Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Review - in 4K!

[@terrywbreedlove]

I just ordered this lens along with the E-M1X. Olympus is having a substantial instant rebate for both right now. I already own the EM1.2 and 300mm F4. These latest two additions will round out my Wildlife kit. AF performance is much better with the newer cameras than the EM1 you tested here how many years ago now. :) Excited to see the close focusing at work I didn’t know it was that good 👍🏻

[@latest3dsgames]

I like the 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 as an alternative with more reach and it only gives up 1/3 stop at 150mm. very sharp on the E-M1 series

[@fccymm]

What adapter are you using to make this work? Wondering about going this route for a Lumix G85. How is the autofocus?

[@andyhighfield3439]

@@fccymm I have the 40-150 2.8, and the old Four Thirds 50-200mm 2.8-3.5 lens from many years ago. It had been stored in a cupboard unused for quite some time. I then picked up a Fotodiox Pro 4/3 to MFT active (electronic contacts preserved) adapter and gave it a try. As you might guess, AF is not a patch on recent lenses, especially those like the 40-150 or 12-100 PRO lenses. In fact, it's sluggish and nothing like as accurate. That said, in MF you get a fast (f3.5) lens with really good optics and build quality, and you can often pick them up used very reasonably indeed. The earlier (non-SWD) version is a safer bet as the SWD motors are not entirely reliable long-term and focusing tends to be better on Lumix bodies with the 1st gen. version.

[@hanfei6871]

No sync-IS

[@mst6734]

this is my dream lens. i actually dreamed about it

[@MorkusReX]

Did you make your dream come true?

[@skipper4114]

I love watching your reviews Darren. I used to live in Orlando, FL but now in Northern Canada where the northern lights are a very common sight in our skies. Its -30 F currently ( damm I miss my florida weather and golf) and my Em1 works great. Because of you I also switched over to Olympus and the micro 4/3rds system and bought the Em1 and the 12-40mm f2.8. Because of this video I may now have to buy the 40-150mm f2.8 ( although my wife may divorce me if I do especially with a baby on the way...lol ) I also own a Canon 6D with the 24-105mm f4 and never ever pick it up anymore. I really feel that for 99% of the population micro 4/3rds is good enough. Not every one needs the bokeh and I find myself taking more pictures because of the less weight. I have many 8x10 pictures blown up and the pictures are amazing. Keep up the good work........PS nice choice of beer in the video.....lol

[@DarrenMiles]

Thanks skipper!

[@mi1stormilst]

Good video would have liked to had a link to the photos somewhere.

[@bradpetersen92126]

This lens resides on my Olympus OM-D E-M1 and aside from the jigsaw puzzle to re-assemble the lens hood and it’s tiny ball bearings a few times, have nothing but the highest praises. When I install the 1.4X dedicated teleconverter, being able to reach out to 420mm (equiv) is pure joy. All in all, no regrets on the silent mode at 11fps mirrorless conversion from my Canon dSLR and L-series glass.

[@danielbatts9386]

I've seen a large number of fast moving sports shots (Kayak racing in rapids and down hill ski slalom for example) taken with this lens that were razor sharp. These were probably taken by sports photographers who are more experienced at shooting action. No negativity meant towards you Darren. You even mentioned you aren't a sports shooter. Your videos are at the top of those on youtube.

[@terrywbreedlove]

The latest firmware update on my EM1.2 has this camera really focusing lighting fast and accurate with my 12-40mm 2.8. I am thinking about adding this 40-150 to my kit I bet the tracking is much better now.

[@keithj9165]

would love to see an update of this with the em1ii

[@xperrosinsangrex]

That hood... just like my 180mm f2 OM. Best lens ever!

[@Radiohutch1]

An excellent review Darren. When did you record this? I have owned the Olympus 40-150mm Pro lens for several years. It is my go to lens for birds and wildlife paired with the MC20 teleconverter. It’s a monster and the focus is deadly. I love it’s weight and glass. I previously shot Nikon, but now I am married to my Olympus system. I even recently sold my Nikon 200-400mm f4 lens! I appreciate your review. 👍

[@pinakibhattacharyya8936]

EM1 MII is already a beast!! 60fps speed is phenomenal.. I am using it and really thrilled by the performance of these glasses... My A7rii is a amazing no doubt about it but because of that high res sensor it is a damn unforgiving camera for portraits especially the margin of error is so low that out of focus is a pain. On the other hand I found em1mii handles it really really well... I am loving MFT and now thinking whether I should keep my A7rii at all.. good review though..

[@Natravelau]

Looking into buying this lens , after using my em1 with 12-40mm lens , almost never seen need for an upgrade but travel destinations with wildlife and closeups , i really love this. Currently priced online at $1299 , soo tempting.

[@phukhanhvu9208]

Does this lens made in Japan, Dan??? Please let me know. Thank you.

[@josephblack123]

Very informative. Thank you Darren. Also, great shot of Carly.

[@peterronchetti1736]

Long- term check back on this review DM......I bought the lens about 4 years ago based on your recommendation and if anything it has exceeded my expectations, used with the EM1m2. Also having a lot of fun with it using the 2x converter (which launched subsequently to your review I believe?) so now I can get double the focal length to = 600mm FF equivalent. A lot of fun to be had on the SoCal shoreline :-) Thanks for being my spirit guide in gathering my Olympus lens selection over the last few years! (Now thinking about the brand new 20mm f1.4........)

[@conradsenior5843]

Thanks for helping me make a decision on this lens.

[@4gkporter]

As expected, Darren tells it like it is.With a quality product as the subject, I remained attentive throughout the video presentation and at conclusion educated and a comfortable returning member to the Olympus ownership family.

[@DarrenMiles]

Gregory K Porter Thanks Greg!

[@4gkporter]

Well earned sir!

[@MrCrossbiker]

Thanks for all your work to create such a amazing video !

