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Long telephoto choices?

tom in mpls

Active member
I am thinking about getting the OM-D to use for a long tele option. I want to have a final focal length of at least 400mm (35mm equivalent to 600mm). 500mm would be even better. I assume that there is no need for an image stabilized lens since the body has image stabilization.

Advice appreciated regarding options including m3/4 lenses or 3/4 lenses with appropriate adapter. Are teleconverter options also available?

Thus far my knowledge of the m3/4 and 3/4 ecosystems is limited.

I might also go with a Canon APC system of which I do have better knowledge.
 
I am thinking about getting the OM-D to use for a long tele option. I want to have a final focal length of at least 400mm (35mm equivalent to 600mm). 500mm would be even better. I assume that there is no need for an image stabilized lens since the body has image stabilization.

Advice appreciated regarding options including m3/4 lenses or 3/4 lenses with appropriate adapter. Are teleconverter options also available?

Thus far my knowledge of the m3/4 and 3/4 ecosystems is limited.

I might also go with a Canon APC system of which I do have better knowledge.
I have and use the Panasonic 100/300 f:4-5.6 and I found it pretty good.
There is also available the Olympus 75/300 f: 4.8-6.7 which is smaller, more expensive and for what I have seen at least as good as the Panasonic. It has no image stabilization but if you intend to use it only on an Olympus body this is not an issue.
Of course using an adapter you can mount any lens of any brand and focal length taking the advantage of the excellent IBIS of the OMD, but you will miss the AF and in general you will have to handle a much heavier weight.
No teleconverter options are available so far for the m4/3 system, to the best of my knowledge, unless you want to consider using a vintage lens plus its own teleconverter.
 

scho

Well-known member
I'm considering either the Panny 100-300 or Oly 75-300, and leaning more to the Olympus. I don't need or want OIS as I'm not likely to buy into Panasonic again. Any comparisons of build, handling, and image quality from those who have used both would be appreciated.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
No advice for a lens longer that 300mm?
As far as I know, there are no lenses longer than 300mm that will AF on m4/3, but the Sigma 50-500mm in 4/3 mount with one of the Olympus or Panasonic adapters will bring up the viewfinder enlargement once you turn the focus ring. It also features auto aperture on m4/3 cameras (no stop-down metering). It's a rather hard to find lens though and it's biiiiig.

A small option is the OM Zuiko 500mm f/8 mirror. I have used mine on several occasion with good results. It's sharp enough but a bit low contrast and with the infamous "donut bokeh". There's also a Tokina 400mm f/8 Mirror being made I believe, and obviously any old telephoto lens can be used manually with stop-down metering.

Edit: The Bigma will not bring up the viewfinder enlargement when touching the focus ring (or at least, that's the case with GH2). There's still auto aperture though. What is true for the 50-500 obviously also goes for the Sigma 135-400 and 300-800 in 4/3 mount.

If you have a wade of cash floating around unused, there's also the 4/3 Zuiko 300mm f/2.8 plus 1.4x or 2.0x TC and adapter. I don't know if it will AF on m4/3 with a TC though.
 
B

brian1208

Guest
Have a look for one of the later sigma 400f5.6 APO HSM macro lenses.
I was lucky enough to find one chipped to work with my canon 7D / 5Dmk2 and it works a treat with the EM5 via a Kipon adapter.
You won't need to worry about it being chipped either so should get one very cheaply. Effective 800mm FOV hand-held is a joy to use (better off the monopod in my case but still perfectly useable without, the IBIS is that good :) )
 

JMaher

New member
Brian,

Out of curiosity do you have any examples using this on the EM5? I'm not sure I want this big a lens but it does look interesting and inexpensive in the non HSM version. (I could not find a HSM version anywhere.) If I read correctly the non HSM version works on Canon bodies but only at 5.6. I would assume there would be no limitations on the Olympus. Since I have a 5d2 as well it would be worth buying a Canon version.

Jim
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
AF is a must for me on a long lens. Thanks for cluing me in. I would have loved to find something like a 400/5.6.
The logical solution would be the Bigma on an E-5 with an EFL of 1000mm. Unless you have a lot of money to invest in this (and are willing to carry the resulting lens), any other system will have problems reaching that kind of length, even when considering the cropping possibilities of a 36MP 35mm or 24MP APS-C camera.
 

tom in mpls

Active member
Too bad there's nothing designed for 4/3 or m4/3 with a longer focal length. I like the idea of a smaller tele designed for a smaller sensor.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
I am amazed that a 600mm effective focal length is no longer considered long enough. In my days of shooting 35mm film, I would have been thrilled to have a 400, 500 or 600mm "super telephoto" lens.
 

tom in mpls

Active member
I am amazed that a 600mm effective focal length is no longer considered long enough. In my days of shooting 35mm film, I would have been thrilled to have a 400, 500 or 600mm "super telephoto" lens.
That may well be, but I have used a 500mm with a 1.4x teleconverter on a Canon 5D, and wished I had a 600.
 
B

brian1208

Guest
Jim, I put one up earlier at the top of p.16 of the "Fun withOlympus OMD" thread. Most of my other shots are of some local distant focus test objects I use to test lens combos (the results compare very well to those from this lens with the canon 60D), I'll put a couple of those up later and have a hunt to see if I have anything more interesting to share.
With the hand grip on its a suprisingly wieldy set-up to handle and the long focus barrel on the sigma makes manual focus a doddle

Found a few, none are "great" shots, just local tests of how the set-up works in practise:

A starling on a neighbours roof at about 60ft distance, cropped to around 1500 pixels



a full size crop of a small section of a sand-tower on a nearby water treatment plant. About 100yds distance the test is to be able to read the raised code numbers on the casting. This matches the best I can get with my 5Dmk2 + this lens



A grab shot hand-held of a rabit running for its burrow



another rabbit shot, this one off the monopod



(rabbit shots are cropped to around 2000 to 2500 pixs on the longest side, then resized for here)

to put that "Sand-tower" shot into context, here is another shot of the same tower (using the 60D + 70-300LIS), the section shown above is from the central portion of the tower)

 
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tom in mpls

Active member
Has anyone made a direct comparison between the Panny 100-300 and the Oly 75-300? Oly is lighter, a bit shorter, and several hundred dollars more expensive.
 
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jnewell

New member
Has anyone made a direct comparison between the Oly 100-300 and the Panny 75-300? Oly is lighter, a bit shorter, and several hundred dollars more expensive.
The Oly is also a bit slower and realistically is only going to make you happy on a body with IBIS. When I was looking at these I came to the conclusion that the IQ was basically a toss-up under comparable conditions. If you have a Panasonic body you really should think hard about giving up IS.
 
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