Hands-On with the Olympus 150mm - 400mm Lens

[@goodnewsproductions]

Best review I've seen so far. Well done.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks!

[@jrosedds42]

This would be a dream African safari lens.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Yes, it sure would!

[@jillianangell2570]

@@MattSuessPhoto if only it would drop in price...

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@jillianangell2570 I wouldn't expect that anytime soon.

[@dogs4399]

Great preview of a fantastic lens, Matt. I ordered mine in Jan '21 and got it in Aug. A great many more sharp keepers now (vs. when I was using 300mm with TCs). Just rec'd my OM-1 this week and have already been blown away by how bright and sharp the EVF is, AF is much faster, tracking objects is spot-on now, and visibly less noise at higher ISOs. This lens plus the new body = stellar bird and wildlife kit! I also appreciate that you contribute on the OM Systems FB page.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

It sure is nice to be an OM shooter these days 😉 thanks for watching and commenting!

[@dogs4399]

@@MattSuessPhoto Do you ever lead photography trips in YNP?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@dogs4399 I am considering it for next winter. Best to head here and get added to my newsletter list: workshops.mattsuessphoto.com

[@kazukinakamura1110]

I love how you say you are videotaping the elk. I’m old enough that those words resonate well with me. I used to videotape a lot of things back in the 80s.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

lol yeah, I've been at this for a while as well ;)

[@paul--b]

Filming isn’t accurate either though.. I don’t think memory carding will catch on somehow.

[@davidblack2632]

Great video! I enjoyed your photos! I already own the 300/4.0, 100-400/5.0-6.3 and this morning p[re-order this lens. So many great choices.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Congrats - you are going to love it!

[@j.guerrero6643]

I have already ordered one, now waiting until January is going to be the hardest part. Good job, thanks.

[@jonberg469]

What are your thought on Olympus future? I’m personally scared to invest anymore money into the system.

[@j.guerrero6643]

I’m not more concerned with the future of Olympus than with any other brand, just look Pentax, still alive. I don’t see any other alternative to have its portability and image quality, and for wildlife, this is the difference between having the shot or not.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@j.guerrero6643 I am not too concerned either!

[@williampegram]

Now that's how you review a lens like this! Great info. Thank you.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks William :)

[@jannikschou4138]

Enjoyed your review with inspiring photos. I ordered the lens early August last year and just picked it up yesterday, 7 month later! Very excited as I have an appointment with a wolverine coming up and the OM-1 is on the doorstep. Fantastic time to be a wildlife photographer.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks for watching and enjoy that new lens!

[@cinderella3414]

Way over my head! Sounds very impressive!

[@terrywbreedlove]

Love my 300mm F4. If this new lens continues close to that kind of performance in a zoom then they have a real winner.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Can't go wrong with the 300 f4

[@peterbaumgarten4065]

Nice review, Matt. Some great 4K video clips and photos as well. Cheers!

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thank you Peter :)

[@samuelwragg8615]

Is this lens compatible with the Panasonic G9?

[@ggpaghi2990]

I am part of the group of photographers that won't buy it, only because its cost doesn't justify the purchase for my usage. I will hire it as soon as it will be available. Simply a masterpiece and a benchmark for all other photo gear manufacturers

[@MattSuessPhoto]

You are bound to enjoy it when you take it out for rental!

[@stuartcarlson7043]

Wonderful review of a lens I would love to own. A bit pricey for someone like me that does not make money with photography but who knows. Maybe some day I will have more money than sense.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks Stuart - here's hoping for some day for ya! :)

[@TL-xw6fh]

Like all cameras and lenses, especially from Canon and Fuji, prices will come tumbling down within 6 months. Be patient!

[@stuartcarlson7043]

@@TL-xw6fh It will have to tumble a lot before I will buy it. I don't believe I have ever taken a picture worth $7,000 +.

[@TL-xw6fh]

@@stuartcarlson7043 Equivalent Sony and Canon lenses are 2 to 3 times more expensive!

[@stuartcarlson7043]

@@TL-xw6fh Yup, and they are not even on my radar. I am not unhappy with the "cheap" 75-300mm Olympus lens. I get great results with it. But an upgrade would be nice. One day...

[@angelisone]

If anyone asking should I buy or get a lesser lens.. ATG & I say, "YES" buy it for the sharpness, speed with built-in Tele-Converter adapter. Like the Canon 200-400/4.0 with 1.4, But Canon's is like $12,000.00. You are paying for the fast F4.5 constant lens speed, which many beginners to some pros don't even know nor understand. It's actually a 300mm to 800mm @ F4.5 on all m4/3 cameras. And once you engaged the TC, the lens becomes 375mm to 1,000mm @ F5.6 on all m4/3 ATG assisted & designed this just like the Canon's. Some may say it's expensive, then don't complain why you are not being hired or got blurred images. Since someone was from Germany & asked, "Should I buy.." then I will say, do want to get a Porsche or VW? Choosing a 100-400 is like owning a VW. It's F5.0 to a slow F6.3 that many beginners & struggling pros are using. Speed comes with a price, just like a fast car. Olympus is $7,500.00 at 4 lbs Canon is $12,000.00 at 8 lbs

Thanks for this demo! I'm also using DXP Photolab 4 an noise is no issue at all. Your pics show what the lens capable of.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks Frank!