[@michaelcastle8378]

Can you do a Throwback Review of the Olympus 50-200mm f/2.8 Four Thirds lens?

[@mrbill2600]

Your review makes me want to purchase this lens as a sheer work of art. Perhaps I could, would or should take it out once-in-awhile for a photograph or two.

[@DarrenMiles]

It's one of the best put together lenses - physically and aesthetically - that I've ever used. Awesome.

[@mondujar279]

Thanks for the review. I have recently changed to the Olympus OMD EM1 and EM10 from a Nikon D800 system. Like many others I have grown tired of carrying all that heavy gear around. When I first shot the EM10 (I only got it as a travel camera) I was amazed at the IQ, and how easy it is to achieve it with such a small light camera. Now all the FF has gone, I have the 12-40 Pro lens and my next buy is the 40-150 reviewed here. Sure there are always compromises with any system, but for me I am delighted with the change!

[@DarrenMiles]

andrew oxley to me, it's an all around great compromise :-)

[@mondujar279]

Darren Miles Yes, you are so right! Some of the compromises are actually big pluses, for example the way the EVF changes with compensation, no more guess work it happens in front of your eyes. Oh and the IBIS which lets you shoot low ISO in low light so less noise. The list is big...

[@utubeady]

Darren what a wonderful presentation, you sir are a 6 star presenter. Adrian - from the not so sunny UK.

[@DarrenMiles]

utubeady What a kind thing to say, thank you!!

[@bicycleninja1685]

Thanks again for your review. This is another lens I am looking into.

[@DarrenMiles]

The 40-150 is - IMHO - - top 5 M43 lens... love it!!

[@eldoctoremad]

Great and comprehensive review, thank you!

[@djrbfmbfm-woa]

hi, after having this lens for a year, i would say it is very worth the asking price. my favorite zoom PRO of the m. zuikos. j.

[@BartenderX]

Awesome review. I own the Fuji XT1 and I really like the quality of photos I get from that camera. I'm also looking into the M43 as a secondary camera (OMD E M5 Mark 2) and with these pro series lenses making their debut appearances, it's becoming quite the possibility. Thanks for reviewing this lens!

[@stevenspithaler1979]

Daren - your reviews are very well designed and i find them to be very informative. i particularly enjoy when you are showing the photos and videos you have taken with the lense. if you don't mind sharing, what software do you use to stitch the videos with your stills? i really enjoy how they view in combination.

[@OrwinSantaCruz]

Great review Darren! I'd say the only issue was the audio around the 1 min mark - it's a bit distorted. The 4k video is looking VERY nice and detailed. I'm not on m43 anymore but if I was, I'd definitely grab this lens (yes even with the "equivalence" nonsense everyone wants to bring up for anything that's not full frame) Those people really need to actually try it out instead of acting like experts because they watched a video on it once!

[@DarrenMiles]

Thanks Orwin - yeah, I noticed the distortion too, happened when I recorded that piece without adjusting the audio level in the recording device - grrrrrrrrr...

[@thomaspeterson337]

Really great review. Your reviews helped me firm my decision to make the move from full frame to micro 4/3.

[@DarrenMiles]

+Thomas Peterson So glad I could help :-)

[@NQMediaUK]

Hi Darren, thanks for another great video. I am impressed with the results you achieved and its versatility especially the added near macro option. I am a fan of the Panasonic bodies including the G7 with its 4K photo and video options and would like to add the GX8 with its IBIS especially to use with this lens. Have you tried any of the micro 43 Panasonic bodies? Would make an interesting video or two comparing features etc..thanks Neil

[@GFTryBest]

You should, I have both E-M1 and GX8, including the original E-M5. This 40-150 PRO is a joy to use in many aspects I must say. It focuses so well, and probably among the quickest focusing mft lens I have ever used, even quicker than the Nocticron f/1.2, sharpness is in the top 5. If you are willing to use this lens with a current Panasonic body line-up right now, get the GX8, although G7 has been already great in fast focusing, but GX8 focuses the fastest of all mft bodies, its C-AF tracks subjects like car and pet pretty accurated and quick, 75mm Olympus + 40-150PRO ez spot on. IBIS in GX8 i would say it works in an average of 1 to 3-stop, don't expect it too much, and it won't work in 4K video mode, not to mention the shutter shock is an issue with GX8, which would potentially cause blurry image.

[@simianinc]

Hi Darren - I wish you'd test the pro Olympus lenses with the GH4 - what I want to now is how well the match is between maufacturers. For instance, I was out photographing skateboarders this weekend using the Olly 12-40. The GH4 tracks really well - I got great focus as skateboarders came towards me at a very fast rate. I don't think the EM1 is representive of the m43 "sports"capabilities, but I'd really love to know how the else works hand-held with the GH4. Perhaps you could run a brief test as part for us Panasonic owners

[@DarrenMiles]

Hey there, thank you for your comments. The entire review was shot on a GH4 with an Oly 75mm f/1.8 at f/1.8. Even the section when I used the 40-150 in the optical quality section - I shot it with the GH4 and the 40-150. It's weird because I prefer the Oly for photos and prefer the GH4 for video. I don't actually look to the GH4 for photos, even though it's capable, it's just that it's such a great video cam that I just reserve it's role for that purpose. As ergonomically - the Oly just seems so much better put together for photos, just my opinion.

[@simianinc]

Thanks Darren- I appreciate that, but some of us can only afford one camera (well, I also have a GX7), and since you have both the Olympus and GH4, perhaps you could just add the extra test for those of us who have only have one. After all, Panasonic is one of the two m43 body suppliers, so it makes sense that we're interested in both Olympus and Panasonic lenses. I can't speak to the Olympus ergonomics as I've never used one - when I take photos I typically adjust aperture, shutter speed and ISO - two dials and a button I can use without taking my eye from the viewfinder, and all of which are natural to me with a GH4 - certainly no different from the Canon world I come from.

