The Ultimate Zoom: Testing the M.Zuiko 150-400mm PRO

Okay, let's cut to the chase. This lens rocks! It really does.

I've shot with practically every lens made by Olympus for the Micro 4/3 system and each one is built to very high standards. But the M.Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO stands out amongst these. I'll get to why in a moment, but just a reminder that this isn't a formal review. These are my first impressions based on 5 days of shooting with the lens.

When Olympus offered to send me a pre-production copy I was quite hesitant. We were heading into wintery weather, most of the migratory birds in my area had long gone, and finding other wildlife would be a real challenge. Plus, I would have the only one in North America (oh, the pressure!) In the end however, I'm so glad that I accepted the invite, because this lens is exceptional!

The Nuts and Bolts

When I first pulled this lens out of the box I was surprised to find that it was both smaller and lighter than I expected. It's still a big lens, but not uncomfortably so. Here is a look at some of the specs:

• Focal Length - 150mm - 400mm; with the built-in teleconverter - 187.5mm - 500mm
• Lens Construction - 28 elements in 18 groups; built-in teleconverter - 7 elements in 4 groups
• Focusing System - High speed imager AF
• Closest Focusing Distance - 1.3m throughout range, including with teleconverter
• IS Performance - 5-axis Sync IS with up to 8 stops of performance
• Filter Size - 95mm
• Dimensions - 314.3mm x 115.8mm 
• Weight - 1875g (without lens hood or lens caps)

One of the things that sets this lens apart is that it has a built-in 1.25x teleconverter. This is controlled by a lever located on the right side of the lens that can be easily flicked up and down with your middle finger. It can also be locked into position if required. Just above the teleconverter switch is a SET button which allows you to set a specific focus point.

The two lower switches require some explanation. Behind the focusing ring are 4 black buttons. When the L-Fn PRESET switch is set to L-Fn those buttons operate as a programmable function button. However, when set to PRESET the black buttons will recall the focus point that you programmed using the SET button. Holding a black button down will also allow you to fine tune your focus using the focusing ring. I found this to be quite useful especially since this lens does not have the pullback clutch to switch to manual focus. The 'sound' switch controls whether or not the you will hear a beep when the black buttons are pressed if the preset focus point is engaged.

The lens collar is worth talking about. Like the collars on the other PRO telephoto lenses it is Arca-swiss compatible and is large enough to easily hold on to when carrying the camera/lens. It has two separate attachment points for a strap. The collar cannot be removed from the lens, but when the release knob is loosened it allows the lens to be easily rotated. With set locking points at 90-degree intervals it is easy to rotate from landscape to portrait orientation when mounted on a tripod.

The hood is made of carbon fibre which keeps it light and improves the overall balance of the lens. It attaches quickly with a set screw and has a velvet-like black interior lining that prevents unwanted glare from entering the lens.

Performance

Okay, the boring stuff is over. So, how does this lens perform out in the field (or forest)?

One of the most challenging situations I faced was during my third day with the lens. I was hiking in a forested area when I came across a male ruffed grouse performing an obvious courtship routine for a nearby female. (Now this seemed odd since it was autumn, but hey, who am I to judge?!) My presence spooked the female and she flew a short distance away, but the male crawled under some deadfall and tried to hide. I approached the male slowly, got down onto my knees and tried to frame a shot. It was about 20 minutes before sunset, in very dimly lit conditions with lots of brush in my way, preventing a nice clear shot. I tried anyway. I quickly set the ISO to 2000, opened up the aperture and was able to get a shutter speed of 1/60s - not ideal for any type of wildlife shot. My subject remained quite still so I had a few moments to try and get a shot without any branches in my way.

I was impressed with how well the E-M1X and the 150-400mm acquired focus under some very difficult lighting situations, and even more impressive was the fact that I could get a rock steady shot when fully zoomed in, given the incredible image stabilization built into the lens (more on that later). Even with its larger size it was still easy to handle in a fairly tight space. After a few shots like the one above I gave the grouse some space and he emerged to continue his display.

With the female a bit of a distance away I opted to attach the MC-20 teleconverter and see how it would perform under real field conditions. Having the equivalent of a 2000mm reach is simply amazing. Focusing remained fast and accurate with a final image that was nice and sharp.

When photographing wildlife or sports the most important thing is to have the reach you need and to have fast and accurate focusing. The 150-400mm is incredible on both counts. I was achieving very high success rates even when my subjects were moving. Shortly after the lens arrived I hopped into the car and drove to a nearby lake to see if I could find some ducks. It was quite windy with a bit of snow falling. I came across a few waterfowl huddled together in the rough conditions. Even though they were bobbing up and down quite quickly I was impressed at how well the lens could acquire focus.

This lens is incredibly fast and accurate at focusing – better than any other lens I've used.

On a separate occasion I encountered a hawk in flight. I quickly switched to C-AF + Tracking and was very pleased that focus was maintained even with a cluttered background. It didn't lose focus throughout the entire sequence.

Shooting Scenarios

During my time with the 150-400mm I was able to shoot a wide range of subjects under a variety of conditions. I split most of my time between driving around looking for wildlife and hitting the hiking trails in my area. Many photographers I know are 'drive-by shooters', and I certainly have no issues photographing wildlife through my car window. The 150-400mm with the E-M1X may be the largest camera/lens combo that Olympus offers, but it still fit quite comfortably on the passenger seat so that it was at the ready when I encountered something worth shooting. One problem that I know many photographers have had with the older 300mm lens is that it is difficult to get a clean shot from your vehicle while it is running. I've experienced this as well and can only guess that the slight vibration of the vehicle interferes with the lens's IS. That situation seems to have been resolved with the 150-400mm. Several images in this post were photographed through my car window with no issues at all.

Although this lens is the largest within the Olympus Micro 4/3 arsenal it is an absolute lightweight when compared to comparable lenses from other manufacturers. While hiking, this camera/lens combo never slowed me down. The ergonomics are excellent. It was perfectly balanced in the hand, and whether I was carrying it by the camera grip, the lens collar or with my camera strap attached to the lens, it never felt too heavy. I love the fact that I can carry this on longer hikes and leave the tripod at home.

Like many photographers I enjoy doing some backyard birding so on one afternoon I set up a perch near one of my bird feeders and spent some time photographing the hungry visitors. This time I opted to use my tripod. Again, the lens was fast, accurate and provided some excellent bokeh.