[@biodan8577]

@@MattSuessPhoto Matt, did you ever stack the 1.4x with the 1.25x engaged? I know stacking TC's is in principle, never a good idea but guys do it and can get sharp images.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@biodan8577 yes I did, and the photo of the Chickadee in my review was with the 1.4x along with the 1.25x and it was super sharp.

[@biodan8577]

@@MattSuessPhoto Thanks, it wasn't clear to me in the video that 613mm was from the stacked TCs

[@johnathanquinn9143]

Great review, subscribed and bookmarked your website. 👍🏻. I did have this lens on pre order, I say did, but had to cancel for the short term. However, I’ll be replacing that order as soon as as I can, as I truly see the advantages of the focal zoom range in comparison to the 300mm f4 prime. I have been so constrained by the 300mm in the images that have presented to me. That’s not to say the 300mm isn’t any good, it’s great but it shows the limitations of a fixed prime and the lack of flexibility in what images I go for. The 150-400mm opens all the doors up to the 300mm and then beyond. Cant wait to get it on my E-M1X. 👍🏻

[@petedraper5185]

Great shots, fabulous lens: unfortunately, it's £2500 over my budget. Well done to OM Digital Solutions/Olympus for producing such a stunning lens.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

It took them long enough ;) but the wait is certainly worth it for those that have the budget for it.

[@hawaiianstarman]

Well done, Matt. All of a sudden my 300 f4 seems very small 😉

[@MattSuessPhoto]

lol the 300 does look rather small now - but again the 150-400 still surprises me with how light it is!

[@DB-nl9xw]

The build of this lens is amazing

[@MattSuessPhoto]

It certainly is, and so much lighter than it looks.

[@markrhodes5474]

One big problem Matt the price guess I’ll have to stick with the Olympus 300mm IS Pro which is also super sharp

[@thomasreed49]

I own both The hit rate focus wise on the 300 mil is a lot better also a little sharper. Is the 150 to 400 mm worth the extra money no it is not. But it does give you credibility when you are meeting other wildlife photographers with their big lenses If nothing else it looks the part 😪😪😪👍

[@JeffreyMcPheeters]

Helpful review, sir. I’m not sure whether I will spend the money for this lens weighing 1/2lb and 3/4” shorter than the Sony 200-600 which I feel is pretty heavy when I’m using it on an A9 and getting pretty decent results. I may stay with the light lenses for now and just work a bit harder to get closer if I can but certainly there are many situations where it’s not allowed to get closer. With a monopod Im sure it would be very good for sustained sessions and certainly outstanding on a tripod/gimbal setup; especially if the subjects are within the Ai autofocus capabilities of an E-M1X. Plus the colors out of that lens with new OM-D bodies is probably the best that any camera system can do right now.

[@alejandroezequiel265]

i guess I'm kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to watch new movies online?

[@dakotajonathan5710]

@Alejandro Ezequiel Meh I would suggest flixportal. you can find it on google:P -dakota

[@alejandroezequiel265]

@Dakota Jonathan thanks, signed up and it seems to work :) I appreciate it!

[@dakotajonathan5710]

@Alejandro Ezequiel happy to help xD

[@FotosyMas.]

Sony Northtrup put up a video claiming that an A7R IV in crop mode (26 megapixel) paired with the FE 200-600mm will give better results all while being considerably cheaper and a bit lighter. Thoughts?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

I haven't seen that video nor have I shot with the Sony 200-600, but I can say that the Sony is a much slower lens with a variable aperture (f5.6 - f6.3) with no built in teleconverter which of course makes it cheaper in price, and the Olympus lens is a solid f4.5 throughout the zoom range and has a built-in 1.25x tele. And image quality from the Olympus lens is as good as any of their best lenses.

[@biodan8577]

I have both Sony and Olympus gear: A9 and A7R4 with 200-600 or 600/F4 and other lenses. M1X and EM1v3 with 300/F4, 40-150 etc. There are a lot of comments on FredMiranda about how BIF with the A7R4 and the 200-600 can be very difficult. There are also several YT videos complaining about the A7R4 and 200-600 for BIF. Static shots with the combo are better. The latest firmware is supposed to help BIF according to the latest comments. But the 200-600 never had a problem with the A9. My A7R4 is usually on the 600 and the A9 on the 200-600. That said, I have 2 orders placed for the Olympus 150-400. Pre-covid, I traveled with my Olympus gear tho I took my Sony gear to the Galapagos a couple of yrs ago.

