Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 IN DEPTH review 

My in-depth review of the Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 telephoto zoom! Check prices or order at B&H: bhpho.to/30reEqD // WEX: tidd.ly/2ESdY5n Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop

I recently tested this lens comparing it with my Leica 100-400, and my opinion is this: I consider the Olympus the best alternative. The larger aperture on the wide side is negligible, and whoever has such a lens is more concerned with the super tele side. I found Olympus much sharper in the long end, when compared to my Leica. The possibility of use TCs cannot be overlooked and in my tests with TC 2, although with loss of quality, the IQ were of good. It's amazing to shoot at 800mm (1600mm FF) without a tripod. The only negative aspect, in my opinion, is the size. The price is very attractive. If I were to buy my first super zoom lens today, I would choose Olympus. But as I already have the Leica 100-400 and the Olympus 75-300 (super compact and lightweight) in my case I have no interest in buying the new Olympus 100-400, although I regret not being able to count TCs.

We love Olympus. Glad they are putting out more gear! Super review!

Great review, except the OIS does work in conjunction (effectively) with IBIS (on FW updated bodies) where the body sensor will correct for roll only, leaving the lens OIS to correct for pitch & yaw correction (only).

5:05 f/5.0 100mm - 122mm f/5.4 123mm f/5.6 138mm f/5.7 150mm f/5.8 169mm f/5.9 186mm f/6.0 210mm f/6.1 236mm f/6.2 269mm f/6.3 300mm - 400mm

Hi Gordon, Love this lens. Have used it with and without the 2x converter and obtained some impressive results. Dry days are at a premium at the moment and, alas, illness has restricted my opportunities to get out and really have fun with it. However, I hope to get out more soon. While I've been housebound I've managed to get hold of your other book 'Digital Retro.' What a joyful trip down memory lane that proved to be. My first machine was a Sinclair QL, while my wife had the Amstrad CPC 464. We progressed to an Amstrad 8256 before opting for separate lap tops. Like 'In Camera' it was well laid out and easy to follow, resulting in me reading it cover to cover in less than 48 hours. Back to the plot now. Great review, can't wait to see what you make of the 150-400 Pro. Keep up the good work.

One of the best reviews I have seen of this lens RU-vid.

I was able to test the Olympus 100-400mm for two weeks on my G9, GX85, and G85 bodies. While it is a good lens I found the Pana 100-400mm better in every way. Even when I tested it on my wife's Olympus Pen F I found the Pana lens performed better focusing. The only reason the get the Olympus 100-400mm is if you already own MC-14 or the MC-20 and want the added reach.

One big advantage with the OLY lens is that it is weather sealed, that's a big deal. Also the faster speed is only at the short end, this lens is going to be mostly used more at the longer ends.

A truly exceptional review by someone who knows what he is talking about...and very diplomatic regarding other products.

Hi Gordon, thanks for another unbiased, nothing left to be desired review. Great work! Assuming that the lens will come down in price rather quickly it looks like a good addition to the MFT system, if you are on a tight budget.

I assume that Olympus will be an excellent and reasonably priced system for bird photography. With the OM-1 we get a reasonable good system for a lot less than a Canon or Nikon might cost. If I get to the point where I must switch from EF to RF, I will have to seriously consider switching brand.

That lens is a beast!!!! It looks sleek, too!!! I want one!!! Great review as always!

When you listed the “boring” (your own term) maximum apertures at which focal lengths (and thanks for that!), it would have been useful if we could also see the list on screen in print.

Great review! How much weight do you save when removing the tripod collar? Could it become lighter than the Panasonic lens that way?

I was hoping to see you demonstrate the vlogging capabilities of this lens.

As always, a really in depth, very useful review, thanks Gordon

I believe one shouldn't be surprised that both 100-400mm lenses (Sigma and Oly) are so similar in size. Focal length and diameter of the aperture opening are the main size constraints for such telephotos unless some optical tricks like mirrors or DO elements are used. Just look at the Panasonic 45-200 for m43 which has similar FOV to the Sigma, but weighs 380g and takes 52mm filters.

