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Fun with Panasonic 100-300

jnewell

New member
Chiming in to agree that even with very modest support and OIS turned on, the Panasonic is sharp all the way out to 300mm.
 

dhsimmonds

New member
It is sharp at 300mm but the IS is having a hard time at that FL. I suspect reports of softness at 300 are caused by camera movement rather than any lens deterioration.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
It is sharp at 300mm but the IS is having a hard time at that FL. I suspect reports of softness at 300 are caused by camera movement rather than any lens deterioration.
Maybe you should try the IBIS of the OMD in combination with the 300 FL?

Also there were reports that both (OIS and IBIS) turned on are working together .... at least worth a try.

My 5c
 
O

Oleg Shpak

Guest
These are shot mostly with 100-300 - CrossFit Regionals North East 2012. I did not know what will be happening during competition so got myself 100-300, just in case. Turned out to be a good call. On one hand anyone could stand really close to athletes, on the other hand it was very crowded. So I shot most of those from across the field with gh2. Nobody else did it this way, so no elbow fights and view was unique :)
 

biglouis

Well-known member
These are shot mostly with 100-300 - CrossFit Regionals North East 2012. I did not know what will be happening during competition so got myself 100-300, just in case. Turned out to be a good call. On one hand anyone could stand really close to athletes, on the other hand it was very crowded. So I shot most of those from across the field with gh2. Nobody else did it this way, so no elbow fights and view was unique :)
Very good examples of how useful this lens can be and also what a great performer - the compression effect at that distance can also create quite dramatic images. Well done.

LouisB
 

Elliot

Active member
A quick front yard shot of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Stabilization was on for both the OIS and IBIS, not purposefully but simply because I grabbed the camera and mounted the lens quickly to get the photo. The color rendition from what I saw and what the camera captured was spot on, which is something I have appreciated about the lens both on my Panasonic G3 and the Olympus OM-D EM-5.



Panasonic 100-300 on Olympus OM-D EM-5
234mm
ISO 640
1/250 second
f5.2
 

NigelC

Member
Just got this lens in the post Friday and used for the first time over the weekend trying to get some stills/video footage of my daughter competing in a sailing championship. First thought is whether I should swap it? The zoom ring was distinctly "sticky" in places but seems to have smoothed off a bit after a couple of hours use. Not as good as 14-140 though, (at least when it was new!) but focussing ring is better weighted than 14-140. Nicely built but not up to Canon L standards, even less Zeiss ZE. Do others find build a bit variable? (no issues with 20/1.7)

I wish I'd seen the tip about turning off OIS at high shutter speeds. need to do some proper testing to get any sort of sense of how lens performs. The race course was over 1 km from my position in cloudy, blustery, conditions (Rutland water in UK) and having forgotten my binos I was using 300mm to try to identify sail numbers by zooming in on playback - I could but pictures were not what I would call sharp (1/1000 +, mainly over 320ASA, spot focussing). OTOH some shots of much nearer objects looked a lot better.

Put my Canon 300/F4 IS on ebay to pay for this. I would think the 300/1.4/5D2 combination is, in ideal conditions, better but I would have needed to get a crop body to get the same reach and no way could I carry that around while going in the water to help her with launching/retrieving dinghy.

Using GH2 BTW
 

Dr. Brad

New member
For what it's worth, here's a shot of a dragonfly I took with my GH2, at 1/1300, f/6/3, ISO 160 and 197mm. OIS was on....

Brad.

 

Amin

Active member
Thanks, Bart. It was very well camouflaged. I wouldn't have noticed it if not for the other photographer standing there pointing a very large lens in that direction.
 
D

Dan_M

Guest
New to these forums and this is my first post. Nice place you have here.

I've had the 100-300mm for a few months now and it's probably the lens that I have the most fun with. Despite what a few people say, I think this lens is incredibly good -- especially when you consider the price. Here's a few shots I've taken. All were taken with a monopod with the exception of the moon shot, it was taken with a tripod.


A few bees (the first one is carrying a supply of pollen):










Kingfisher:




Cedar Waxwing:




Seagull in flight:




Raven taking flight:




Song sparrow:




Crab spider:




Harvard landing:




And of course, the obligatory moon shot:



All photos taken with a GH1 and 100-300mm lens.

---
 

JMaher

New member
While walking on the beach. Not as sharp as I would like at 100% (and this one is cropped) but still I think it looks good.


Jim
 

Knorp

Well-known member
New to these forums and this is my first post. Nice place you have here.

I've had the 100-300mm for a few months now and it's probably the lens that I have the most fun with. Despite what a few people say, I think this lens is incredibly good -- especially when you consider the price. Here's a few shots I've taken. All were taken with a monopod with the exception of the moon shot, it was taken with a tripod.
Welcome to the forum and a great start, Dan !
And you're right: whatever the naysayers say: this lens is good fun :thumbup:

All the best.
 

JMaher

New member
Thanks,
1/1,250 at 5.6. I think there may be a little motion blur but there shouldn't be at that speed.
 

JMaher

New member
Not a BIF but the same day at 240MM. Very sharp but then the bird wasn't flying or me trying to track him and take a shot.



Jim
 

Dr. Brad

New member
Wow, Dan. Those are very nice. And yours, Mr. Mayer. :)
It's probably the lens that is on my camera most when I go out for walks. Here's one I took with my 100-300 of a local sandhill crane.

 
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