[@gibberingidiot]

Really nice review Darren Miles; lots of information and a big case of lens envy here! However, I already have the Panasonic 14-140 f/3.5. Just upgrading to an E-M5 Mk 2 body and wondering whether the clear jump in quality of this lens would actually be that noticeable in every day situations, particularly to deserve splashing an extra £1000 on. (mostly using it for travel, landscapes, zoos, etc.) Keep up the great work!

[@klackon1]

I am one of those moving from Canon APS-C DSLR to Olympus M43. My Olympus 40 - 150mm f2.8 arrives tomorrow, as do my OM D EM 1 cameras. and I am really looking forward to using this lens. This is a really good review, thank you. I am now confident that I have made a wise choice. I also have on order (no deposit paid) the Olympus 300mm f4 Pro and Panasonic 100 - 400mm. I look forward to your review of those lenses, should you have them lined up.

[@DarrenMiles]

+pete draper The 40-150 is just awesome - love, love, love that lens!

[@klackon1]

+Darren Miles. You are absolutely right: it is a bit tasty. I have now used it for about 1500 images, most with the 1.4 TC fitted as I am using for wildlife photography until the longer lenses arrive. I am not missing my Canon 300 f2.8 L IS or my Canon 100 - 400 f4.6/5.6L IS 11 as I thought I would. I am getting some good BIF photos - really pleased with a series of a swan taking off from a lake. I am using C-AF not C-AF TR. Oh, as a result of your review of the 12 - 40mm 2.8 Pro I bought one (was given a really good deal) and it's another cracking lens. Really looking forward to the big lenses

[@fabioarodrigues]

Hi Darren, I'm curious about the moon image at 11:22. That image is cropped, right? Because I have an Olympus 70-300mm lens and even at 300mm I can't get that close to the moon (unless I crop the image). Thanks!

[@f8beenthere]

Great review Darren. I would recommend that when discussing image quality, that you mention the quality setting on KZbin should be bumped up, and viewed full screen. There is a notable difference. You covered the majority of what needs to be covered. And unless you want more neighbors, you might want to cut all that, "beautiful, sunny Florida stuff".

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you for the kind words. Naples is growing by leaps and bounds, especially with the winter in the Midwest and northeast this year.

[@JeanV1986]

I like your reviews: informative and entertaining. Keep on the good job, Darren. Cheers from Belgium.

[@DarrenMiles]

Thanks Jean! Love Belgium! Spent a lot of time in Brussels for work!

[@halz7]

I subscribe to your channel and I have to say your reviews are the best. Very informative and to the point with a relaxed presentation. Thanks, from sunny Boynton Beach, Fl. PS: I don't fall asleep watching your reviews.

[@DarrenMiles]

Hah! Thank you very much! Boynton Beach is beautiful too!! Great place to be, especially now!!

[@niezwykapolska4654]

Perfect camera love Olympus!

[@simianinc]

Well Darren, time for retesting the continuous autofocus with the OME EM1 Mark II, and then the soon to be released GH5! Both supposedly have made a quantum leap in focus ability. Since this video came out, I bought the lens.I already owned the Panasonic 35-100mm. If I'm going walkabout, I'll still use the Panasonic. The picture quality is just as good or thereabout, but it is so much lighter and smaller, and since the filter size is the same as the 12-35mm, I only need one set of filters. But when I need the extra reach, it's the Olympus, often with the 1.4x teleconverter. It's a beast.

[@simianinc]

Oh, and I'm looking forward to your review of the OMD EM1 Mark II

[@SlothHunter2]

Are you still using both the 35-100 and 40-150? I'm still undecided. Light weight, Dual IS versus reach w/1.4x. I'm using the GH5 for stills and video.

[@TerryPhoon]

Another fantastic review, I've tested my friend's 40-150 Oly , just wanna mention that the auto focusing at low light or low contrast area tends to hunt a bit ,and when it hunts, it does travel quite a bit.....but like you've said, most likely it's a mirror-less camera CDAF problem.I sold my Olympus gear awhile ago and went Fuji, very impressed with them also , hope in future you can do some review of them ,maybe comparing the Oly 40-150 f2.8 to Fuji 50-140 f2.8 ? thanks again

[@DarrenMiles]

Thanks Terry! I've yet to use anything from Fuji, but they certainly have their legions of followers. I'll try one eventually.

[@djrbfmbfm-woa]

after these four months since my last comment? this lens and ALL of the others, i've got them all, btw. are simply superb. darren, you've got it right. now, i'm just waiting, waiting, waiting for a new top of line OMD body. can hardy wait. thank you darren, i trust you opinions. you haven't let me or olympus, down. thx. j.

[@michael-u7g8l]

Hey Darren, what camera lens would you suggest for Surf Photography at a resonable telepathic zoom rang. I have the Olympus Om-d EM-5. Thanks again.

[@rintaro73]

Good videos but your volume levels are all over the place. Low when you're at outdoor talk scene, way too high in scene on background music, and indoor talk scene with the camera on tripod...

[@DarrenMiles]

Appreciate the feedback, part of the issue is my penchant for shooting reviews with multiple cameras, and when I first started out I was far more into the "Look" of the video, however, as I've matured with my videos I'm become much more sensitive to sound than I used to be... Newer reviews (like the last 5 or 6) I'm much more attuned to audio and look out for huge discrepancies in sound.

[@idoscharf4485]

As you get some experience with firmware 3.0 for the E-M1, along with this lens, will you comment (in a video) about the combo's capabilities?

[@DarrenMiles]

Absolutely!

[@MyRetroJourney]

Thanks for your review Darren! Can you test the AF-C mode again as soon as firmware 3.0 for the E-M1 is available?

[@DarrenMiles]

It's on my agenda! I'll let you know ASAP.

[@MyRetroJourney]

Darren Miles Okay, thanks!

