At the moment I can't go for the 100-400 that's why I settled with the budget option and was surprised how little comparison you can find on budget lenses. Maybe I should make it a series :)
Agreed! Much need comparison. It seems like folks won't even consider them as if they were disgustingly bad... When the 100-400 are considered as 'entry level' you know there is something off...
Lumix lenses have two advantages when used on Lumix bodies. The chromatic aberrations are corrected on JPEGs via firmware, and in Lightroom Classic via a lens profile that is applied automatically. And the Dual IS is very effective throughout the zoom range. In-lens OIS has an advantage at longer focal lengths, while IBIS has an advantage below 75mm.
That is correct. I find OIS to be slightly better on the Panasonic (and I used it on an Olympus body!) but the Olympus IBIS was just a little behind. The CA is corrected with lens profiles in most software, but it's not the same as having no CA, so for me that was a tipping point towards the Olympus. But the Panasonic lens is amazing as well, I really wanted to love (and keep) that one as it feels a slightly better built lens, but in the end I found the images from the Olympus to be the better ones, and that's what matters to me
Thank you, I have looked wide and far for a comparison between the 100-300 Power OIS and Olympus 75-300 II. Seems like the Olympus is the budget lens to get. But it's quite a bit more expensive than 70-300/75-300 for other systems. But also better. Had the Tamron 70-300 for pentax. it was absolutely the worst lens ever.
I went back and forth before deciding on the Olympus. I think for me it was having a little wider available with the 75mm--even though I have the Lumix 35-100. I must say that for the price and weight I have been thoroughly impressed. The last lens I had with this reach was my Sigma 120-400mm on my Canon years ago and this Oly measures up to or maybe beyond that lens. No complaints at all.
I had a bit of prejudice towards the Lumix, I really wanted that one to win :) But in the end I've found the Olympus to be the better choice for me. I have a friend with a Sony 200-600 on a Sony A7RIV, so might compare his setup with mine :)
Like you I tried mounting a gun sight in the hot shoe to improve my subject acquisition, but I found the parallax error to be too high for my liking, plus the fit of the adapter in the hot shoe was of poor tolerance, so the slightest push on the sight knocked it out of calibration. I have the Panasonic G9 and the 100 - 300 mkii and bought the independently manufactured tripod foot for it. It is possible to remove the swiss arca plate and I mounted the gun sight on that, which brought it much closer to lens, thereby reducing the parallax error. Also I mounted it at about 45 degrees to the left, so with the gun sight lined up with my left eye, my right eye was aligned with the viewfinder. Calibration was a bit tricky with the slanted angle. However, once calibrated at the estimated distance I wanted to use it with, it was just a matter of leaving the camera off, putting the green dot from the sight onto the target, then switching the camera on. Using this method the subject immediately appeared directly in the viewfinder and once settled my brain combined the two ocular images. Then to my perception the green dot seemed to appear in the viewfinder. I used the setup to get shots of dragonflies in flight with some success. Birds in flight were easy. If you want to see a photo of the setup search - ephotozine : halgiver : Gun sight for improved subject acquisition - which I put on my profile for anybody to see. By the way the like the Oly combo, the G9 automatically corrects fringing with the 100 - 300. I have a Panasonic G9 and a GM5 plus 2 x Oly EM1Mkii. My policy is to use Oly on Oly and Pan on Pan, as although both makes are meant to be compatible, all the bonus things of the cameras, like pro capture, macro stacking etc etc, will only work with native glass. I learned this early on when I tried my Pan 45 macro on the Oly and the macro stacking firmware would not work. Otherwise it was a very detailed review and thank you.
Hi Paul, Thanks for your feedback. I was thinking to attach the sight to the lens too, but with the Oly 75-300 I can't and also if I want to use a tripod or a monopod then it would be an issue. I don't like the parallax error too, that's why I changed the setup slightly to have it as close to the lens as I just can. Thanks for watching our video and hope we will see you on our channel in the future! :)
I have used the Oly 750-300 on my GH5 and now GH6 for several years now. It works pretty well but begins to degrade a just a tiny bit in "pixel to pixel" mode. I look forward to trying it out on the G9ii as far as autofocus performance. Panasonic and Olympus really need an equivalent budget zoom in the 100-400 range.
Big thanks for this comparision. The only thing missing was a Lumix body. I have a GF2, GF6 and Pen PL8 and the Panas render colours different than Olympus. Looks to me that those cameras "prefer" their own brand lenses - but that might be an issue because the sensors are a "little bit" dated. Guess I will go for the Olymus 75-300 as it is 1/3 cheaper then the Lumix and I will use it for photos only anyway...
