Your Olympus 100-400mm Images Are Soft? Here Are Possible Reasons Why

[@robinwong]

This was filmed before lockdown in Malaysia obviously, that's more than a month ago. Just in case some government people/police are looking at this. I am innocent I swear.

[@garyengler165]

Ah - and you have obviously gotten a lot more comfortable making these videos ;)

[@cikenot90]

haha

[@robinwong]

@@garyengler165 thanks! Work in progress

[@MrPetebuster1]

Robin totally agree had perfectly sharp results at the zoo, its been more hit and miss with wildlife but that's more to do with the settings and you,i have it on the Em1 x and you get better results once you've got the settings correct for what your shooting it's nothing to do with lens, one mistake i was making was not using all the focus points for moving subjects

[@ProcessedDigitally]

Lol

[@Gen1gamer]

6. Atmosphere: Having hi power tele's means you don't have to be close to your subject putting more air between you and the subject. Shoot a subject on a hot day and the heat waves off the ground will soften your images quick.

[@Lordvader330]

This was an excellent video. I got the 100-400 lens yesterday. My first images were a bit soft. Once I set up the Stabilization correctly the images are now tack sharp. Thanks Robin for the help

[@QuantumJ67]

This is a great accountability check. You’re right, the gear is the last thing to blame for bad images. I enjoyed your explanations and Dramatic Robin was appropriate for this topic.. just as we enjoy Passionate Robin for other subject matter.

[@robinwong]

I just want everyone to get the best possible results from Olympus gear. I am really trying my best and I share everything I can. So if someone can't get the same results as I did, I'd start to question myself what went wrong!

[@glennobrien5039]

You're right Robin. Once I upgraded the firmware I started getting really good results from this lens. The guy in my local camera store sat me down in the back of the shop with my lap top, camera and lens, having previously told me to make sure all of my batteries in lap top and camera were fully charged and the process worked well. I also find that some of my best shots are taken in portrait mode and around the 300mm mark. I rarely go above ISO 400 on a sunny day and the results are great. I get so many keepers these days, particularly of birds, a subject I used to be hopeless at. Well done. keep up the good work.

[@maartenposthuma1895]

Hi Robin Great tips a usual. I too had very soft images with this lens. I returned to my camera store where they put another 100-400mm on my OMD 1 MK 111 an the results were very different. The reason my lens produced soft images was the UV filter I had fitted. (Hoya by the way). I replaced it with a Kenko Pro 1d UV and the problem disappeared. This may be something for others to check also.

[@robinwong]

That's the reason I did not use filters at all for all my tests.

[@koolkutz7]

Good point. Always worth checking your images with/without a filter attached to see if it affects the IQ in any way.

[@ivushep2360]

Same here with Zuiko 12-200 3.5-5.6 with Polaroid circular UV filter. Just unable to focus with the filter on. Found out just recently and ever since I haven't had any problem. Happy to hear that different filter could work.

[@glync8623]

CHOOSING TO SHOOT IN GOOD LIGHT? Ha! Try a northern European winter! I use high ISO and Topaz denoise. Love your channel. Keep 'em coming

[@GrandmasterBBC]

Robin Wong presents: "Why you suck at photography." Good stuff as always.

[@robinwong]

That could be a new series

[@GrandmasterBBC]

@@robinwong Haha! Let's do this! 😁

[@JBSwanstrom]

I just bought the Oly 100-400mm and followed your tips. I love this lens so much. After a visit to the zoo today I was impressed with the image quality.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Dramatic Robin is fun! Reminds me of me at work. Great teaching and emphasis in that session.