[@opalman]

Hi Darren, I have an Olympus omd em5 mark ii with a Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-150mm F4-5.6 II lens (EZ-M1415-2) We mainly use it for indoor sports shot of out kids doing karate tournaments. We are not experts and have done a course but I was wondering if this lens you are reviewing would be a big improvement over the one I mentioned above? Thanks for you good work.

[@DarrenMiles]

The big difference - especially for indoor sports - is the constant f/2.8 aperture - which would allow a MUCH faster shutter speed to better "freeze" the action than the variable aperture of the lens you're using now. For example, at 150mm with the lens you have now, your max aperture is f/5.6 versus the pro lens which has a max aperture of f/2.8 at 150mm - that means the PRO lens let's in several times more light - meaning it's "faster" and can freeze action indoors considerably better. Bottom line, you're much more likely to get usable images indoors with the pro series lens. Hope that helps!

[@opalman]

Thank you very much for your help. I will try the lens and see how it goes. It sounds promising. Would there be much difference between the f/2.8 and the 75mm f1.8? Would the f1.8 be better again or would the f2.8 be as good?

[@thomastmic]

Darren Miles Wow your 4k video look 10x time better! was it film with the GH4?

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you sir, yes, filmed on a gh4 withe the olympus 75mm f/1.8.

[@HarborGraphX]

Please help me decide ........... Im having a hard time deciding on which lens to buy (The 12 to 40 or the 40 to 150) Please help me right now I shoot food for restaurant menu design using 28mm Nikon Ai-S on a metabones speed booster but I want to start shooting Portrait and out door car shows What lens (If you only could choose one or the other) would you pic? thanks for your help Rick

[@HarryBunnGRVOTV]

hi, grvo tv here, i have gh4, gh3, gx7, i have lots of olly primes (25mm 1.8, 45mm 1.8, 75mm 1.8, (you are mostly to blame for this)!!!!! but i have the panny 12-35 & 35-100 2.8 zooms as the gh4 has no ibis. in your opinion is the extra reach & quality of this lens worth sacrificing stabilisation. if not i would consider switching to the new em5 mk 2. the em1 is no good for me due to poor video features. cheers.

[@DarrenMiles]

I'll be reviewing the EM-5 mark ii shortly - looks really promising, especially for video shooters - which is one crucial area Olympus has neglected with their M43 bodies. Still no 4K, but much improved bit rates for 1080 shooting. As for IBIS - the em5 mark ii goes to "5 stops" of stabilization - this I can't wait to test... So in that regard, with the 40-150, it could be a nice combination, as optically, the 40-150 is spectacular - it really is. Whereas the lens stabilization on the pany lenses is 2 stops... Seems IBIS is better for stabilization and the 40-150 is a nice focal range. Sorry my reviews have "forced" you to buy so many lenses :-), but for photographers, Olympus is, in my opinion, the best photo camera combo - in terms of weight, size, pricing and overall image quality...

[@atyl1972]

Darren Miles Can't wait to see your review, do you plan using off camera flash with the new included flash in the review, please as this would really help me and not been reviewed on YT as yet either, be the 1st Darren :-)

[@josephbryant8790]

Thanks for the review, still undecided on this or the new 35-100 mkii as it works with the gh5 IBIS. Can you please tell me what camera/lens this review was filmed on for the shots that we can see you in?

[@DarrenMiles]

GH4 and the Olympus 75mm F/1.8. I'd get the 40-150... More range, quiet, better at controlling CA's, etc...

[@josephbryant8790]

Thanks Darren, I have since come to that decision, it seems like the far superior lens, especially if you include the teleconverter. It will hurt when it comes to the filter cost, but at least it's the same size as the panasonic 100-400 which i intend to get some day too. Also thanks for the heads up on what recorded this episode, the quality is fantastic!

[@RELATECASTS]

Great review, thanks! On my list to buy for my GH4 and GX8... :)

[@mistahvega]

This is one serious lens. I agree completely about firmware v 3.0 not being quite up to the Canon & Nikons C-AF, perhaps v 4.0. As far as the DOF snobs, I will break out my REAL "Full Frame' camera, which wouldn't be a small sensor 35mm!!

[@barryw2445]

Darren, thank you for a fantastic review! I've been on the fence about this lens for some time now and after watching your review, I've ordered it. I'm a hobby photographer, in no way a pro, and this is the most I've ever spent on any photography equipment. I probably should have asked you this before ordering, but do you see any shortcomings of using this lens with the OM-D E-M10? Am I buying too much lens for the E-M10? Thanks!!!

[@DarrenMiles]

Barry W Hey Barry - thank you so much for the kind words on the review - the EM-10 and the 40-150 would make for an EXCELLENT combination! The 40-150 is just a SUBLIME lens, simply amazing. Enjoy, a few years from now when you'll look back you'll forget how much you spent as you're enjoying the pricelessness of your memories and the photos taken with this lens. Enjoy!

[@mynilesh]

What camera and lens you have used in this video @0.44 min

[@chrishastings]

Darren, do you need to multiply the F2.8 by the crop factor of x2 of the camera to get a true comparison to DSLR lenses?

[@DarrenMiles]

***** Yes and no. In terms of exposure, f/2.8 is f/2.8 (there is some divergence of opinion on this, but most of the commentary that I've read and have been explained to me say that aperture is aperture), in terms of depth of field, because of the small size of the sensor in M43 bodies (OM-D, and GH4 amongst others) the depth of field of an f/2.8 lens on M43 would have a similar look as the depth of field of f/5.6 on a full frame camera. The other thing you multiply by 2 is focal length (really field of view). The equivalent field of view for the 40-150 for example on a full frame camera is 80-300mm... Hope that helps!