I only have Olympus bodies :) To be honest the only advantage of the Panasonic is the OIS, but you will still have the IBIS with the Olympus lens, so I am sure you will have a lot of good results with the little Oly :)
Terrific and useful video for comparing these two underrated lenses! I enjoyed the comprehensive review and also the straightforward style. I have a used 75-300 v.I that I was able to buy for $185. It served me well for about six months but now it does not autofocus beyond 240mm - no doubt a bad ribbon cable. I was debating whether to repair it, or to go with the Panasonic 100-300. After seeing this video, I think the hassle of the purple fringing will not outweigh the advantages of the wider apertures, OIS, and weather-sealing. I only shoot JPEG, mainly for minimizing workflow. So, thanks for providing the answer I needed!
you're welcome :) To be honest I really wanted to like the Panasonic more for some reason, but in the end the little Olympus just seemed to me to be the better choice.
Damn below $200 great bargain. I bought it new for 315€ and my best friend got a used one for 250€ which is also awesome deal. In stores you cant get it below 450€ now😢
I'm a Canon and Olympus guy, and I bought the EF-MFT AF adapter to use my Canon lenses, especially "L" ones because they are amazingly good and I tried my old Canon 100-300 5.6 L from 1987, a lens I barely never use on Canon DSLR because it's lack of IS. On Olympus, (OMD5II and OMD1III), with IBIS, this lens perform very well, even at 5.6 it outperforms the zuiko 75-300mm. Its main drawbacks are pump zoom (not rotating) but it isn't really a big issue and the AF, usually fast but very noisy and with difficulties to focus in low light. For those who are on a budget, it's a great option as it's a "L" pro lens, stabilized on Olympus and with fantastic results, image quality is very close to the new 70-300L.
Thanks for the comparison. I own the lumix 35-100 power OIS on a G85 and the stabalistion hand held is outstanding. Tack sharp. I think it cones down to what body you use. Its the panny for me!
Thanks for a super useful comparition for us poor consumers. I still can’t decide. I’ve got an Olympus E-M1 mk1 and a Panasonic GX9. Both have IBIS, but I’m not sure if the GX9 and the Power OIS will work together. I think it has to be a more PRO body. The thing that makes me lean more to the Olympus version is its minimum focus distanse of 90 cm vs Panas 1,5m. That’s a huge difference!
I am really happy with the Zuiko. It is a plastic fantastic lens and even after buying the 100-400 I am still keeping the 75-300, as it's a good lens and pretty much can take it everywhere due to it's size and weight.
I have the GX9 and it works great with the 100-300. Rock steady. I tried the Olympus lens and for me it was a fair bit softer It's a lot cheaper though to be fair.
I have the lumix 35-100 power OIS on a G85 body and the stabilisation is outstanding handheld. I think it might come down to what body you own. I'm getting the panny.
Sold my em1 ii, keeping my om-5 and bought the g9 ii. Thinking of selling the oly 75-300mm ii and buying the lumix 100-300 primarily for the weather sealing.
I own the 75-300 am quite pleased with the sharpness, and image quality in general. I like the 75 beginning, as it is very much more usual than starting way higher in the telerange, when you are NOT using it for birding ... BUT I now own a GH6. = DUAL IS. And I shoot now much more video - obviously. I am afraid of losing image quality! And I am sure the haptics are way better as well. But DUAL IS would do the trick for video. An a slidely better F stop as well, as this is way more crucial in video than foto. And weather sealing on both: cam and lens is nice. Regarding the stiffness of the focus ring: It is just due to CHEAP Engineering! I own a 12-45F4 Oly, and this is as smooth as it gets, focus and zoom. It is just cutting costs. The zoom ring on Oly 75-300 is crap as well.
I was thinking that the Pana 100-300 was stiff because of the weather sealing. On a GH6 I would go for the Panasonic, especially for videos. But then I would miss the ProCap features of the Olympus body :)
@@holdmylenscap7241 I own both now and now I can say: The Olympus is better in everything, except for the 1 stop (or 2/3 or wahtever) and the stabilisation. The Oly is: - Lighter and smaller - less CA - sharper - wayyyy faster focus! A bird in the sky is no prob with Oly. On the Pana it often takes sooooo long that the bird is long gone before focus. But even on a easier sunbject the focus on the oly is faster. W/O long range video, I would sell the Pana again. And even so it is not a obvious descision.
Very helpful comparison - thank's a lot! I will choose the Olympus, because of the wider end, the better focusing ring, the better handling of CA's, and because it is more compact and lighter - and because I will soon purchase an OM-1. It will be very welcomed for my landscape photography - not only for wildlife.