[@geoffclinton8575]

Hi Robin Whilst I agree with most of what you say in this video, I have had a couple of incidents that could say that as manufactured lenses are not always as sharp as they could be. Firstly I have a 12-200mm Olympus lens, it was not as sharp as I would like and after a long discussion with the Olympus team in UK, it was returned to them together with images taken with the lens. Again the report came back that it "met specification". I then replied that the images show otherwise. They agreed to look at it again, and posted it back to me. I checked it out and low and behold image sharpness was much improved. Secondly I have a Panasonic 100-400 mm lens, it was not bad but again not as sharp as I would like. It suffered a major problem when the focus slider mechanism jammed. As it was under warranty it was returned and after a couple of weeks was sent back to me. I checked the lens out and on a couple of standard tests I always do, I found the lens was much sharper particularly on the longer focal lengths. I Emailed the service people who do the servicing for Panasonic in UK and asked what they do. They informed me they do not just assemble the lens but carefully check it out to ensure best performance. Not certain what this entails but it does seem that there is the possibility that mass assembly of lenses can give a varying result. As I said I agree with all other points you raised

[@davejsullivan]

I am just a novice but I can agree completely. When I see a soft image I figure there is something I can do better. Sometimes at great distances even air distortions, such as heat, can soften an image.

[@davidtaylor921]

Robin, I have just two lenses for my OM Systems OM1, the 12-100 F4 pro and the 100-400 F5-6.3. Should I have Lens I.S. Priority 'On' for the Pro lens and 'Off' for the non-Pro lens? I believe that the Pro lenses can co-ordinate with the camera but the non-Pro lens can't. Am I correct?

[@jeffrielley920]

That hand strap is on my to-buy list as much as the lens is.

[@koolkutz7]

Just got one for my Fuji X-S10, very useful.

[@mattle2646]

What strap is it? Robin always has the best

[@jeffrielley920]

One year later and I just bought the lens a few hours ago.

[@tomweis1194]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Even on the E-M1.3 I have set “Lens I.S. Priority” to ON for this lens and it has helped a lot. That setting alone has made the difference for me.

[@pwx8460]

Shocking! Technique matters to get a quality photograph, I'm stunned! 😃 Good advice as always Robin. Glad you had some 'file footage' to share during your lockdown.

[@robinwong]

Thanks. I do my best and I want everyone to get the best results too.

[@mikewalker3800]

Hard hitting........and spot on as usual Robin, great vid. I've just taken delivery of this lens (2 days ago). I've taken a few images in the garden, in extremely overcast and grey conditions, mixed results. It is a challenging lens, but before switching to Olympus, so was my Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L is II especially with Teleconverters attached. Practice, practice practice.

[@MDMiller60]

Very useful. I was wondering when to use Auto IS. BTW, I still have not received answer from Olympus and a couple of youtubers as to when IS should be turned off. 1) when you use higher shutter speeds. At what speed should you turn off IS, body and/or lens? 2) when the camera is on a tripod, gimbal or ballhead fully locked down? 3) when the camera is on a tripod, and *Not Totally Locked* in, what to do with inbody and lens IS? the gimbal or ballhead may be unlocked and capable of movement and the camera is helped with steadiness from the photographer trying to hold steady. Does Auto IS know when the camera is subject to slight movements from unlocked gimbals and ballheads? Does Auto IS know when the camera is being used at the higher shutter speeds (how high?) Thanks Robin.

[@markusbolliger1527]

Great video - with very helpful advice! Cameras and lenses are so good these days that they never should be blamed for bad results.

[@davidellis6757]

Most 'soft', 'rubbish' comments are probably Canon or Nikon users who want to rubbish Olympus. I have had the 100-400mm for several weeks and find that everything you say in the vlog is correct and very well put Robin. Do not despair of the critics. Love it.

[@robinwong]

Thanks David! Glad you like the lens too.

[@stevengotz]

Thanks for this, I was having some problems and I was told some of what you explained in this video. But you took the time t explain why and that really helps. After a few adjustments, I am happy with the sharpness of my shots with the Mark III and the 100-400mm.

[@duncanarmitage6943]

Thank you for that Robin. After a long wait mine finally arrived this week and having seen your video I’m not going to be disappointed.

[@robinwong]

Enjoy your 100-400mm lens!

[@UrbaneHobbit]

I kinda like salty Robin!

[@robinwong]

Salty, at least not bitter!

[@rudolfabelin383]

@@robinwong LOL!

[@MichaelRusso]

You provide good tips no matter what system you have as many lenses have their own properties you need to tune into.

[@skiggety]

I really enjoyed hearing you speak with passion about shooting discipline!