[@FotosyMas.]

@@biodan8577 thank you for sharing your first hand experience

[@helio-c2525]

Check out YT channel Daniel J. Cox. Dan did some extensive comparisons with the FE200-600mm on a A7r4 and a em1x with various lenses including the 300 F4 pro. He also provides full size images you can download and examine. If the 150-400 is as good as the 300 pro it will be impressive.

[@biodan8577]

@@helio-c2525 Thanks, I will check it out. The Canon 200-400/4 with 1.4x was not as sharp as the 600/4 V2. I sold it before I left Canon for good (the Canon 600 was the last to go). The Sony 600/F4 is equivalent to the Canon 600/F4. And the 200-600 even with the 1.4x with an A9 rivals the Sony 600/F4 but the A7R4 is harder to get consistent AF for BIF on the 200-600 (even w/o the 1.4x), tho as mentioned above guys say the new firmware helps - which I've yet to confirm. I did my own comparison on the same day with the M1X + Olympus 300+2x and Sony 600/F4+2x with A9 for BIF on a sunny day (both on tripod/gimbals and Olympus red dot sights). The images were quite comparable.

[@DLD_Photography]

I ordered mine the other day. The estimated delivery date is early next year but, hoping to get it earlier though.

[@exif6839]

This is THE Lens! The one weakness is the price. In the meantime I Must work with the 40-150/2,8 Pro and 2x Tk.

[@garybrown9719]

How do you like that set up

[@simonworger]

Mines arriving tomorrow, been waiting 6 months !

[@HariKumar-vz2ej]

Hi thank you. How big prints we can make with Olympus cameras?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

How big do you want to print? I've done acrylic prints larger than 40" x 60".

[@WMedl]

Thank you for the instructive video. Have you tried the Panasonic 100-400 f/4-f/6.3 wich is a little bit faster and sharper than the Olympus 100-400 but does not support dual stabilisation on an Olympus body?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

No - I actually haven't used either 100-400mm lens.

[@paul--b]

Consensus seems to be the Olympus 100-400 is sharper than the Panaleica 100-400. But it is a bit slower, bigger and heavier.

[@jamessaxon3859]

Great review. Trying to decide whether to spend that much money on this lens with Olympus and JIP. Not sure of JIPs commitment to the future of Olympus's camera business. I think the pricing is approximately 1500 high. I shoot a lot of wildlife and birds so I will probably spring for one of them after they are available.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Everything I've heard leads me to believe that Olympus is in good hands with JIP.

[@Makta972]

Best review so far. Superb shots. Dxo is Imo mandatory for Olympus shooter, so clean. Nice to see a young olympus youtuber too. I'm tired of all the old and boring folks

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks for that! :)

[@angelisone]

Matt, those two wall photos (horse/bird) were cropped? Asked because they are not 4/3 format. If cropped, how much?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

The prints are 36" x 48" which is definitely 4/3 format ratio. No cropping in on either, although I did add some extra white space on the raven photo.

[@shermanhenzel8505]

Great review. Thanks. I have already pre-ordered from B&H with Payboo so saved the tax.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks Sherman and congrats - you are going to love that lens!

[@bryanmorgan356]

Really enjoyed the review Matt, given the world wide slump in the digital camera market and Olympus's own precarious position, you would think they would want to sell these to every OM-D owner, an amazing lens it maybe, it is going to be VERY VERY hard to justify the $12,000 RRP price here in Australia........

[@MattSuessPhoto]

It is pricey, but I actually thought they would sell it for even more.

[@ericseale793]

C'mon, Bryan -- do you *really* need both your kidneys? ;-)

[@Swaggerlot]

Do they do one in black to match my 40-150 Pro? Heat is not an issue for me.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

No - they don't make it in black. They also are not worried about the heat in regards to the user, they are worried about the heat relative to the components inside so that is why it is white.

[@Swaggerlot]

@@MattSuessPhoto Just a flippant commment, mainly about why Olympus has found heat to be a issue on just this lens.

[@terrywbreedlove]

Just my own opinion and lord knows I am wrong a bunch of times. But I think the Color is more about marketing.

[@danieldougan269]

This is the ultimate for birds and wildlife.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

100% coorect!

[@olahaldor]

I don't take a lot of wildlife photos, but now I want one either way.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

lol you'll be shooting tons of wildlife now if you had this lens!

[@DJAnamaly]

Curious to know why they don’t make these lenses in black version they always seem to be white lenses for most camera companies

[@jimbailey1122]

to reflect sunshine and keep cooler, I am told. For bird photography white is near useless, that's why most bird photogs I know with white Canon long teles install LensCoat camo wraps.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

As I mentioned int he video, the lens is white to control heat inside the lens.