Good choice! Many people under estimate the power of telephoto lenses for landscapes. I love the fact how compact this lens as I will not hesitate to drop it in my bag every time. With bigger, heavier lenses I always had to make tough choices, which usually turned out to be the wrong choice when you're on field, and the gain is only 5% better IQ? Does not worth it for me. I'd rather carry a more versatile setup than aim for image quality improvements which you can only see at 500% magnification :)
Actually looked at both but ended up saving a bit more and getting the 40-150 f2.8 pro which was perfect for my outdoor stuff. Brilliant video as usual
Loving your video. I have the Mk1 version of the Pany, didn't even realize it had manual focus! Just mounted the lens, and mine has super smooth focussing, which isn't what you were experiencing in your comparison. You might have a sub quality lens.
Yeah I suppose it could've been a lens with a little stiffer MF. But I looked around on forums and others were complaining about it too. But to be honest if I would not have the Olympus one with it's super smooth and easy manual focus, probably I wouldn't find it that tight.
I enjoyed that, and have subscribed. I chose the 75-300mm along with the Lumix G9 a couple of years ago when upgrading from my Z80 bridge. I have no regrets and have been looking for a macro solution and I'm hoping you can go into more detail on the DCR 250 and Focus rail you used in the video?
Hi Bob, the macro setup I used is a bit "home made". The Raynox is attached via a step down ring and the setup consist of a plate I got from AliExpress and goes by the name " Flat Tripod Base". I don't use a rail just a long arca swiss plate that I can move back and forth. But I would not recommend using either the Olympus or Panasonic for macro this way as the images are fairly soft in my opinion.
FYI. Superzoom typically refers to a zoom lens with a ratio of 10:1 or more between min and max focal lengths. The cheap choice between Panasonic and Olympus super zooms would be 14-140 f3.5-5.6 vs. 14-150mm f4.0-5.6.
I came from the 40-150, then to the 12-200, then the 75-300, then the 100-400 and then the 40-150 2.8. 😂 Can recommend them all. You can do great shots with the 75-300. The cheap 40-150 is a good start, of course not as good as the 40-150 2.8. The 12-200 is nice because you dont have to change the lens but of course not as farreaching as 75-300 or more. The 40-150 2.8 is king, my best lens, the 100-400 is also quite good and with tc14 you get awesome up to 560mm. Photography is awesome. 😇
@@holdmylenscap7241 its quite cool, I was thinking of buying the 300mm but it's not as flexible, especially for videos. You wont change during a video between 2 lenses and/ or teleconverter 🤣thats the thing. It's great but the 100-400 gives more options and more range
Up in the air between 12-200 and 75-300 . I use the 40 -150 alot but want a little more reach . Like the versatility of the 12-200 as a travel lens but want the reach of the 75-300
Szia, most találtam rá a csatornátokra és nagyon tetszik. Tartalmasak a videók és sok használható ötletet láttam. Lenne néhány kérdésem: A keresőtávcsövet hogyan szerelted fel a gépre? Gondolom nincs külön, erre a célra gyártott mount. A step down ring-en milyen lencse van, amit a makrózáshoz használsz? Felmerült bennem, hogy valami hasonló megoldás jó lenne a Tamron 150-500-ra.
Szia :) A kereso az egy puskara szerelheto "Red dot finder" amit a gepre egy Coldshoe - Nato Rail adapterrel raktam fel. A videon egyelore csak az en hazi megoldasom latszik, de eBayen vagy Alin lehet kapni ilyen adaptert, csak a video elkesziteseig nem erkezett meg. De a jovoben tervezek egy videot kulon ezeknek a barkacsmegoldasoknak amiket csinaltam :) A step down ring elott egy Raynox DCR-250 van, ami szerintem a Tamron 150-500-ra nem fog felmenni mert 43mm-es szuromenetbe megy bele. De amint lathatod a videoban is, 300mm-nel mar a kepminoseg igencsak megsinyli. En Sonyn a Tamron 70-300-on hasznaltam es ott hasznalhato volt, nagyitas teren nagyon jo eredmenyt hozott, de azert kepminosegre a kozelebe sem er egy dedikalt makro obinak
From long use of m43 I avoid long zooms without OIS as it does limit the cameras you can use. Using a 75-300 on an EM10 II the stabilisation almost seemed frantic and on the the very edge at 300mm and worrying if the camera would last so I sold it. OM seems to rank anything new as Pro and price as such nowadays and the options in the budget EM10 IV are very cut back against the II. I also have a G80 and the dual stabilisation wins I think. There could be a situation where the G100 is the last budget camera standing in which case the Lumix wins. These unstabilised long zooms seem a bit of a left over from outdated thinking in Olympus Imaging and need replacing but then will they likely be classed as 'Pro' so out of reach?
I agree, sometimes I feel like my EM-1.2 sensor stabe is working hard like a washing machine if you throw a brick in it :D But I have faith in it and most of the time it works pretty well.