[@sjdown100]

Well said Robin. I’m loving my 100-400, it’s a great lens to have in my camera bag

[@robinwong]

Thanks, glad you like the lens!

[@polarized8708]

The lens is sharp. I did hundreds of shots even with MC14 (f/9), which make it even more challenging and you always shoot at high ISOs. You need to practice very hard with this and should preset C1-C3 to easily change settings from moving birds/ subjects (1/1000 at least, AFC, Mechanical Shutter) or static subjects (1/500, S-AF, ES). Results will be better from time to time. The worst thing about the fancy festures like Image stabilzation is, that people often shoot with wrong shutter speed. If you have a challenging lens and want to get sure, that I get the shot, i set the camera like there is no IS and then switch to custom settings and try to shoot at lowest possible ISO for better quality.

[@robinjohnson9734]

Great video and very timely as I have been reviewing my 100-400 and my use of it. I have two questions. 1. You mention ISO causing graininess which I was well aware of but I wonder what you think the limit should be set at. I know of a famous Olympus birder who tries to avoid anything above 800, he has a fast telephoto (150-400), but when I try and set the limit even as high as 2000 I sometimes end up with very dark images because the camera just doesn’t have enough light. I know I can increase ISO, or slow shutter but when trying to catch birds in flight I’m fighting a loosing battle. What is your ideal limit for ISO? 2. I have an issue with the mount. When I put the 100-400 on my em5mk3 I get barrel roll that doesn’t happen with other lenses. What I mean is if I put the lens&camera on a tripod and grabbed the lens I can feel it roll backwards and forwards as I twist the lens. Somebody on a different blog said this was not uncommon and more or an annoyance than a problem. Supplier has offered to look at it but I don’t want to be without it for several weeks. What do people think? Sadly don’t have a different body to try it on.

[@d30gaijin]

I don't have an Oly 100-400 but I do have a Sony 200-600 and my images are not soft. But I love my Oly Pen F with any lens on it. Thank you Robin! Love your videos.

[@Lonewolfandalens]

As a new Olympus user who has just shot with this lens and OMD MKii for two weeks, I can confirm it is very sharp. I have got really good results with it even shooting hand held at 1/30th of a second. As Robin says, you have to follow the good shooting technique. One thing I was sceptical about before switching was height iso performance, but I’m more than happy with the shots I’ve gotten up to ISO 1600. And I think I could go even higher. I have also got a used 40-150 but haven’t had a chance to shoot with it as I mainly photograph birds and it’s difficult to get close with that reach. And I guess it won’t be fair comparing results of a pro lens with this one. Special thanks to Robin for all the helpful videos, which made me confident in making the switch.

[@jfm7830]

Hi Robin. I have a M1X body and I don’t understand very well one thing. In this body I have to put the Lens IS priority on or off? Thank you for your answer. Congratulations for your great job!!!!

[@johnyutzey6504]

Shooting with long lenses is like learning to drink Scotch: it's an acquired taste, or in this case, an acquired skill. I am fairly comfortable shooting lenses as long as 300mm (FF=), but beyond that, I really have to be "on my game". This is a great video for what it means to be "on your game". I don't have the Oly 100-400, but I do have the Panny100-300 and shoot it occasionally for wildlife, since I am not a wildlife shooter in general. It is definitely a challenge, and my keeper percentage is not great, but if I shoot it enough, I do get some keepers I'm happy with. Great video. Thanks.

[@robinwong]

Thanks John, and honestly I am with you. I can't do too long of a lens too. Even 300mm is uncomfortable for me!

[@ИванИванов-е9п2м]

Берегите природу-мать Вашу!

[@thethirdman225]

6:06 Robin frothing at the mouth! Good advice Robin. Thanks.

[@petergesselvan9252]

Hy Robin. First I like all Your video’s you ‘ve make about olympus gear. It help me a lot. I have also the 100-400 tele. I wil thank you for the settings you’ve mention in this video. I was almost there with my settings but your tips took my shots to a higher level. Thank you for these tips.