[@biodan8577]

Matt, on the 150-400 shots, have you compared the new DXO v4 vs Topaz DenoiseAI (I use C1 to develop)?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

I haven't had a chance to compare those yet. My main computer is still at Apple on repair and in the meantime I am using an old 2013 laptop that is quite slow, especially with Topaz. I was impressed however with how responsive Dx0 4 was on this old computer.

[@biodan8577]

@@MattSuessPhoto I just compared DXO v4 (demo) with 3 of their 4 sample images. For the eagle, Topaz Denoise AI from C1 has better noise reduction with detail preservation; and DXO is doing some behind-the scenes contrast enhancement with DXO Prime denoising (no adjustments made to the raw files). There is more noise in the background with DXO too. For the astro pic with the tower, I had to adjust the exposure, contrast, curves and clarity in C1 + Topaz DenoiseAI to get close to the DXO Prime denoised image. For the group of men, Topaz is clearly cleaner. A major advantage of Topaz is that you can fine-tune the denoising.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@biodan8577 I am not familiar with the sample images from the demo version of DxO v4 as I have the full version and use it on my own photos. But make sure when comparing, that in Capture One Pro (a program I've used a long, long time and love) that you have the noise reduction turned off in it. By default, C1 applies noise reduction which does a pretty darn good job in and of itself. And I also haven't noticed any contrast enhancement with simply using DxO Prime denoising - that is interesting that you have seen that. Make sure that DxO Smart Lighting is not on, as that is on by default and could effect contrast and just might explain what you are seeing. Another thing to look at especially in regards to contrast and overall look is the profile that is being used. In DxO it is under Color Rendering. C1 has it's own camera profiles. These profiles can definitely change the look of the photos when comparing - not in regards to noise but with color and contrast. In both, a profile is auto applied.

[@biodan8577]

@@MattSuessPhoto The sample images are on the DXO website. Next to the download button. And yes, I have noise reduction turned off in C1.

[@biodan8577]

@@MattSuessPhoto I am new to DXO and just used default settings for everything - selected DeepPrime noise reduction . By default, Smart Lighting is set to Uniform. For C1 I also used default settings/profiles. The contrast change is most dramatic in the eagle shot & reflected in the JPG histograms when compared in C1. I wonder if DXO is using some deep learning to boost the contrast of the eagle wing.

[@w0lfyovi294]

Very good review, thank you for sharing. I can't afford the lens at the moment but I hope at the end of next year I can. I can't wait to do wildlife images with it, at the moment most I can go is 280mm f 5.6 (with the Panny Leica 50-200mm f 2.8-4 and 1.4x TC). Did you try it with the Oly E-M1 Mark III and if so have you seen any AF performance difference from E-M1X? I have only the E-M1 III and I don't want to get another Olympus camera until they bring a new sensor ... but then if the AI Bird Tracking is amazing I just might get the E-M1X IF the overall AF is better than then E-M1 III.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

I actually didn't even put my m3 on it. I think especially with the upcoming bird AF on the 1x, that might be the one to look at if you photograph birds.

[@w0lfyovi294]

@@MattSuessPhoto To bad, that might have been very helpful, spending the money on the 150-400 Pro is a huge effort as it is, adding the E-M1X might be to much. Best I could do is for E-M1X to wait after next year.

[@ammadoux]

since i lost my 300 mm f4, and brought the 100-400 mm f6.3. thought maybe i need a 200 mm prime with f2.8 or f2 if possible. i live in always sunny Jeddah the 100-400 is good enough for me but still i need a fast tele for those early morning before work shots of birds in my garden. will Olympus ever do it. sometime i think why not a remake of the 90-250 f2.8 from the 4/3 mount.

[@Afriqueleblanq]

November 15th, but what year.....??

[@petercardow2083]

Great video Matt, but the lens is out of my league ;-)

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks Peter! Unfortunately they couldn't price it for everyone, and fortunately there is still a lot of great Olympus lenses at lower prices.

[@fsi2210]

Have you tried the new bird af? If you have, how does it perform with erratic subjects?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

No - I haven't had a chance to test the upcoming bird af yet.

[@JeffreyMcPheeters]

Bird Ai makes shooting large birds almost too easy. But I’ve been comparing it with the 100-400, 300/4 and 40-150/2.8+MC20 2x Teleconverter alongside a Sony A9 with 200-600/5-6.3 just for the sake of comparisions. Of course the Sony A9 has some of the best AF setup ever devices with over 600 AF points and it’s a beast with action. And normally, before Bird AI it would be a no contest situation especially with little birds (cardinals, nuthatches, finches, etc.) but in my experience over the past week shooting from different distances and such, the Bird AI seems to snag more in flight AF birds using CAF+Tr and higher sensitivity (I shoot large birds usually with -1 or -2 sensitivity) than the Sony A9 can. Even in low light the Olympus is doing great at ISO6400 although the noise will of course be more noticable on the Olympus than the Sony A9 which seems to do very well even above 6400. Anyway, FWIW, the Bird Ai does get small birds and finds their eyeballs quicker than anything I’ve been able to use and it definitely helps the 100-400 and 40-150 to perform much closer to the 300/4 in terms of sharp copies.

