the demanding traveler

photos and travels

  • About this blog
  • Tips of the month
  • Photo
    • Photo equipment review
    • Bags of all kinds
  • Travel
    • Travel tips
    • Travel gear
    • Special eating places & other food tips
    • Hotel & Accommodation
  • Rants & raves
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Quick POVs / The real sleeper of the m4/3rd system ?

The real sleeper of the m4/3rd system ?

17 February 2016 by Harold Glit

There is no doubt that one of the main strengths of the m4/3 rd system is its lens line up which covers a lot of focal lengths. However, if you want to shoot at the Focal lengths of 150mm or 200mm (300mm and 400mm respectively in 35mm terms) neither Olympus nor Panasonic have a 150mm or a 200mm fixed lens. To use either of these focal lengths your only choices are zoom lenses.
You can choose either  large, bright (and somewhat pricey) pro zooms like the Olympus 2.8/40-150mm or the Panasonic 100-400mm
Or you have in Both Olympus and Panasonic catalogs , lighter not so bright zooms like the Olympus 4-5.6/40-150mm and the Panasonic 4-5.6/45-150mm.

Let s first get one thing out of the way : I am NOT a zoom guy. I always preferred single focal length. As a matter of fact, If I was to choose ONE zoom it would be one that NOBODY, outside myself, seem to want : the zoom would be like for M4/3rds  a 100-200 or maybe a 120-200 (meaning a 240-400mm in 35mm terms) because I realize that when you are photographing something far, there are times where getting closer is not an option or, in the case of a moving object, one may not have the time to change lenses to photograph a subject coming towards you.
Every time I use a zoom like a 80-200 or 80-300mm (in 35m terms) I end up  always using the longer focal lengths.
In the case of the m4/3rds 40-150mm, I use those zooms between 100 and 150mm 98% of the time. On such zooms, it is generally admitted that sharpness tend to get lower as one approached the longer end of the zoom. I have had the Olympus M 4-5.6/40-150mm for a few years now. Before that I owned his older counterpart in the 4/3rd system on my Olympus E1 & E3.
Both are supposed to be identical in terms of optical design. The lens is supposed to be very good up until mid range (100mm FOV) and get to  just good quality at the max 150mm FOV.
All serious reviews I have read tend to say that the Panasonic equivalent 45-150mm is different because it is stronger at the 150mm setting.I am now finishing my test comparing these two zooms and before I publish all details in a dedicated article,  let me make two details clear from my testing :
1/ The Olympus seems much better than the Panasonic (at least my copy), especially at the longer end despite what serious reviews say. Of course, it may be due to sample variation.
2/ Both lenses have some space in their foot. After all,these are two cheap zooms which you could expect would be weaker with larger resolutions. Shooting on a tripod in the high-res (40MP) mode of the EM5 Mark II, the lens seem capable of resolving very fine detail indeed.

the images were shot at 800 ISO so there is definitely some noise but resolution wise it is impressive that a lens of this price can resolve that much detail
All images are shot on a tripod with only AUTO CONTRAST in Photoshop.Here is a center crop of the test image in the 40MP mode at the  max aperture at the 150mm setting (f5.6) :

Now at F.8 :
Same after some sharpening in PS :OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The full details may not be fully visible on a computer screen but the amount of details that can be achieved with a $99 lens is really impressive.
Yes, your heard me well :The Olympus 4-5.6/40-150mm (which originally launched at $299) has been available on and off for $99. (although you will need to spend a few dollars more as the lens does not come with the hood. The Olympus hood wasn’t available when I purchased the lens from Amazon so I got a generic hood from JCC but I do not recommend this item as it is not a perfect fit on the lens. The Olympus hood is $32 .

Often, the Olympus 1.8/45mm is considered as the “best bang for your buck” lens in the Olympus m4/3rd. While this lens is indeed great value for the price at only $299  in black or silver, I think the Olympus 40-150mm at $99 just tops it.

My point of view

Often, the Olympus 1.8/45mm is considered as the "best bang for your buck" lens in the Olympus m4/3rd. While this lens is indeed great value for the price at only $ in black or silver, I think the Olympus 40-150mm at $99 just tops it.
At this price it is not a bargain , it is a steal ! In fact, I would go as far as to say that every m4/3rd user should get one. Think about it:

A/ if you only use long focal lengths occasionally, considering the weight and the price it is still worth it .
Even If you own the reputed 2.8/40-150mm pro,his "little brother" will come handy when you need to travel lighter and you think you may need those focal lengths on this assignment or need to use the lens in a "risky" zone (shooting conditions where the lens could get damaged, stolen...)

I am leaving for a long photo assignment for which I am going to need the 300mm longer focal length (150mm setting on the Olympus) often for "safari-like shoots" , balloon ride over the mountains to name a few. It is nice to know that I can carry that lens along with the rest without breaking my back ..or the bank account

5 out of 5 stars
Must Have Item !

Filed Under: Photo, Photo equipment review

Le Daylight Studio

Please visit my new website by clicking on the logo below:

Our photography partners

Useful links

Harold Glit Photography
Le Daylight Studio
Harold Glit on ModelMayhem

Archives

  • August 2017
  • April 2017
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014

Copyright © 2014-2022 · Harold Glit Photography

Created by GDIDweb · Based on Wordpress
and the Genesis Framework