[@wolfgangkurth6329]

Robin: I just updated to the latest 1.1 firmware on the lens and 1.6 firmware on the camera. I find I am getting the opposite results you do. Shooting with this lens, in the house, shooting a stationary object, I get best results S-IS Auto, lens priority off and lens IS off! For extreme results I was shooting at 2 seconds, hand held, single point target, ISO 1600, lens wide open at f/6.3. I repeated the tests several times between your suggestions and my settings. Again and again, I got pretty sharp images at that ridiculously slow speed for 400mm (800) turning lens IS off, only using IBIS. Any idea why? Wolf

[@c.s.6758]

Thank you Robin this video is exactly what I have been searching for.

[@Thescrubshow]

The energy in this shows you dealt with people who don't learn or understand. Sorry Robin also I liked seeing your passion.

[@sl-rt5kv]

Excellent advice. Very clear and articulate. Your points about the need for photographers to work hard and take responsibility for the results are spot on.

[@scstudios8]

I think shooting tele is a skill to itself. I just shot a lot of 75-300mm stuff on a G9 yesterday and it was a mixed bag. Some very sharp and some really not and its clear the lens can do it, but its so hard to get stable shots at 300mm. Iso and shutter speed are such a challenge. Also, the body is critical. I think some things you cant do with the older bodies, like hand held may really not be so great with older model m43 cameras, period. It may just not ever work. I usually lock everything out on tripod and run the focal length and aperture tests and I can say what the possibilities are, so I know if the lens can at least optically do it, but its the package of the stabilization and some of the controls to go between high iso or longer shutter. With fast changing scenes, its a huge challenge to get this all sorted in the moment.

[@T2uyu]

I have the exact same lens and camera! Thank you so much Robin. But I still have couple questions for the IS: when do you prefer all direction shake IS over auto IS? and should I use sensor shift + digital or sensor shift only?

[@timothyh.1460]

Thanks for bringing some common sense thinking to these issues. I have a new EM-5, Mark III, and will be renting this lens before I decide to purchase one. I will keep your instructions in mind while using this lens.

[@uTPH1]

Good video with clear tips to get the best out of the longer zooms. I don’t have this lens but when I bought the 75-300 I had to learn to slow down and give it some respect.

[@prathameshmehendale]

Hey do you have any blog or video guide on how to edit raw images from Olympus camera.. I have been following your reviews and recently bought EM1 mk ii ..very happy with purchase... Got 100 400 with it as I am into birding and wildlife .. I am stuck up with OM workspace as I am old Canon guy who used DPP very much .. compared to DPP, OM workspace feels useless.... Any suggestion for me on what's best to start for editing RAW? Or do you have any guide on OM Workspace that I can refer?

[@edwardsponholz1614]

Hi Robin, I rewatched this video recently and have a question about stabilization settings. I am considering renting this lens with an OM-1 for a possible purchase of both. In a section of the video you talk about the proper stabilization settings in the camera for this lens, but I don't think you cover the OM-1. Everyone review I read or watch about the lens has different comments about whether to use lens + camera stabilization or camera only or just experiment. More interested in your opinion right now. Thanks.

[@dinoferrari229]

I did do much tests with this lens than i can affirm please always use the electronic shutter for sharp results! With mecanic shutter, it can be soft. And F8 or F9 aperture recommanded for the best, but 6,3 is good enough.

[@Orondil1]

@Robin Wong Great material. Have you got any material about about shooting in worse weather condisions using micro 3/4? I would like to see the quality of photos from such a session.

[@jayargo2109]

Hi Robin , forgive me for sounding stupid ! By setting the lens I S to on , does that automatically set it to on , even in custom settings, or would I have to assign it to each one etc ? Thank you

[@raytsh]

Thank you for the video! I have this lens on an OMD-10 MK2 and the images are very soft. I will try your recommendations! Also, I have an OM-1 coming in soon and I'm looking forward to compare the performance of the lens on these two camera bodies.

[@laurencedocherty6512]

I've had this lens a few weeks now and had great results, yeah, some not so great but they are always user error. I know my camera and lens is more than capable!

[@williambarwick1729]

Unquestionable good advice Robin. On a slightly different tack, when I went to install firmware upgrade on my EM1 Mk2 I was told I needed to install Workspace first. Is this true, and/or necessary?