[@sounderdavis5446]

@@JeffreyMcPheeters: I will respectfully disagree. My wife and I just rented from lensrentals.com an E-M1X with the Bird AF firmware update installed. We do a lot of bird photography here on the Outer Banks of NC with Oly gear, especially at this time of year. We were disappointed to find that Bird AF did *not* add anything significant in the way of percentage of sharp, in-focus shots of birds, compared to what's obtained with C-AF (*without* TR and Bird AF) on either the E-M1X we rented or the two E-M1 Mark IIIs we already own, using the Oly 300mm PRO, the 40-150mm PRO, or the 100-400mm (non-pro) lenses, with or without either Oly teleconverter. C-AF with birds in flight is mostly very good on either body with a PRO lens anyway. We were ready to buy the E-M1X just to get Bird AF, but backed away based on our rental experience. (Our camera settings included: M mode, f/8 or f/11, 1/1600th+, Auto ISO, and we were in good late-December light.) Obviously at this date, we have not tried the soon-to-arrive Oly Holy Grail megazoom, which frankly, is out of our price range anyway; that lens may make the benefits of Bird AF more apparent. And either user error or a damaged rental camera body is an alternate explanation for our findings, though lensrentals.com is pretty reliable in supplying equipment that works as spec'ed. There are over a dozen MENU settings on the bodies of these cameras that can affect focus and sharpness. We made a good faith effort over ten days to try them all. We just didn't see Bird AF as helping in line with the cost of the E-M1X. Bird AF almost always immediately identifies a bird body in the viewfinder, which *is* cool. You get a rectangular white box signifying the body, and then wait a brief interval for a small green box signifying AF on the bird head or eyes. Waiting for the green box takes a split-second too long with any bird in flight, especially a fast or darting bird. We got soft bird heads and necks regardless. And with a flock, Bird AF arguably makes things worse, because it jumps around from bird-to-bird despite MENU settings to discourage jumpiness. Even with only one or two birds especially in motion or even sorta stationary, it performed no better than non-tracking AF in our tests. I realize this is a minority opinion. I would encourage anybody to check it out by renting before buying four-figure gear to make their own determination. ZOOM IN images and compare for sharpness.

[@JeffreyMcPheeters]

@@sounderdavis5446 I'm not sure what point I made that you disagree with, but I imagine we will have different experiences. I've been shooting a quarter of million photos per year for more than a decade, quite a lot of it action kinds of work, and it would be hard for me to imagine I could get a very good feel for any system in a week's rental. Maybe I'm slow to learn, though. I spend hours per day at this so for my part, mastering a lens and especially a camera seems to take some months. Now personally, I don't really like the M1X and I like the Mark III quite a bit better for a lot of things, so if you think Bird AI does not give you the added assistance I seem to find, that's all well and good. I've already shot a hundred thousand photos with my M1X, which I mainly reserve for sports and wildlife action, and so I have a pretty good track record with it and feel I know how to get good tack sharp images consistently. Bird Ai simply removes some guesswork for me and if I'm already pretty good with it, then the results for me are that my work is a little easier now and for my money, easier is better so long as the results are equivalent. I hardly ever meet anyone who gets my keeper rate and I think it's not that I'm that good but that I have a knack for knowing when the camera is on target and when it's not and I know how to get it back on target. Whether Bird Ai puts the Olympus into the league of the high end FF gear is another matter. It's closer was my point. It's better than it was and might be good enough to help some folks spend less money and have more fun.

[@sounderdavis5446]

​@@JeffreyMcPheeters You've shot way more than I or we have, Jeffrey. My disagreement was specifically with your statement that "Bird AF makes shooting large birds almost too easy." My point: so does C-AF without tracking and Bird detection AF set using either of the top two Oly bodies. *That's* the comparison people need to make before investing the extra money above the E-M1 Mark III to get an E-M1X to obtain Bird AF. Many E-M1 Mark III owners are unhappy that Bird AF is not coming to their body in a firmware update. We were surprised to conclude that they may not be missing as much as they think. The E-M1 Mark III is smaller and lighter and easier to handhold with an Oly PRO telephoto lens + teleconverter in tracking birds in flight and does quite well freezing birds in flight when set correctly. C-AF+TR and Bird AF gets confused in some situations C-AF alone does not, especially with fast-moving flocks. Bird AF locks in on the head very quickly with one nearly-stationary bird, but Bird AF is not significantly more beneficial in landing that shot. Yes, ours is a minority dissenting view in early Bird AF glowing reviews, and others may find more bang-for-the-buck than we did by spending more to get Bird AF. Again I suggest: try and compare carefully before buying. We were confident after a two-week rental that we would not be well served at this point investing in an E-M1X with the goal of getting significant improvement over the E-M1 Mark III in focusing bird eyes/head with birds in flight.