[@RobShootPhotos]

@@DarrenMiles So many get stuck on the depth of field issue they over look the fact that shutter speed will be very close to the same using the same f/stop, ISO on average metering regardless if it's Full frame, APS-C or MFT. Usually what I've seen, depending on the camera metering, it might be off by 1/10 of a second from one brand to another. Just adding to what you said about exposure. For me, the Olympus and Panasonic prime lens are so small, I don't mind the issue of depth of field. Panasonic 25mm f1.7 and Olympus 17mm f1.8 is plenty good enough. Great video! I'm in the search of next lens. Helpful!

[@steventhomas231]

Yes. 2.8 on mft will usually give two stops worse noise performance than full frame at the same exposure setting. A point almost almost missed in these reviews.

[@Fri13.]

The coming E-M1 3.0 firmware update will make radical changes to C-AF. The CDAF is being disabled and PDAF is only used. Framerate for C-AF is then raised from 6.5 to 9. That can be impressive and could bring great results for sport and wildlife photographers! Currently E-M1 use CDAF+PDAF combination in C-AF mode. Meaning it use PDAF first to determ the direction and focus close, but then camera use CDAF to finish the focus. And that is slower progress. Disabling CDAF from the combo, PDAF is used quickly all the way to final focus. So we see in couple weeks (24th February 2015) when firmware gets released, has the C-AF improved. ps. In current firmware the C-AF and H burst mode (10fps) has focus locked on the first frame and no tracking. So photographer needs to shoot short bursts as first frame on each burst is the focus frame.

[@DragonFlyMedia]

Hi Darren, yet again another great review, I want to buy everything you review. The only thing I'm not too keen on in your reviews is how you let us all know in cold grey Europe how sunny it is in Florida :-( I'm only kidding, the sunshine will arrive soon here in S/W France. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Mark

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you sir!! One day we'll make the pilgrimage, one day!

[@supaxui]

does this lens have any issue with focus breathing especially at 400mm?

[@fxvsdx35]

Nice review. Wonder how it does in low light

[@mrbill2600]

Did you note that it's f/2.8 ... the night street scenes at 11:00 & 11:50, the cat indoors at 11:33, 12:10 & 12:25 or perhaps the moon at 11:22. From what I have seen this would make it an excellent, even outstanding, low light lens.

[@DarrenMiles]

mrbill2600 Jay John - I'm assuming you're referring to AF in crummy lighting - interestingly, I didn't even bring it up in the review because it was basically a non issue - and had very little trouble finding focus in relatively dark environments.

[@fxvsdx35]

mrbill2600 I think the smaller sensor will be handicapped against full size sensor. Well, may be head to head comparison is in order.!!!!

[@chongkokman572]

Darren Miles o

[@ThePaleBlueDot94]

Jay John Of course it would be against a full frame camera. In test conditions and if you pixel peep. But nobody looks at a photo at a 100% crop when it's hanging on a wall. And these days (with technology advancements), the difference is so minimal you wouldn't even notice it in the real world. The difference certainly wouldn't be worth the extra bulk and weight of the FF system. But photography is very personal. We all have our preferences. Mine is being able to take great shots without throwing my back out. FF camera users preference might be taking sublime shots, at the expense of their back.

[@atyl1972]

Bit off topic but what was the music towards the end of the review please when you were portraying the stills and video?

[@DarrenMiles]

It's called 'trees' and sadly it's no longer available at premium beat.com

[@atyl1972]

Darren Miles Who's the artist please Darren?

[@DarrenMiles]

atyl1972 Nicolas Major

[@RicardoMendesTalks]

GREAT review! Thank you for sharing with us

[@andozkrishnadas6516]

I really like your review but it has 2 issues you cannot compare the sigma 120-300 f 2.8 to the olympus 40-150 , what u would have to compare it in ff would be something like an 80-300 f 5.6 and then you would see that size dof and so capabilities are equally matched ... its a common mistake but when comparing different formats please make aperture and iso conversions along with focal length conversions , best regards

[@andozkrishnadas6516]

2.8 isnt 2.8 because its relative aperture , phone cameras are f 2,8 and 35 mm but are they really 2.8 at the size of a nail ? and if so how are they so much smaller than a ff 35 mm lens ? relatively yes its 2.8 but this is compensated with iso equivalency and the amount of noise u see in a sensor so for equivalent exposure on say ff and mft try these settings - on mft - f 100 , iso 400 , 1/200 f 2.8 , and on canon/nikon ff - f 200 , iso 800 , 1/200 f 5.6 the exposures should be identical with identical noise and dof given sensor tech is similar - its physics - mirror-less lenses are never smaller than SLR lenses ( ** one way of making lenses smaller however is using pf optics instead or normal glass but that is lens tech not camera format related)

[@DarrenMiles]

Andoz Invicktograda This debate has gone round and round and I've heard both sides, and all I've ever done is put a full frame side by side to a M43 camera and set the focal length to the same FF equivalent (12mm M43, 24mm FF), ISO 100, and the exposure values were almost identical in every scenario. So as a practical matter, the only difference that I can see between FF and M43 in everyday shooting is DOF... I'm not doubting what you're saying here, but as far as I've understood F Stop is just Focal length divided by the diameter of the entrance pupil... Which mathematically, an iPhone can be f/2 e.g even if the sensor is the size of a nail. But there's no DOF in the images...

[@swimgc]

I love your videos. However, we both know that f2.8 full frame and f2.8 micro four thirds are not apples to apples. T e smaller sensor makes up for it exposure wise through ISO compensation internally to keep the exposure values the same. If sigma were to make a f5.6 lens with the same focal length it would be much much smaller

[@steventhomas231]

Hey. Someone else, which is rare, who understands this properly. You can't defy the laws of physics and make an equivalent lens half the size.

[@oopsydaisy4637]

Micro 4/3 system is looking very good in performance and financially a better deal to say the least. Thanks for the review :)

[@pjazzz353]

Great reviews. Thank you.

[@kokenhammer]

I love mine. Takes awesome shots.

[@DarrenMiles]

Me too!

[@gilkorin298]

Hey Dareen, What camera + lens did you use to shoot this video (looks amazing!)