Gordon, can you comment on the manual focus feel? Does it have similar throw to Olympus Pro lenses? (Asking about when the Pro lens equivalent clutch isn't engaged for specific distances. I find clutched modes "step" the focus making it poor for tracking moving objects, but the un-clutched MF feel is very smooth and more consistent than many other brands. I'm hoping this one handles MF in a similar way to that unclutched Pro lens position.)

Hello Gordon, Quick disclosure. It was reading your reviews years ago on the Olympus 12-60 four thirds lens which began my interest in Olympus reinforced my view that you invest in camera systems not camera bodies. All of which is a long winded way of saying I bought into the Olympus four thirds system with the E3 and 12-60, that I have remained with Olympus and that by and large I usually find your output to be extremely useful and objective, so thanks. All this said ; why would you introduce a reference and footage of the Sigma Lens, which does not have the same reach as either the Olympus or Panasonic lenses? Please don’t start going down the root of some well known American channels, your professional standards are much higher then that. Stay safe. Take care and when you get a few minutes please complete the outstanding review on the OMD EM1 Mk3 😀

As always Gordon, thanks for your reviews!!! a really appreciated!!!

Olympus makes incredible lenses.

Very good unbiased review. Thank you.

"Roll compensation is available with the image stabilization function of the body, along with the pitch and yaw image stabilization function of the lens." So basically a 3-axis variant of Sync-IS (which is 5-axis). Source: Olympus firmware update release notes.

Thanks Gordon, I enjoyed the review. I sold my Pana Leica 100-400 because the zoom ring was impossible to use. Thinking of the Oly as a replacement. Going to try and do a test before I purchase. Appreciate your efforts and quick reply. Cheers!!

I just fitted the dress ring from my 300mm f4 pro onto my 100-400 Olympus lens. Nice! I was trying to find the dress ring for the 100-400, but it does no exist.

Very thorough review. I don't think anyone would buy this lens to shoot flies lol.

Gordon, thanks for your usual thorough review. Had the firmware on the E-M1 mark ii that you were using been upgraded as per the firmware that was publicly released today that deals with image stabilization and the 100-400?

As always great review.

Thanks. You answered the questions I had about in body stabilization and lens stabilization working together.

Brilliant review Gordon

Nicely done, Gordon.

With this lens connected to the E-M1 II, will I get significantly better results in terms of sharpness and detail of the image than with the Sony RX10 IV? Significant difference for me is a difference which I can see at first glance on a large monitor at a 100% magnification or without magnification on a 5K monitor when I look more closely.

Great review 👏 👌 👍 how is the zoom on the Olympus? The 100 400 Panasonic had such a stiff zoom i just really didn't like it for that reason.

I must thank you for doing this review and also giving me an idea. Been working late hours in the the morning and wanting to take some good sunrise photo. You reminded me that I have a lens that would work for this, the 75-300mm. Still want that lens but this lens I can hide in my car and use for some good sunrise photo. Thanks again.

Hi Gordon, did you test the Olympus 150-400mm PRO already? Waiting for the review :)

Thanks Gordon. This is a lense I am very interested in.

For focal lengths this long the critical part should be how quick it can acquire and track focus

Apparently the PL100-400 will take the Olympus MC14 teleconverter if (!) you remove the guard plate off the back of the lens so the protrusion fits. Now the MC14 has 6 elements in 3 groups and the Lumix TC14 has 6 elements in 4 groups, they are not the same. and I can find no comparison anywhere. Any views on this? There was one longer compatible lens - the venerable 4/3 on adapter Sigma Bigma 50-500, full Sigma alphabet soup, no OIS at all and weighs a ton. Tripod job. AF slow and makes a noise like a coffee grinder but excellent glass. I have teleconverters of other lens fitments. The quality invariably suffers no matter how good they are. It's usually better to crop-in or use the camera's digital zoom. The Pro 150-400 appears to be priced at £6,500 quid. Ouch! Not many realise that contrast detection is the more accurate. They way it works it has to be, but if it cannot get a fix it will not lock, which can lead to it hunting. Phase detection may not hunt but can and will lock slightly off focus. The DFD will send the lens very quickly in the right direction. The G9 may well have far too many focus points, it has to find contrast between adjacent points, and can dither about where the GH4 with only 49 points would have been done and dusted.

