One of the best parts of the Micro Four Thirds system is the wide selection of sharp but quite portable lenses, and if you do not need a particularly wide aperture, the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4 PRO is especially compact and light while also not breaking the bank. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Coming to you from DPReview TV, this great video review takes a look at the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4 PRO lens. With an 80-300mm equivalent focal length range, this particular lens offers quite versatile reach. On the other hand, some might find the f/4 aperture a bit limiting, but the tradeoff to that is a much more affordable and portable lens compared to f/2.8 options, particularly for one with such a big focal length range. And it appears that this model brings fantastic image quality to the equation, so as long as you have ample light, you likely won't be disappointed, making it the perfect companion for things like long birding hikes, where carrying a lot of weight can be difficult. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
A 40-150mm would be extremely useful for what I shoot and how I shoot it, if it were a "true" 40-150mm angle of view. But I just can't think of much use for an 80-300mm. I had a 70-200mm on my full frames, and also a 70-300mm, and I sold them off because that focal length range wan't useful at all. For those who use and like lenses in the 80-300mm range, what are you shooting? Sports or people portraits or something like that?
I guess Tamron makes the lens for you! I prefer the standard trinity lenses, but I think this fits in to lenses like the RF 100-400. The F4 makes this competitive spec. I think this slots in nicely with their lineup when you don't want to invest in a serious tele. What's the longest lens you shoot?
I wish that Tamron made the lens for me. I was excited to see a 35-150mm f2.8, but when I clicked on the link to it, all that I could find was a lens that comes in a mount for the newfangled mirrorless bodies. Bummer, because I don't think I will be able to upgrade to mirrorless for several more years, and I could really benefit from such a lens right now for my Canon EF mount bodies.
The longest lens I shoot is also the lens that I use the most, the Sigma 300-800mm f5.6 ... called "the Sigmonster" by some folks. That is my main wildlife and bird lens.
But for shorter work, such as habituated megafauna under the forest canopy, where shallow depth of field and wide angle field of view is imperative, a 40-150mm f2.8 (on full frame) would be extremely useful.
That 35-150 focal length range on a full frame) would also be extremely useful for small critters at very close distances, such as snakes, lizards, and turtles, which I find myself shooting more and more frequently, but don't have a lens that is particularly good at. I'm carrying 3 lenses into the field with me, when the right lens would do all that I need and be much less cumbersome.
Hi Tom, I use it for birds in flight, telephoto landscapes, street photography, plus weddings and events. I used to use a 50-200 with the same angle of view as a 100-400 on a 35 mm sensor. But it was big and heavy and often too close. I mostly used it in the 150-100 mm range too. The 40-150mm is perfect for tracking subjects, anything longer makes it harder to keep the subject in the frame. This, combined with the superior subject tracking and better high ISO performance on the OM-1 makes it a superb lens for what I shoot with it. I also have the 12-40mm f/2.8, so between them, they meet most of my photographic needs.
Thanks for the detailed response, Ivor. It is interesting to see what and how you shoot with this 80-300mm equivalent lens.
I saw that Tamron(?) has come out with a 35-150mm, which would be super great for my purposes, because it is a "real" 35-150mm angle of view on a regular FF body. But unfortunately, it looks like it is only made with a mount to fit the newfangled mirrorless bodies, which I won't be able to upgrade to for quite some years.
Is there a lens for your micro 4/3 system that is similar to 40-150mm? I guess that would be a 20-75mm, right? If they had that in a true f2.8 equivalent, then that wold be very useful for some of the types of wildlife photography that I do.