This is slightly off topic, but relevant to m4/3 telephoto lenses. I've been discussing with myself for a while what to do with gear for sports and other action photography, since the Nikon gear I've used so far is getting old and in some cases broken. While a D500 (or a used D810) is still an option, m4/3 serves me very well, particularly since the bulk of my photography is travel.
So, I took a deep dive into what high quality lenses are actually available around 200mm for m4/3, and the result is actually quite astonishing. Here's the big picture, all mounted on the GX8, which is what I currently use:
From left to right:
- Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 (which I have owned) (56-210mm f/4 with TC), sharp wide open.
- PL 200mm f/2.8, very sharp wide open. Can be used with 1.4x and 2.0x TC.
- PL 50-200mm f/2.8-4, sharp wide open. Can be used with 1.4x and 2.0x TC.
- Panasonic 100-300mm f/4-5.6 (which I own), sharp at f/8.
- PL 100-400mm f/4-6.3, sharp at f/8.
When I see the results good photographers get with these lenses, I should be ashamed for considering getting into other systems to improve my photography. My 100-300mm is limited in low light, but any of the three first lenses on the list above would solve that, as would an upgrade to a G9, a GH5 or an E-M1 II when it comes to better AF and video performance. My love for optical viewfinders is mostly satisfied by my always ready Nikon F80.