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OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 ED IS II M.ZUIKO Lens | First Look
I was fortunate enough to be able to test out the new OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 ED IS II M.ZUIKO Lens at Slimbridge Wetlands centre to see what it can do.
Watch the full video below for a first look.
Key Features
First off we have the 100-400mm focal length which translates to 200-800mm when mounted on the M43 sensor so wildlife and sports photographers are immediately getting that much more reach right out of the box. The lens features 7.0 EV steps of sync IS, a 9-Blade circular aperture diaphragm, IPX1 weather sealing and a Fluorine protective coating. You have easy access to all the controls which includes a lens lock, manual and autofocus, focus range limiter and IS on or off switch. The lens has been constructed from 21 elements in 15 groups with 4 ED lenses, 2 Super HR lenses, 2 HR lenses and also features a Detachable tripod mount and is fully compatible with teleconverters for an even greater reach.
Perfect for OM-1 II
The lens is a perfect companion for the OM-1 II which I had it paired with on the day. Not only does the OM-1 mark II offer high burst shooting modes but the lens was able to keep up with it. The 100-400mm shines when used for photographing wild birds and wildlife thanks to its outstanding reach of 800mm as well as fantastic imaging throughout the entirety of the zoom length. The lens also has a closet focus distance of 1.3 metres throughout the entirety of the lens which granted me great images from closer targets.
More Reach
As the lens was mounted on a micro-four-thirds sensor, I actually had a 35mm eqv. of 200-800mm but you can boost that up to a possible 1600mm reach as it is compatible with both the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The image quality and detail provided by the lens was excellent and I was also able to dial in some nice depth-of-field for image separation thanks to the 9-bladed aperture.
Image Stabilisation
The lens offers 4.5 steps of IS as standard but when used on a camera such as the newly released OM-3 you can get up to 7 stops making it ideal for shooting hand-held whether it be photo or video. The lens is also relatively compact and weighs in at 1,300g so that you don’t have to concern yourself with carrying a tripod around with you.
Conclusion
The first thing I noticed about the lens was its compact and lightweight design. I was carrying it around with me for the best part of 5 hours and it felt comfortable whether I had it slung over my shoulder or while using it.
It is a shame that I wasn’t able to test it out with the 2x teleconverter because I would have loved to have seen how it performed at what would essentially be 1600mm but I didn’t so there you go, however I never felt like I needed it as the 800mm reach was more than adequate for my time at Slimbridge and I was very impressed with the level of detail it was able to capture, especially as I was using it hand-held for the entirety of my time with the lens.
I guess that segues nicely into the image stabilisation which was superb. At no point did I find myself struggling to capture sharp images. The lens did most of the work for me so that I could concentrate on getting the images I wanted.
I was fortunate that the weather conditions were great for me on the day however it was nice to have the peace of mind afforded to me by the dust and splash proof IPX1 weather sealing, as well as the fluorine coating on the lens should things have taken a turn for the worst.
Another useful feature of the lens was the close focussing distance of 1.3 metres. Sometimes you do get the opportunity to get up close to wildlife so it is nice to know that the lens allows for that.
And lastly I just wanted to mention the zoom ring and adjustable tripod collar, both of which were very easy to adjust and that matters a lot when you are out in the field and need to make adjustments quickly.
Key Features
- Super-telephoto 200-800mm (35mm eqv.)
- 7.0 EV steps sync IS
- IPX1 weather sealing
- Fluorine protective coating
- 9-Blade circular aperture diaphragm
- Detachable tripod mount
- Compatible with teleconverters
Convinced yet?
The OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 ED IS II M.ZUIKO Lens is available for pre-order now.
Read next
- OM System OM-3 | Born To Create
- OM System OM-1 Mark II | It's In Our Nature
- Micro Four Thirds Never Looked So Good | OM System OM-5 Review
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- By Ben Wright
- 28 Feb 2025