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you, I used the GH4 in conjunction with the 75 mm f/1.8 lens.

[@NicoManansala]

​@@DarrenMiles wow! now it is 2020 the lowlight is taken with GH4 and Olympus 40-150 2.8? or 75 f1.8?

[@emanonfreeman1578]

Darren, I've been watching your videos on M4/3 - 4/3 lenses. Love them! The presentation and context are spot on. Wanted to ask you something. I (mostly) shoot concerts and tango events, meaning low light and at 160 to 200 speeds... I have an Em1 and an Em10, and (mostly) use the 12-40 f2.8 and the 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lenses from Oly -twin camera shooting-. (when needed I use faster ones) Having said that, I' m thinking of buying either the Lumix 35-100 f2.8 or the Oly 40-150 f.28, since my 50-200 is not so easy to use when shooting video (weight-wise and not smooth when zooming). 200mm to 250 is -usually- the max needed in the concerts I shoot. Do you have any advise? Also... I've found a 75mm f1.8 at a very low price, and considering it.. But since I've seen your videos, I'm skeptic, for I already have a 45mm f.18 (and even faster glass - but manual only). The use... close-ups with low Dof in concerts. Contrasted by the telephoto 2.8 Dof ("augmented" by the mm length, but compressed) Thank you for your time, and keep up the Great presentation Darren! P.S. I' ve been reading, time and time again, comments about how the M4/3 sensors have limited Dof. Actually they do not. They have the same Dof as a FF, etc. The only variable that changes is the real focal length of the lens and/or the required distance from the subject, when compared to.. ex. a FF one. Meaning, that, a 45mm is a 45mm, not a 90mm, but with a filed of view of a 90mm one. Therefor when compared to a 85mm, with the same aperture, in order to "get the same frame" we have to -roughly- double the distance, using a lens of different focal length. Bottom line two of the three variables change (the third being the f stop). When -example- comparing a 100mm f.28 in both systems, and the subject is at the same distance, the Dof field is the same, but the FF "sees" almost double the image than the M4/3. When having to move backwards, the variable of distance changes (doubles), therefor the -resulting- Dof as well. Excuse my long explanation guys.

[@DarrenMiles]

Emanon, I'd get the Oly - it's built better and it has more range. Both are excellent however.

[@emanonfreeman1578]

Thank you very much Darren! I will look into it. :)

[@emanonfreeman1578]

Thank you very much Darren! I will look into it. :)

[@jiffcia]

can it put in a7iii or fuji t-xt3 ?

[@JuliusWilliams-s5j]

Amazing slide show but transed to fast. I would love to meet you I am in Florida

[@JavoxAlcala]

Review the Olympus 25mm F1.2 Pro 😁

[@graciaman]

Olympus Cameras from day one say in the manuals that continuous auto-focus DOES NOT WORK with sequential high… only with low. So that criticism is user-error. It’s not supposed to continuously track on high sequential :/

[@DarrenMiles]

Actually, at the time of the review…Olympus Told me pretty explicitly that high speed sequential would in fact work under firmware 3.0… At that time. It didn’t work as advertised and perhaps they have updated the literature since then? But when I made the review Olympus said it should work. This review is also 6 years old now.

[@graciaman]

@@DarrenMiles oh wow I’d never heard that. I’ve been an Olympus user since the OM-D E-M5 and had been of the understanding that continuous AF never worked with High-sequential and was, from day-1 designed only to work with low sequential. I thought that was the whole reason/differentiating factor between having both low and high sequential haha. Hopefully someday it works with high but I feel like the poor Olympus rep told you wrong at the time :(

[@DarrenMiles]

@@graciaman At the time of the review, the firmware 3.0 had just come out, Olympus sent me the lens to test and I was under the impression at the time (as were they) that the new firmware would solve that problem. I guess it didn't work as they expected. Too bad too, because what an epic lens i to have had it worked under those circumstances...

[@Theory4]

This lens has everything going for it except one major thing: In real world terms it is a 5.6 equivalent. The results can be seen in your video: subject separation is not what it is in the land of full frame. Yes, its cheaper and lighter then CaNikon equivalents, but its not cheaper then say a Sigma 70-200 HSM II and that is a true 2.8. This is not a bash on Olympus, since i switched from Nikon to Olympus for a variety of reasons. But this needs to be mentioned in this review.

[@DarrenMiles]

+Eduardo Marquez Eduardo, good point, I brought this point up in my review of the Olympus 12-40 - didn't feel the need to repeat it in this review, just the same, in terms of DOF you are 100% correct.

[@pietrocorbetta8763]

+Eduardo Marquez the dof is the same, but you'll have to move further from the subject than full frame to achieve the same subject size, therefore there will be more depth of field due to the increased distance from the subject. I wouldn't say that's a disadvantage. And is totally wrong to multiply the aperture for the crop factor. Doing this you get the idea of what the dof will be but it's mathematically incorrect. Also it's not always better to have that subject separation and it's unbelievable that we continue to compare crop sensors to full frame in our digital age. I don't think full frame needs to be the reference anymore.

[@richardwhitfill5253]

Does this lens have IS ?

[@DarrenMiles]

No, but the current Olympus bodies have some of the best in body image stabilization in the industry.

[@usmcbenson]

What is that tripod??

[@tptrsn]

Hey Darren, thanks for a video that will finally SAVE me some money! Lol My D750 failed to perform well enough for Glidecamming over the last couple of days with the Tokina 16-28 on it. Coupled with lenses like this one available for M43, I think I'm about ready to dump all of my full frame stuff and just use the GH4 as my main camera.

[@rogernuffer]

Olympus and Panasonic continue to push the limits of M43. Imagine this lense paired with the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 II.

[@DarrenMiles]

I'll be testing both next week and will have a full report shortly thereafter.