[@Undiadebirding]

Yes, Seems that Olympus remove the previous tool that doesn't include Workspace and it's impossible to find nowadays

[@meredithpottery]

Thank you, Robin. I have the 40 to 150 mm lens and I have em1 mark iii camera. There is no in lens stablization for it so do I keep the camera on is1 or is auto?

[@MyNameIsHoward]

Hi Robin , thank god for you video.... I have the Olympus e-m1 mk11 with my recently purchased Olympus 100-400 , and have been suffered from soft images (i was considering going back to my pan 100-300 which i loved) However, I have done as you said in this video but would like you to clarify wether i should have the is lens priority ON or OFF for my set up, as your explanation is a little vague??? ( Im also going to remove my UV filter as several have suggested here )

[@tonytwyman]

Another fab video... And all reasons are very valid 🙌 loving the 'dramatic Robin' 😁

[@paulgier4799]

Hey Robin Thanks so much for your tips and hints. I own my beloved M5 mark II (and several Pro lenses) for 5 years now and the 100-400 since last autumn. I gathered lots of information about my gear but since yesterday, when I watched your video, I didn´t know this "lens priority" thing... :( The menu of this cams are so f.....g deep. Please keep on supporting us with your really helpful and amusing videos!!! Best regards from Paul in Aachen/Germany

[@leckywoznicki5393]

Thanks Robin i'm just about to go out & checked my setting & oooppps i hadn't changed them :0 Hope you enjoyed the coffee's

[@Davidcallard]

Thanks for another very informative video. I have just one question for you and it's about the handling of a long and heavy lens like this on a small camera. I'm 72 now but I remember being taught from the start never to hold such a combination by the camera end of the rig lest we distress the lens mount on either the camera or the lens or Hey Caramba! why not go for the jackpot and get both! Please don't feel I mean this as a criticism I'm only raising the issue because I don't have that lens unfortunately but I do have the old 75-300mm. BTW I have noticed some softness at the 300 end. I have found it can be improved to some small extent by resetting the focus a tad behind infinity. I'm sticking with my Four Thirds system for now because I like it and there's a couple of lenses I still lust after and also I'm pretty darn sure that I would be doing time in the doghouse from She Who Must Be Obeyed if I were to be so bold as to buy another camera!!🙃🙄

[@Nikitas111]

how well will this lens work with an Olympus Pen-F? any anticipated issues which may occur?

[@joelarnol5134]

excellente démonstration de cet excellent objectif . merci pour ces belles photos

[@rialegdeur]

Robin; I have a question. I like the lens, but the zoom ring is very heavy for me. I can't turn the zoom very well, even though the lock button is off the lock. Do you know what you can do about that, so that I can move the ring a little more smoothly and the body doesn't go back and forth in the vitting?

[@DodgeViperGTS]

That the IS works more effectively in the lens at 400mm sounds logical, but in practice I couldn't find any difference to the IS on my em1 mark 3 at 400mm. When filming it is even bad to have both IS activated, because he often switches automatically between both IS and in between the video is then again and again without IS and wobbles. As for the quality, I can only confirm the video here. The 100-400mm lens has a very good image quality and you get very sharp images. You can also take photos with long shutter speeds. Only if you connect the MC-20 Tele Converter you need short shutter speeds. At 800mm it becomes difficult if you go below 1/640 sec.

[@jeroen2082]

Robin, so I should update the camera firmware if I buy this lens? Just checking. ;)

[@JohnAudioTech]

A couple more things: Shooting from a distance can distort/blur the image due to atmospheric effects. Also, very long telephoto lenses will be sensitive to filters you might screw on the front of the lens. If they are not of good quality, they can degrade the image. Try shooting without it to see if there is any improvement.