Great video. I have the lumix on Olympus body. I have a question does the lens glitch when it’s on continuous mode , for me it’s very laggy and jumpy? Idk if just me but I’ll put in single mode and it works smooth.
When I used the optical image stabilization and shooting continuous then between the images it was a bit jumpy as I believe it resets between each image to give you the maximum stability during the photo.
I was shooting motorsports this weekend and tested the Panasonic 100-300 (version 1) vs the Panasonic Leica 50-200 on my Panasonic G9. The Leica 50-200 was sharper but of course is more expensive. What surprised me though was that the frame rate on my Panasonic G9 slowed down considerably when using continuous autofocus and the Lumix 100-300. I am assuming it is because the autofocus speed was slow and lagging. Did you notice this in your tests? Anyone know if the autofocus speed is noticeably faster with version 2 of the lumix?.
I definitely appreciate your video, its good - but i think its difficult to really compare when the lumix isnt on its native body - the colour it produces might well be different and reduce the CA etc then you have the dual IS too etc
Hello - prices of lenses for my micro 4/3 Lumix G80/85 makes me cry. Very pricy. Is it very justified to have Lumix G80 with Lumix 100-300mm II lens or it will be good enough to have compact 1 inch sensor Lumix Fz1000mkII or Lumix Fz2500 ? What are the pros of having micro 4/3 system in this situation ? Why exactly these lenses are so expensive ? How they are different from this mechanics in 1 inches superzoom compacts ? I shoot mostly birds. I don't do portraits because I don't have people to do this.
As far I know it does. The only thing that doesn't work when using cross brands is the dual IS where both the body and the lens stabilization works together. But IBIS will work with any lens on any body.
I wonder if the Panasonic lens would have been corrected in camera had it been on a Panasonic body? I know all kinds of in-camera corrections are made by my Panasonic cameras on the attached lenses.
I'm not sure what corrections you are referring to. I have used the Lanasonic 100-300 mark II on the Panasonic G95. The purple fringing can be noticeable, especially when I shoot egrets. It's something to take into consideration.
@@doctormock1 I am referring to the automatic in-camera lens corrections that the camera does. Such as on my GH3 and G9. As to what and how much correction I have not looked into that for years. But Panasonic cameras do in-camera corrections. My point was if you shoot a Panasonic lens on an Olympus body, I am not sure how or if any lens corrections are handled. Nor do I recall the extent to which in-camera corrections are made in terms of the many possibilities, although I do recall looking into it in the past and the corrections were quite significant.
And I am saying that using the 100-300 Panasonic lens on the Panasonic G95 I often see blue or purple fringing in areas where there is white against a dark area. In this case, the Panasonic camera did not correct this problem on a Panasonic lens. I have recently purchased the Panasonic Leica 100-400 (while it is/was on sale) and have not yet noticed this kind of problem with it.
Could be, but they can also be corrected in post process (probably even better). But it's not always possible and it always has some small degradation in picture quality in those areas.
To clarify I got decent ones in 2017 on a Nikon D5500 with 55-200 lens (1.5 crop factor), found it didn’t have as much zoom as I wanted though so I wanted to try this one!
the optical sight on the top is a Red Dot sight and it's not connected to the lens at all but it points to the same spot as the lens, so when I frame something with it it will be the "same" framing on the lens
@@holdmylenscap7241 Give a link to your model, where can I buy it? And how do you determine where the focus point is then? After all, when focusing, you need to understand exactly which point the lens will focus on.
On Panasonic the dual-IS is a huge advantage. I've found the Panasonic to feel a bit better except the MF ring. IQ wise the Zuiko is very slightly better in my opinion, especially when it comes to CA.
@@holdmylenscap7241 My Lumix focus ring was also a bit stiff, but I worked it , and it softened a lot. Also on G9 you can set the camera to do in (linear focus) and it's way better.
Great review! I'm in the market for one of these "budget" lenses right now for my E-M10 ii. Love the Deadpool T-shirt and I have to tell you my 14 year old sense of humor kicked in when you found the pair of tits.
That's my own creation. The Olympus EE-1 is a very similar Red Dot Sight, but I prefer these scope types so I made my own with a hotshoe to nato rail adapter and then added the scope on it. All from about £30 which is half the price as the Olympus one and does the same thing :)
@Hold my lens cap! Very nice! Thank you for the reply. I hope you can do a video about it too. I've seen these red dot sights before but don't actually know how they work. And not many RU-vid videos explain it well.
it is, I agree, but things like optical performance will not be different on the two bodies, and it was emphasized in the video that on a Panasonic body the Panasonic lens will perform MUCH better when it comes to image stabilisation.