[@joennick1]

I like your videos but if you are going to compare MFT cameras and lenses with full frame ones like the D4 then so think its only fair you mention the difference in price which is huge.

[@DarrenMiles]

+joe nick I did mention the price, it's actually a subtitle on the screen (may not show up on Mobile) that says "Those cameras are ALSO 4 to 5 times more expensive than the EM-1" (it's at 9:05)

[@joennick1]

Yep. I viewed on my mobile. Fair enough and accept my apologies.

[@DarrenMiles]

No worries, glad you enjoyed the review otherwise.

[@joennick1]

I certainly do. Some of the most informative and well explained videos out there. Happy New Year and keep them coming!

[@JessDemant]

Great Review....

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you very much!

[@doctor-mustansar]

Awesome review.

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you very much!

[@sewonlee3531]

great review. thank you^^

[@MrCrossbiker]

Thanks for all the informations !

[@DarrenMiles]

You're welcome!

[@danieldougan269]

Carly Fiorina at 11:59! I don't agree with her politics, but cool that you got a photo of a presidential candidate.

[@DarrenMiles]

I've been fortunate to shoot (with my camera - lol) a lot of them down here (mostly Republicans, this city is like 70-30 GOP to DNC)... Over the last presidential cycle I photographed; Ben Carson (twice), Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, John Bolton, Rick Scott (governor of FL), Francis Rooney (US Rep FL District 19), Allen West, Marsha Blackburn (US Rep Tennessee), Michelle Bachman, Phyllis Schlafly (about 8 months before she died), Michael Reagan etc - there are more, but the entire GOP field usually comes through Naples and SW Florida...

[@mrEbraheem]

ah I was so lost as in to get 12-40 or this 40-150 as my first pro lens Then I saw those cats.. MAN those are cute cats. So I youtubed some cats and now I am happy. Seriously though thanks for this another beautiful review Darren! ^^ Your vids are getting better and better. What's the difference between a pro lens from Oly and the normal one? I mean I have 40-150MM F5.6 or something, so I don't know if I should upgrade or just leave it as is. Is it only the IS and meta build or pictures quality is better? Thanks :)

[@iloper]

Great video

[@DarrenMiles]

iloper Thank you very much!

[@CarsandGuitars100]

Keep in mind that you're not really getting a constant 2.8 aperture. You did the math with the focal length, now apply your MFT crop factor of 2x to the f stop also. You're looking along the lines of a f/1:5.6 constant.

[@DarrenMiles]

In terms of DOF yes, in terms of exposure, isn't f/2.8 the same regardless of sensor size?

[@CarsandGuitars100]

Darren Miles I would assume so yes, but you wouldn't get the same results as 35mm lets say.

[@ThePaleBlueDot94]

Yes Darren. In terms of DOF it is 5.6. But in terms of exposure it is still a fast lens. At 40-150 (80-300 5.6) should give you lovely DoF for portriats anyway. I converted from larger cameras to MFT and I couldn't be happier. I agree with a lot of comments earlier, I don't understand why people feel the need to put down other peoples camera gear choice. For mine, Olympus build quality was reason enough to switch. Combine that with the image quality you get from a tiny system (I can carry a zoom range of 18-600 (35mm equiv.) on a 6 day hike and carry all my camping gear and still get a great range of shots. My mate takes his camera and one lens. Gets image quality that is about the same without the zoom range.

[@PetrLunak]

Darren Miles But bigger sensor has bigger pixels, which means better capture of light. M4/3 iso400 is about the same noise "quality" as iso1600 on FF sensor.

[@koolkutz7]

***** Yes I agree-I love using the Panasonic/Olympus combos-super sharp, fast AF and lightweight; I showed a friend the EVF on my G6 (which isn't even the best EVF) and he was blown away with how bright it is; and he is a die-hard Nikon user; I am winning him over!

[@eyedeally5981]

This lense still worth 1000-1200??

[@mi1stormilst]

First though...why is the audio so bad?

[@DarrenMiles]

Garrett Graham Garrett - totally blew it in the second segment of the review, got complacent and didn't check the audio level until after I had published it... My bad... The rest of the segments are pretty clean though...

[@vietambercool]

Good reviews. Highly trustworthy.

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you!

[@emmanuelpierides]

Perfect, thanks!

[@mp4podcastDOTcom]

Darren this is warning don't use that camera strap you have. I was showing someone my E-M5 and I had my camera strap on my neck and I was just holding my camera and I turned it around to show someone the photo I took of them on the LCD screen and the strap just broke. There was no damage to my body but I've seen other camera on DPreview and the E-M1 part of the body broke off. Here is a photo of someone else that had the same damage as me, but on a E-M1 I have a E-M5. Olympus makes those lugs out of plastic. Trust me get some BlackRapid straps you don't want your camera to hit the floor at a wedding. e-group.uk.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33282 Great review I might pick up this lens down the road.

[@E3Zombie]

F2.8 on MFF is F5.6.... still a stop behind the super cheap 4.0 lenses you can get for canon.

[@DarrenMiles]

In terms of depth of field yes, you are correct... In terms light gathering ability... f/2.8 is still f/2.8....

[@ThePaleBlueDot94]

Darren Miles I don't think people quite understand that the f stop is actually a mathematical equation. So 2.8 is 2.8 based on maths. ... most people drive a car but have no idea how they work. It's similar in photography.

[@arrk8055]

Gr8 videos!!

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you very much!

[@chendilkumar1137]

Enjoy your review ...find the format very easy to digest and informative ...I got the 12-40 f2.8 and love that lens. One thing I would mention is equivalence ...you have to consider the aperture also when comparing I.e a equivalent lens for this in terms of light gathering for a full frame would be 80-300 f5.6 which may not be as big as a full frame f2.8 lens. www.dpreview.com/articles/2666934640/what-is-equivalence-and-why-should-i-care

[@justmejus]

Actually in terms of light gathering, an f/2.8 lens on Micro Four Thirds is really f/2.8. It's only when it comes to bokeh rendering that an f/2.8 is equivalent to f/5.6 on full frame.