[@dppppf7728]

Hi Robin,. can you tell me if the 1.4 TC in combination with 100-400 is better than cropping the picture by 1.4 x ? If you use both - the TC, and crop by 1.4x the image quality will be about the same as if you don t use the TC but you crop 3x?. I m not convinced that the TC worth to be bought. Thanks, Daniel

[@evenhandedcommentor6102]

Tested my copy of the 100-400 with my MC-14. It was better than cropping an image from the bare lens. You still have to ask yourself if you have enough light because you lose a stop using the teleconverter. However, I also have the MC-20. That did not produce a better image than cropping an image from the lens plus the MC-14. So, I will use the 1.4x teleconverter with the 100-400mm, but not the 2x teleconverter. Let me also note that my MC-20 works great with my 300mm pro lens and my 40-150mm f/2.8 pro lens. So, the problem is not the MC-20, it's the 100-400mm which gets raised to f/13 at 400mm when using the MC-20. Apparently, diffraction limits resolution at that high f stop.

[@bpcs63]

Well done Robin! If I had a dollar for every time someone blamed a 800mm equivalent lens for their poor technique. Funny thing is, I think their are many (Olympus users) who said the Panaleica 100-400 was soft but are now saying the same about the Olympus!

[@robinwong]

I don't think the Panasonic lens is soft at all. It is also a fantastic lens. The only reason I'd recommend the Olympus is the ability to attach teleconverters, and also Olympus having superior weather-sealing.

[@antoniuslo]

Also, for super tele shot on a distance subject, certain climate condition can also affect the sharpness of the lens ( i.e heat wave on a humid hot days ).

[@mark1hancock]

I have the Lumix 100-400mm lens (on the EM1 Mark3) which I now have Lens IS priority selected through the menu, should Auto IS the be selected through the super Control Panel?

[@arianvangend2536]

Great video! Just got this lens recently and it has been a journey learning to shoot with it. My results already improved quite a bit with practice and the right settings. Compared to the 40-150 pro with the mc-20 which I used before the results are actually really quite good! Settings-wise there is one more that helped me a bit: for burst mode shooting there is a setting to also favour stabilisation over burst speed. Thanks for the great content!

[@stevocem]

I use the 40-150 Pro and MC-20. Please tell me a little more. Let’s say at 300mm - how do the 2 setups compare in terms of handling and image quality? Thank you.

[@arianvangend2536]

@@stevocem I haven't done any scientific comparison so take anything I say here with a grain of salt. The 40-150 with the teleconverter is a little easier to handle, even compared to the 100-400 at 300mm. That's mostly resolved with some practice though. Image quality wise I'd say they compare pretty well. The 40-150 combo is probably a little sharper and you run into light issues a little less often, relatively. But I really like the 100mm extra reach and the flexibility it gives me, so to me it's totally worth it.

[@stevocem]

@@arianvangend2536 Many thanks, these real life words helped me a lot. Happy shootings!

[@MegaPeadar]

Hi Robin, I have a question: I just got the 100-400mm Olympus lens but with the majority of the pictures of birds in flight I get very disappointing results: the images look like they are double, one sharp and one bigger blurred overlay on top of each other. Any idea what I am doing wrong, my camera is the om d em1 mk3. I have the ibis on auto in body and on on the lens . Thanks for any suggestions

[@photophilchamp]

Great video. Maybe some users are having bad copies of that lens. It happened to me with the 40-150 pro and 25 pro lenses... They were clearly defective! Unfortunately, it's known that Olympus lense quality control is not great. Good tips though! Thanks

[@natureflixs1]

Would this lens work well on the Panasonic GH5 or is the camera software not optimized for it.

[@catherinbarten2854]

Two additions before you get another shitstorm by some landscape photographers or Olympus-haters: 1) Image stabilisation must be turned OFF when you do a paning. 2) When you shoot something that’s very very far away you’ll always get blurred images because of air pollution and warm-air-shimmers (fata morgana effect). A wildlife photographer has to learn how to observe animals correctly.

[@bonjour88-x7u]

The Monopod helps me to sharpen Sigma 50-500mm with OLY - a lot !

[@Rykrer]

Well said: “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”― Ansel Adams

[@robinwong]

That's why he is the legend

[@kb1qzh]

Thank you ofr the IS point. I think I leave my E-M1 MkII on S-IS 1. I'm not sure what the X is on but I have a feeling it S-IS Auto and I've been shooting with that more. This might have been why I thought the X was performing better than the Mk II with that lens

[@casdvm]

Dramatic Robin is my favorite Robin.

