like more about the Lumix over the Sigma 100-400. That said, I don't agree with your conclusion.
Shame, I was interested in this lens if would have been around the $700 price range, this is too much. Guess I'll stick with my adapted Tamron 70-210
Could this lens use with a teleconverter?