Great review keep up the good work. I have a question? what autofocus settings did you use in this test when you did the face tracking test? Cheers Graham

You ask what we think. I don’t know how relevant my thoughts are, but very well: 1. A 200-800mm equivalent lens that weighs only - how much was it - 1.125 kg? That’s really light and much less than my 1.930 kg Sigma 150-600 Contemporary which I mostly use on a tripod with a Manfrotto gimbal head. But... 2. It's a poor fit for my Canon cameras. 3. It’s a 200-800mm equivalent. My Sigma is a 240-960mm equivalent, so I have more reach, and at a much lower price too. 4. The F5-6.3 becomes an F10-12.6 equivalent on a MFT sensor, whereas my F5-6.3 lens becomes an F8-10 equivalent on my APS-C sensors. Certainly not fantastic, but a little better. 5. It works with extenders - but how well? Often extenders gives autofocus problems with lenses this dark. I’ve given up using extenders.

I love the detail f stop info great work

From what I have seen in recent tests, Olympus is considerably sharper. What is you opinion on that?

I have mixed feelings about this lens... It is a very nice lens, an excellent addition to the Olympus family, but it is quite disappointing in some other ways… No Sync IS Supported, which is a first and really sad. From the Video, I find the IBIS to be more usable for photos. And for video, tripod is probably needed regardless. The OIS seems quite pointless here. (Why not remove the OIS entirely for cost savings?) Then Comparing to its Rumored Cousins: (there are rumors that it is a similar lens in terms of design to the Sigma 100-400mm) The Sigma 100-400mm DG is Only $799. The DG DN is Only $949. Comparing to if you get a Sigma DG with an Adapter for around $999, you would spend the extra $500 for Close Focus + Weather Seal + Better AF (No Adapter Required) + Tripod Collar Is it really worth it? Of Course, this depends on how well the Sigma performs with an Adapter. I guess what I was hoping for is a big brother of the affordable Olympus 75-300mm, guess it is not quite the same in the terms of value.

Good review Gordon: thanks a lot.

Did you get the E-M10 IV? I really look forward to a full review after it comes out but also a preview from you.

Very nice work. Good intro sigma 100 400 full frame

Cool! This one went totally under my radar!!!! I have 2 questions Gordon. 1.Does the Olympus teleconverters work with my Lumix GH5? 2. Do I understand correctly that this lens stabilization is "independent" and will work with my Lumix GH5? Thanks again Gordon!

For Photo, I Prefer the IBIS. It is more stable for some parts, so you can use a Sniper Technique: Breath In, Breath Out, Hold & Shoot.

Seeing this announcement I was excited as 40-150 with 1.4x tele doesn’t have enough reach. Was contemplating Panasonic but was waiting for Sync IS. This is a dealbreaker for me and I’d rather trade 40-150 in for a Panasonic rather then this Olympus. Also fighting light here in the overcast UK for birding is an issue ...

did you use the focus limit switch when doing the focus test ?

Gordon, please do a shootout, EM5 + 100-400mm vs RP w/800mm! What's the best for LOW-Cost wildlife shooting?!

Hey Gordon! May I ask how do you make the camera screen video clip? I have the Pen-F and M5mIII and wonder if I can make this for reviews also. Thanks!

Great review of a really interesting lens! Keep up the good work!

Outstanding presentation, Thank you.

At 07:00 Image Stabilisation - for comparison the G9 using the PL100-400 on Dual2 would look like it was bolted to a tripod. Olympus do know how Lumix OIS works, because they can and do use it. They could so easily have implemented a Synch-IS/Dual-IS for these lenses but chose not to. So sad.

Great review as usual.

Would you say olympus is better for bird photography than panasonic ? Thanks

So very useful. Thanks!

I think a lens without sync is is n error. They could skip the oss alltogether if it allow to reduce the costs.

Heard a rumour that this is a regurgitated Sigma and it looks like it too! Shame that Olympus users don't really have a compelling reason to chose a more native lens versus the Panasonic Leica

I have the Panasonic100-400 and in my tests the Pano gives a far better image stabilisation than the Olympus especially in Video mode. However the Olympus appears to be a touch sharper. So in my money the Pano is the better option even if you are an Olympus owner. If yo are a Panasonic owner then its defo the Panasonic. You can sharpen an image easily but its uch harder to sort movement. As ever great review and interesting how small the new Sigma for Sony is.