[@stephaneder996]

Thanks to put me on the Ground again!

[@rinzevnrossum]

I own the Olympus 100-400mm. This lens can be calibrated. However, I can't find anywhere how this is possible (menu) and what exactly the advantages and possible disadvantages are. I own the Olympus M1X and the lens is recognized. Who has suggestions?

[@Bakin]

Robin; some people should be limited by law to photos made by their cell phone because they don't require reading or following any instructions!

[@robinwong]

Hah, true that

[@dougcooper4917]

Excellent Tutorial Review on how to get the best out of your lenses!! Well done Robin!!

[@robinwong]

Thanks, I want everyone to get the best possible results

[@dominiquedrouin7816]

Thanks for the video Robin. One question I have is: "At what shutter speed does IS becomes not useful anymore?". I like to take action shots in football games, therefore, I need to keep Shutter speed above 500 (and obviously keep the aperture as wide open as possible). Then do I need IS in my lens?

[@gavrelle1917]

A lot of sense. I did have issues with this lens, the lens was sent back to only,pus and found to be faulty. The replacement is sharp if you follow the guidance that you have highlighted. But be aware my bad copy of the lens is not the only one to pop up.

[@jstratmann]

Really great video Robin. Your observations on what makes for soft pictures is spot on. You call out some good points that are easy to forget. Having said that, you may want to consider making a video on why images are soft that isn't specific to a lens, or even a line of lenses. Your information is so good that it is really applicable across a far wider range of equipment. Really great job!

[@lightfusegetaway]

With bird photos I find it pretty helpful to shoot in high speed electronic (silent) shutter mode with shutter priority. Sure, you're deleting a lot of files but you're far more likely to get a great shot. I've gotten some remarkable stuff.

[@meredithpottery]

Me too...even with my 75 to 300.

[@apislapis]

Love your passion Robin. Some great advice for photographers. Many thanks.

[@karinlessard6060]

Thank you Robin for another very informative video. Just received my 100-400mm and will be heading out into the field with it this weekend. I have been very impressed with all of my Olympus gear and can’t wait to see how the 100-400mm performs. Also; thank you for the reminder to update my firmware, I’ve been meaning to do that. 😂

[@robinwong]

Thanks Karin, hope you like the 100-400mm lens!

[@yukonchris]

This is a good talk, Robin. I have no doubt that the 100-400 is an excellent lens. Personally, I think the development of skill is one of the main reasons why we engage in hobbies. A big part of the satisfaction derived from any pursuit is achieving the level of skill/knowledge/technique required to produce something that you're proud of. In fact, is there is any reason to dislike modern technology, it might be the "AI" that is being slowly integrated into everything, and that diminishes our need to work for good results. For me, at least, learning how to consistently achieve good results is a massive inducement. If we don't want to think, or work to make photographs, why even bother? There are plenty of good prints for sale by those who do.

[@PeterAgostiniJdcap26]

Does that lens have a tripod mount? Cause a monopod can help a lot . Shooting s mode or m mode more challenging.. practice with those before going out .

[@raysway1897]

It sure does!

[@ultratigafriend]

Hi Robin any test on the G9 with olympus 100-400?

[@joanrob1]

Thanks for the great video as usual! I had forgotten to upgrade my firmware. Sigh. Question: why do you shoot without the sun shade?

[@marcelproust4462]

I bought a new 100-400 lens but after mounting it in the body there is a minimal clearance , maybe 1mm, is that normal?

[@valentinetnay3265]

You kick arse with a big smile on your face. That’s the way we Kuching lang do it.

[@AmrominAlex]

Great, informative and helpful video. Thank you. Hello from Israel.

[@dogs4399]

So I'm watching your #1 point in this video and in the one you linked to (how to get sharper photos using telephoto lenses) and I'm thinking to myself, "Of course I've got the latest firmware for my EM1.3 and EM1.X bodies," but you emphasized this SO much AND I've at times been dissatisfied with the sharpness when using my 300mm and my 40-150mm lenses. So I decided to check, just in case I'd miss some updates. And I discovered that the firmware in BOTH of my bodies was outdated! I've just now updated them and am curious to see if this will make a noticable difference when using long lenses. Thx for goading me, Robin! I didn't see the Anti-Shock Shutter symbol (diamond) in either camera's displays, despite having selected Anti-Shock (0 sec). What am I missing here? Thx again for all that you continue to do to support and inspire us. Including your losing weight and getting in shape! Way to go!