[@toddm6999]

Wow..period

[@nsteinmetz]

Notice you holding the camera with the weight of the lens on the Mount. Isn’t that a no-no?

[@quazisanjeed6395]

Undoubtedly, it’s a fabulous super telephoto zoom lens that seems very different from the other similar lenses out there in the market. However, its price-tag of $ 7.5k makes it a pure pro lens as the name suggests rather than a prosumer glass. One thing is unclear to me! We came to know only couple of months ago that, Olympus decided to stop manufacturing imaging equipment and that division was sold out. In such a situation introducing an exceptional super telephoto lens makes us wonder whether that decision has been overturned!

[@MattSuessPhoto]

This is a pro lens 100% - that is for sure - and compares to other lenses that are also out of the budget range of many non pros. It isn't for everyone. I'm also not concerned with the future of Olympus at this time. They are selling but looks like they will be in good hands, despite what some others say.

[@craigb8379]

Looks like a fabulous dream lens for any wildlife shooter. The price is probably justified for what it is, but it will still be out of reach for so many - myself included most likely. I’d need to sell a kidney!

[@MattSuessPhoto]

I wouldn't recommend selling a kidney for it ;)

[@petersimpson8801]

Hi Matt, excellent review, thanks, by far the best looking images I've seen so far with this lens. I've put in a pre-order and also use DXO, we're now going to have to start a campaign to get the lens added to their database! 😁 The lens hood looks rather large, did you find it got in the way at all? Was the lens hood easy to get on and off? Many thanks, Peter

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Thanks for that Peter! The lens hood is particularly useful when shooting in inclement weather and is easy to take on and off, and when on it is very secure. It also helps to block out any sunlight coming in from an angle, and also to protect the front element. Personally I would probably have it on most of the time.

[@glennobrien5039]

My, that can't be beaten for a detailed review. Alas, my pension doesn't reach the mega four-figure price tag. However, I have the 100-400 which does a great job. Have you used the 100-400, if so how do they compare?

[@MattSuessPhoto]

I actually haven't used the 100-400 lens yet.

[@elduderino4983]

Can you recommend this lense for the M5 Mark III? Greetings from Germany

[@jillianangell2570]

No it's way too big and also 7500 USD. Get either the Olympus or Panasonic 100-400mm for a fifth the price

[@elduderino4983]

@@jillianangell2570 thanks for your quick reply. Now im using 40-150mm f2.8 pro and the MC20 combined. With MC the results are not really sharp. Now thinking of 300mm pro with MC 1.4. or 150-400. Thinking of M5 Mark III with battery grip and maybe going for the 1X when hopefully a new model is the market. 7000€ is a lot of money but with this quality and comparing to FF defenetly worth it. The quality with M5 might be not really worse than with M1X/M1 dont you think?

[@setya168]

Handsome 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@zayacz123]

I won’t be buying this lens because of the price, but I would love to have one. MFT is perfect for me. For those who don’t think it’s any good I would ask, how are you sharing your pictures? I look at and share my pictures online and I print or have them printed on paper up to 13X19. You have to have really big walls to display framed matted pictures larger than that. A 12X18 inch print should be viewed from a few feet away and not with your nose in it. A larger picture should be viewed from across the room. For these purposes, there is little difference between MFT and full frame. But there is a huge difference in size and weight of the equipment.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

You can see two 36"x48" acrylic prints behind me in my video, and part of a 46"x60" acrylic print - all from my Olympus m43 😉

[@zayacz123]

@@MattSuessPhoto That deserves a WOW! People put way too much stock in sensor size.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@zayacz123 they sure do :)

[@luizz_k]

Think id rather go with the 300 prime.. All this time waiting to decide...

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Can't go wrong with the 300 f4.

[@sks96816]

This lens would sell out at $3500 USD!

[@EugeneMaynard]

🙏🏾

[@davehollander6543]

My take is that it's mythical lens. It is just. not. available --even to those of us who might be willing to pay the price.

[@godsinbox]

8 weeks from order to delivery for me. If you want to jump the queue, pay a large deposit to show you are serious.