Too bad it's so large for a f6.3 m43 lens. Seems the 75-300 and 100-300 lenses are a clear step down though in IQ? The 300mm F4 is tempting but 2x more (both used).

Excellent review!!!!

Thanks for this review; I am obviously watching this well after you made it. I currently am using the Olympus 300 mm prime + 1.4 teleconverter. Great glass but the fixed focal length is a problem for wildlife: sometimes I am just too close to the subject and can't move back. And at other times the birds I am shooting are too far away even with the 840 mm equivalent. So I am considering changing to the 100-400 with the TC. I know I will lose some light but am more concerned about the lack of sync between the IS. You samples clearly show shake that I simply don't have with my current set-up. After you made this video I know Olympus issued a firmware update that supposedly helped the IS compatibility but still doesn't fully sync. Do you have any idea if this made any practical difference? Thanks!

The FULL FRAME 100-400 f5-6.3 is the same size as the MFT one?!!! FF f5 vs MFT f5 is a huge difference!

I would be interested in knowing what setting you used for getting the flying bird shots. I struggle to get successful in focus shots with birds on my olympus omd1 mk2 ... and it looked easy in your review of the 100-400 mm lense.

Just received mine an hour ago!

It doesn't make sense to me that that the 100-400mm lens for m43 is as big as that for a FF Sony.

Any chance to see a review about the 150-400 f4.5 tc1.25 from you? Very interested

Thanks!

Hi Gordon, no mention of the IPX1 rated weather sealing and superior IS over the Leica 100-400mm? I will be interesting to hear about how they compare optically, my guess is the Oly will be sharper at 400mm but similar or less sharp to the Leica in the 100-200mm range. Also, what are your thought on the bokeh quality, how do they compare?

Muchas gracias por compartir sus conocimientos, muy profesional su video si ayuda a clarificar la pequeña diferencia entre las dos ofertas el olympus y el leica de panasonic

useful video, Thank you!

How I miss Brighton. You up near Fiveways for the shot at 3:46?

Seems a quality lens, but same size and weight as a full frame counterpart (sigma FE), and 1.5 times the price (!) , is really disappointing. M43 should be lighter and more affordable than FF.

nice review, but you need to add captions when compare pictures with different parameters.

Hi Gordon. Great review! I would like to ask you for advice. What telephoto zoom would you choose for a Safari trip: the Zuiko 100-400mm f5-6.3 OR the Zuiko 40-150 f2.8 PRO + MC-20 2X? Thanks!!

would like a comparison between this and the leica

You say it is compatable with the olympus tele converter...can you tell me if the olympus tele converter can be used on the 100-400 Leica lens as the olympus can be had much cheaper than the panasonic tele converter

Thanks for the great review! I think I'll just save a bit more for the Sony 200-600.

Hi,I asume this lens can be used on the em1-mk1 camera,and also can the Olympus tele convertors be used on the original mk1 + this lens...thanks

Gordon I think you will find that the Oly is actually lighter than the Pany, I suspect the Panny you quoted excludes the foot as ny Panny weighs 1,170g.

What a Whopper Gordon !!! 😎😎😎

Nice lens I just wonder if it is a benefit on the Panasonic G9 versus the Panasonic Leica 100-400. I know that you cannot get all the features to work on G9 from the Olympus. The newest Olympus Pro lens is over $7000 - too much for my blood.

What's the real price tag? I hoped for a very lower price compared to Pana Leica, If similar in price can be similar on some way.. Leica it's smaller, better built and technically sharper corner to corner wide open as I tested. Costs 1000€ import and less used.. How does Olympus compares speaking of IQ and chromatic aberration in comparison? Pana Leica seems almost perfect in this regards and on Lumix can work with Dual IS compared to this Olympus.

Does the panasonic 100-400 version 2 change our opinion?