[@robinwong]

Thanks Ken for the kind words, and I hope you get good results testing the cameras after the new firmware. The anti-shock needs to be selected from the super control panel - press OK or from the drive mode. The diamond shape drive is between the normal mechanical shutter and silent/electronic shutter.

[@tntytube]

Check the drive mode settings in D1. Antishock shutter mode could've been deselected.

[@dogs4399]

TonyT: your suggestion worked on EM1.X but when I went to D1 on EM1.3 the “Settings” option was grayed out.

[@tntytube]

@@dogs4399 I think you had the mode dial in movie mode. It has to be in one of the still modes for the drive settings to be active.

[@mikes4408]

First my images improved when I upgraded from my m10 to m1-II. I also changed my focusing to AFC tracking. I changed my focus to pin point as well. Trying for brighter light helped a lot. I got a gimble but haven't used it yes. My tripod is from my film days a weighs a ton! Next purchase. Found a bird blind that I can rest the camera on. My images are getting much better and I always blamed the idiot behind the lens but I'm getting better. Keep trying guy's it worth it and fun!

[@Harvester88]

I have a EM-10 Mark ii and was looking at either a M1 Mark ii or a M5 Mark iii. How are you still liking the M1 Mark ii ?

[@mikes4408]

@@Harvester88 just got it not long ago but very happy! Good value for a pro camera now that the MIII is out. Robin: Found that lens priority isis and changed it. Very good tip! Hope to see sharper pics. Already seeing sharper pics experimenting with the camera.

[@mikes4408]

@@Harvester88 still love it! And god help me thinking of the 8-24mm f4 pro. Robin just did a vid on m1MII v's the M5 MIII watch that before you buy. Interesting vid. Good luck!!

[@elmarco1197]

Hi Robin, as always common sense is good to be reminded 👍🏼 I have 1 question: as I’m using a G85 body (at the time with the Oly 12-40 and Lumix 100-300) do you know what are the different drawbacks using the Oly 100-400 with my G85 instead of an Olympus (recent) body?

[@GrazyBat]

Hello Robin, many thanks for the great video. you are absolutely right :-) Best regards

[@arthurq2834]

I have Olympus 100-400, em53, and a7r4, sigma 100-400 dg dn. Olympus provides better result for birds shooting. Sigma 100-400 has vignette at 400mm. I heard 100-400 of both Olympus and Sigma have the same optical construction design, but these 2 lenses still make me fell difference. Overall, Sony combo has better auto focus, and relatively lower light capability, but Olympus Pro-cap is awesome! One more thing, this Sony combo is not much heavier than the Olympus combo, both of them are very portable.

[@Forthejoyofphotography]

Sometimes you just can't tell some people....they will always seek to blames anything and everything other than themselves for their crap photos. I enjoyed the rants😀

[@RTFM70]

Some great tips here Robin. Long lenses definitely require lots of respect. The image quality on my 300mm Pro is outstanding when you get everything right. Thanks for sharing all these useful tips. Hope your lockdown is over soon.

[@jeffslade1892]

The Olympus and Leica 100-400 lenses are sharp. Best aperture probably f/8 to f/11. Birds do twitch. Movement blur is not the camera's fault. I would rarely go slower than 1/640, maybe 1/2500 in flight. You can go slower with big birds. Emu? The Ollie will only go lens+body on an Ollie (is it really 3-axes or one axis disabled in both body and lens). The PL goes Dual2 on the G9, wave it around like a ping-pong bat, utterly insane hand-held.

[@arwindelrosario7809]

Hi Robin! Love your tips and insights on Olympus MFT...can you please tell me where you bought your braided leather camera wrist strap? Thanks!

[@WiziWes]

He said in his last post, it's a cheap strap and from Malaysia, don't get hung up on it.

[@robinwong]

@@WiziWes thanks. yeah I have mentioned it