[@EvanSpellman]

Great Stuff,enjoyed this video very much.Ive waited a long time for this lens. $can9999.99 pre order plus 12% tax With all the world currency printing going on, $uS currency could drop significantly very shortly maybe saving me $can 2-3 k on the price. I sold my 300f4 but kept the 1.4 and 2.0 teles. Looking forward to getting 1 sometime next year

[@hanzkilian1806]

I love Olympus and use a E_M1mkII with Leica 100mm -400mm f4 lens, however I see a couple problems with this lens. Anyone buying this is either a sport a bird or wildlife photographer. Myself I shoot birds and anyone who does knows that shooting birds you are under tree cover. With the available F stops with this lens you are going to need a LOT OF LIGHT. Additionally I think it will be impossible to use without a tripod when shooting birds sport or anything that moves. Great lens, but really without a lot of light and tripod I think it is very limited.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Olympus' longest lens prior to this was the 300f4 and the 100-400f5-6.3. Your Leica is a 100-400 f4-f6.3. This is a fixed f4.5 which lets in plenty of light - more than your Leica lens. Most lenses in this range are f4 and up, and this is fixed f4.5. So no real issue there. As to weight, it is a lot lighter than a full-frame 600mm f4. I had no problem hand holding it all day but I'm sure some might prefer a tripod - nothing wrong with that. Nowhere near as limited in movement as a 600mm f4.

[@jackwestcott4469]

I’ve been shooting with my EM1 Mark III with the Olympus 100-400 and while I cannot comment on your setup, I can say that mine gives me pleasant results. If anything is too noisy, I pop it in Topaz and that takes care of it. I’ll tell you what though, I’ve taken more pictures with my M43 system in 6 months than I did in 3 years with my 36MP D800E w/ 300mm F/4.

[@TheUntypicals]

So its Covid safe :)

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Sure - if you are photographing portraits of people you can definitely stay farther than 6 feet away.

[@homesickphotographycomau4107]

out of the ball park...

[@grahamfloyd3451]

the price point is lol

[@remusmoise8836]

wowww....everything is so impressive, perfect and beautiful but nobody tells about the equivalence on the 35 mm, this is actually an f9 lens, far, far away from a Canon f2.8, Sony or Nikon. backgrounds looks so busy.....

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Actually it's an f4.5 lens and of course not as bright as an f2.8 lens - be sure to enjoy that 0.5" of less depth of field you would have on a subject 50 feet away comparing a Canon f2.8 vs an Olympus f4.5 at 800mm equivalent (which there is no Canon 800mm f2.8 but anyways...) - not gonna make a difference, although considering the depth of field on both is less than 1" I'd prefer having that extra 0.5" with the Olympus 🤣

[@hanfei6871]

Who buys a mega zoom merely for the shallow depth of field? It also has 2x the reproduction ratio and reach if you really want to count things in full frame terms.

[@yetidodger6650]

6k? :(

[@toddjoh]

twice the price it should be

[@MattSuessPhoto]

Honestly I thought it was going to be closer to $10k...

[@JourneywithBrandon]

@@MattSuessPhoto No kidding, I thought so too.

[@ele4853]

Sigma 150-600mm contemporary $939.00. Zuiko 150-450mm $7,500.00 what a JOKE! LOL

[@richardfink7666]

Canon 600/4.0, 14000Euro! That`s a joke!

[@hanfei6871]

Completely different lenses with different qualities. In your sense the canon 18-200 costs less than $200 - more jokes for the industry?

[@pentagramyt417]

I love when pure hobbyst are laughing at professional grade lenses price 🥁🥁😆😆

[@grantparnes]

You can't afford either one. 2 completely different lenses by the way.

[@libork8106]

Overpriced ....

[@biodan8577]

For those who have owned big white lenses (Canon 300/2.8, 400/F4 DO, 500/F4, 600/F4, 200-400F/4 with 1.4x) and now Sony 600/F4 GM), this lens is actually fairly priced.

[@veselingramatikov]

You can use 200-500/5.6 lens on aps-c sensor for 1200$ instead of that junk at 7500$. Same equivalents and same results. Thank you all.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

lol hardly comparable, nowhere near same equivalents (and fwiw the Nikon lens is $1400 USD, not $1200...). Let us compare stats: Nikon 200-500 f5.6 (Olympus is f4.5), no built-in tele (Olympus has 1.25x tele built-in), Nikon does not have internal zoom (Olympus does), Nikon weighs 5.07lb (Olympus almost a pound lighter at 4.13), Nikon minimum focus is 2.2m (Olympus is 1.3m), Nikon has 19 lens elements in 12 groups (Olympus has 28 elements in 18 groups), Nikon image stabilization is up to 4.5 stops (Olympus is up to 8 stops), Nikon has 2 focus range limiters (Olympus has 3). Further the Olympus 150-400mm is splashproof & dustproof, can assign custom functions to the lens accessible via 4 buttons surrounding lens, can set a prefocus spot that is instantly accessible, and is perfectly balanced with camera because zoom is internal (again unlike Nikon). 👊

[@veselingramatikov]

@@MattSuessPhoto haha HARDLY? Ok let see. 150-400/4.5 is 300-800/9.0 equivalent lens for 7600$. On APS-C Sony makes 200-600/6.3 equiv 300-900/9.0 lens for 2000$. Both have internal focus, both have stabilization, both have similar build. Sony is 100mm longer. Nikkor is just SLR option for 1400$ and it`s even brighter. HARDLY HARDLY :))) Sure nikkor is not internal focusing but i can by 5 :)

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@veselingramatikov I think I stated my case quite effectively - you didn't (proof via the f9 comment - ROFL - you really have no idea what you are talking about, along with ignoring all the other specs and comparisons I stated). But hey - believe what ya want - cheers!

