In the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to try the new 150-600mm lens from OM SYSTEM. Impressed by its focal length (300mm-1200mm equivalent to 35mm full-frame format) and its affordable price, I couldn’t wait to put it to the test. My initial impression was that the lens is quite hefty, noticeably heavier than my previous largest telephoto lens (300mm f4).
Unfortunately, the weather during the time I had the lens was consistently poor. However, I still managed to test it and maybe the bad weather was a blessing in terms of testing its quality and built. Here are my impressions:
– weather durability and strong build: the lens is strongly built and weather sealed.
-the three zoom settings: S, T, and L, standing for “soft,” “tight,” and “lock.” This versatility allows for precise control over the zoom, preventing accidental slipping and ensuring smooth adjustments in various shooting situations.
-even with shaky hands, I was amazed at my ability to capture stable handheld video footage using this hefty lens. Thanks to the built-in image stabilization (IS), sharp images were achievable even at the extended 600mm focal length. Click on the Link to watch the handheld video Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
- This is a “list” /list
- Looks great!
- Doesn’t it?
Comparing it to my setup with a 300mm lens and a 2x converter, I found that achieving similar results was much more challenging. The minimum aperture of f8 with the converter often led to high ISO values, especially in overcast conditions, compromising image quality. Additionally, the loss of sharpness and the inability to zoom in further limited the versatility of the setup, particularly for capturing dynamic wildlife scenes.
-autofocus: the autofocus performance, especially if used in connection with the new OM1- M2 camera was very good, especially in difficult situations like birds in flight
In conclusion, I find the M. Zuiko 150-600mm to be a fantastic and affordable lens or wildlife enthusiasts.
However, its weight may deter me from carrying it on hikes or longer walks. Bringing the lens along is a decision to carry quite heavy and I wouldn’t bring it without planning to do some serious wildlife photography. So for occasional wildlife photography or mixed hiking and photography outings, lighter alternatives like the 300mm f4 or the 40-150mm f2.8 (with optional converters) might be more suitable. Nevertheless, the lens’s flexibility and reach are unique and offer new possibilities that I cannot replicate with another set up for so that for me personally it is absolutely worth to make the purchase – whereas the alternative the M. Zuiko 150-400 pro is at a price that I cannot afford.