[@TheGavriel25]

Thanks! you talk a bit to fast though ( for me Hebrew speaking)

[@1957PLATO]

One day I hope I will be able to afford it.

[@DarrenMiles]

I used to say the same thing. If I can make it in this business, anyone can :-)

[@StephanEilert]

I did love the review, looks like a very good lens, but the problem to compare to a full frame lens is that the 2.8 aperture isnt 2.8, you MUST multiply by the crop factor, like the focal length, which make it possible to make such a small lens, compared to a DSLR, like the sigma you compared. Theres no way to shrink the lens that much without some compromise, and the manufacturers keep marketing it like is a 2.8, even canon and nikon with their EF-S (canon) lenses. Keep up the good reviews, nice job!

[@DarrenMiles]

Stephan, you're absolutely correct and thank you very much for the kind words on the review, I really appreciate it!! As for aperture and "brightness" f/2.8 is f/2.8 - as it's just a mathematical calculation - where the big differences comes into play is with the aperture as it relates to depth of field (DOF) - DOF is going to be noticeably wider with an M43 lens, as f/2.8 on M43 will come off as more or less as f/5.6 on full frame in terms of DOF, so your bokeh won't be as buttery with the 40-150 - that said, the focal length goes a long way to improving Bokeh too - and you can get away with a LOT with the 40-150mm. I think we, as photographers, care a lot more about bokeh and depth of field than our clients to, but apart from DOF, I don't see a lot of advantage to the Big-Sig (and I LOVE that lens!!)

[@StephanEilert]

Darren Miles Interesting. Honestly, I find the depth of field not that important as the actual light gathered by the sensor. Im not sure if its equivalent, and I think the portrait shooters care more about that. By the way, do you think a M43, with the right lenses can beat a full frame? They have the momentum to give a beat at the dslrs, since there are not (that I know) that are 4k capable, but are they worth? Do you think its possible to compare a 6D, for example, to this M43, so we can compare the quality, side by side? I'm not sure if thats the right or better way to compare. Thanks for the reply, cheers :D

[@timur7381]

Stephan Eilert There is an excellent article at photographylife about crop factors and equivalence, i think it should provide some insight on the matter if you are interested in MFT format. photographylife.com/sensor-crop-factors-and-equivalence According to the article, exposure would be the same on mft and full frame if you're using same lenses, I was recently shooting side by side with my friend with D800 (I use EM1), we both used fast 50mm, and I didn't have any problems with my setup. In fact, I had more sharper images because of the excellent IBIS in Oly cameras, so I could use lower ISO, which helped with overall quality. I've seen some arguments about iso equivalence with FF cameras, it was mentioned that MFT iso values are actually higher (hence more noise, even at the same iso levels), but I personally don't have a problem with that, but I do not shoot professionally. Darren Miles Thank you for excellent review, I quite like that it was rather long, and more detailed than previous ones, maybe it just appeals to my geeky side) I was wondering if you could also review the Panasonic 35-100? I'm thinking about my next purchase, and the last lens I purchased (Panasonic 25mm 1.4) blew my mind, I really enjoy shooting with it (plus its rated among the top 3 sharpest lenses at dxomark). I know Pana doesn't have the reach of 40-150, but since its also a portrait lens, maybe its worth comparing those two) Plus pana is cheaper.

[@forgewire]

In terms of exposure these lens as fast as they are 2.8. Only in terms of DOF they are 5.6 but there is still plenty of bokeh. Personally I hate shallow DOF especially when you have nice background why people want to blur it? FF Santas are always trying to confuse and misinform people about how the crop factor translates. Either deliberately or simply because they don't know themselves.

[@Fri13.]

You do not multiply anything with format factor than just the field of view. Everything else is automatically translated via inverse square law to pass same amount of light. But when you do comparison, you need to use same format ratio in print sizes instead physically same print sizes to get the same image quality. Meaning, you can't compare photos in 100% enlargement on computer screen from different formats, but you need to use similar print size, in this case 4/3 photo needs to be viewed as 50% magnification and 35mm as 100%, or 4/3 photo in 100% and 35mm as 200%. That way you can see same image quality in correct magnification by format factor. Digital photos don't have physical size, why comparing everything in 100% is wrong.

[@shuttersounds__jpg]

“Whoa that was a mouth full” 😅 pause

[@angelisone]

Since this and all 4/3 (which is dead now) and m4/3 are reduction lenses, why not just call them the real focal number of 80-300/2.8? Why lied by engraved number that is 50% less and make us do the math of 2X? Olympus copied the Canon EFS reduction lens crap.

[@DarrenMiles]

Angelisone, That's a GREAT question. The focal length is in fact accurate, what's different is the Field of View, because the M43 sensor is 1/4 the size of a Full Frame sensor, the effective Field of View is double the focal length if you were shooting on a full frame sized sensor. But the focal length engraved on the lens is accurate. We like to talk in terms of "Full Frame Field of View equivalent" because the 35mm sensor size has essentially been the standard since the film days, it's when we switched to digital - and different digital formats/sensor sizes (APS-C, M43, etc) - that the idea of "Full Frame Equivalent field of view" came into play. So the bottom line is focal length and field of view equivalent are two different things depending on the size of the sensor of the camera you're shooting. Hope that helps...

[@angelisone]

Darren Miles Darren, you & I are correct. But really I should have said the field of view is reduced to 50%. If Olympus or Panasonic decided to make real 1/1 (full frame) then this lenses will see shadows. They will have to come up with new version lenses. Or face the reduction factor of 2 X and reduce amount of meg like Sony & 5Ds/5Dsr do. Still, Olympus/Panasonic optics are corrected only for 50% in the center resulting 2 X factors. Like closing one eye, you'll see only 50% of viewing which camera companies are calling the crop factors.