[@veselingramatikov]

@@MattSuessPhoto Ignornig...Sony 200-600/6.3 is actually same lens mounted on aps-c for 1/4 the price. Can you calculate equivalent F-stops dear it`s simple. 4.5x2=9.0 for full frame and 4.5x1.3=6.0(aprox) for aps-c. So yeah :))) 7600$ lens... good luck with that. If you want i can come back after 2 years to see how this sell... :)))

[@MattSuessPhoto]

@@veselingramatikov the Sony is a f5.6 - 6.3 variable f-stop lens, so yeah of course it is cheaper. And the Olympus is a fixed f4.5 throughout the zoom range - a hell of a lot faster letting in way more light than a f5.6-6.3 lens. Faster lenses and especially those with a steady f-stop throughout the range ALWAYS cost more. And the Olympus f4.5 lens lets in the same amount of light as any other f4.5 lens - it is not equal to f9, 🤦‍♂️. Again, the more light a lens lets in, the more expensive it is! Learn a little bit more about photography especially before you start trashing other platforms you don't even shoot with and discussing things you have no idea about. And ignoring details that I already pointed out to you is just plain ignorant 😘

[@ajs1501]

Rich man's toy

[@cameraman655]

How to destroy a once-great camera company in three easy steps... 1. Market a camera system with an underperforming, minuscule sensor. 2. Design and market an overpriced and underwhelming camera that no one wants. 3. Design and market an overpriced and underwhelming lens that no one needs. That's it, lesson over and sadly, Olympus as well.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

lol maybe for you. But for me and other fellow professionals making our money with Olympus gear (and countless non-pros super happy with the system), we have no problem dealing with that "underperforming, minuscule sensor" (fact - it is not underperforming and not as small as you think), we don't think the cameras are "overpriced and underwhelming" (lol this is so funny reading and from someone who obviously never shot with Olympus - there are so many things you can do with Olympus that you can't on other systems...), and lastly there are quite a lot of photographers who already have happily ordered this "overpriced and underwhelming lens that no one needs".

[@RogerBenno]

I think I smell sour grapes. Buying into a sensor size that dates from the 1960s. It's not too late to sell up and join the future in micro four thirds. It will help the big dent in your shoulder from lugging those archaic huge telephoto lenses around.

[@cameraman655]

@@RogerBenno I am quite content with my Fuji X-Pros and X-Ts thank you very much.

[@RogerBenno]

@@cameraman655 that's wonderful you are happy with your Fuji camera. Olympus owners too are very happy with their equipment, so much so that they don't go around telling owners of other camera systems how bad they are. It could be because they are off taking images with their cameras.

[@cameraman655]

@@RogerBenno Possible, however my commentary was more about how a once-great camera maker has been reduced to what they are now, a poorly managed company, not those who shoot with Olympus gear. My father had a PEN back in the 70s, which piqued my interest in photography. I played around with the OM1in the 80s, before settling on Canon. Olympus, like it or not, will likely be relegated to the history books and I suspect that only their film cameras will be remembered fondly.

[@migranthawker2952]

Well, you killed this review at just past 2 minutes. It's a 150-400mm lens. You are continuing the myth that small sensors give a focal length increase. They don't, they give a crop to the image. I could get the same by simply cropping the image of my full frame dSLR. So stop spouting rubbish!

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

They don't give a crop of the image, since this lens has only M43 image circle.

[@MattSuessPhoto]

No rubbish given here - it is a 150-800mm lens on m43 and gives the equivalent mm on a full-frame of 300mm - 800mm at f4.5. Just the facts...

[@TL-xw6fh]

Migrant, you've well and truly shown up your ignorance about anything to do with photography. Using your definition, your full frame DSLR is just a cropped sensor of a medium format Hasselblad digital camera, which in itself is a cropped sensor of a 5x4" digital camera! Lenses, and they focal length is all relative to the sensor size, that's all. How ignorant.

[@tom5216]

Have you been listening to Sony Northrop

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

It gives f4.5 brightness. In that sense, it is not equivalent to a 800 f9.

[@Stefan1968ful]

Who is seriously investing so much money into an Olympus system?? The bokeh looks like with an iPhone. No bueno.