Greetings to you, from from me who gas watched many of your videos, since your videotours of Oly.-gear in 2007. Do you know if the builtin 1.25x-coverter affects the maximum aperture? I would like to know :).

Thanks for this. I can't see how the Panasonic is a better choice. It's agricultural with good glass and it's random focussing really irritates. I'm interested in the damage that a good cheap telephoto will do to the flagships sales prospects.

I would expect it to be 4.5-5.6 since it's a first party pro lens. It's a little dissapointing.

can you adapt the sigma lense to mft?

Thank you very much for this very nice and in depth review. Unfortunately I feel, as your footage reveals, the absence of Sync IS is a major drawback at these focal lengths. If you add to this the slower aperture (at 100mm), the heavier weight and the unclear future for Olympus products, despite a possibly slightly lower price, I struggle to see any reasons to choose this lens over the Panasonic Leica 100-400mm. Again thank you for your great work, it's always nice to see a reviewer that covers MFT systems in great detail. Cheers

equivalent to a 200-800 f10-12.6...the canon 800 f11 is probably the better way to go if you desire lightweight teles with a dim aperture.

As always, great review. Robin Wong in his video talking about Image stabilization mentioned that you either have both or nothing at all and wondering if he was referring to sync IS compatible lenses. You demostated a lens that doesn't have sync IS can have either or both. Interesting.

Going by the images taken with this lens, looks like Olympus learned a lot while developing pro 150-450 lens. They are looking really good. Wildlife images are very expressive, capturing lot of fine details in feathers and eyes. I think this is going for the big guns from Nikon, the 200-500 on d500 combination. Images are looking that good. I don't think pana Leica lens competes, despite of what specs tell you. This is first time I am considering MFT system for wild life.

IBIS only looks steadier

They would have been better to do a 200-500, have both olympus em1 mk ii and the g9 plus the pany 100-400 see no reason to change, the extra 100mm would have made a more significant difference

as big almost as canon 100-400mm. What happened to MICRO 4/3? MICRO...micro means small, eh.

About the maximum aperture at various focal length - from a non-native speaker - what the hell does "123 mil" mean? In Spanish (which is also not my native language) it means a thousand. In German it means a million. So.....

The Olympus has wonderful glass, as good as the PL100-400 but it does not Synch-IS on an Olympus nor Dual-IS on a Lumix. On a G9 etc the PL100-400 will "Dual2", not just hand-held but wave it around like a wide angle. This can be very important. Not so much for the extra EV but framing and moving the camera about whilst shooting. Around 2015 Olympus got a Patent-Pending for "Olympus Dual Stabilisation" which is undocumented, no instructions. It works on Lumix lenses with an OIS switch, and apparently this Olympus OIS lens. Turn the lens OIS switch ON, in the menu turn the "Use Lens IS" OFF. The Olympus camera (certainly E-M5ii of 2015) will use part and part lens and body IS. This is not Synch-IS and certainly not Dual-IS. Some of the axes are turned off, body IS and lens IS do not talk to each other, but the result, for long lenses, is better than IBIS alone. The upshot is you can use the Olympus 100-400 or the PL100-400 on and Olympus camera but only the PL100-400 on the Lumix G9 etc. Well, the Olympus will work on a Lumix but only the basic stabilisation, really rather the point with these extra-long lenses. Using this part and part IS the E-M5ii handles the Lumix 45-200 exceptionally well but not so much the Lumix 100-300 nor the PL100-400. The PEN-F, sister to the E-M5ii, has this part and part IS. The E-PL7 of 2014 I'm not sure - it does make the right whirring noises. It was state of the art at the time and the E-M10ii before the E-M10ii. But it is only three axes and like a matchbox on the back of a big lens. The Olympus Synch-IS only works on a few sell-your-kidney Pro lenses. Which means the Lumix Dual-IS G9 eats three E-M1 for breakfast. Lumix will Dual pretty much all their lenses, essentially all the Power-OIS ones. The PL100-400 zoom ring can be a bit graunchy but it doesn't slip (it can be remedied but only if you really know what you're doing with lens repair). The Olympus lens hood is better. The foot on the PL100-40 can get in the way of your hand but the plate is quickly removed. The PL100-400 lock ring, well I can turn the focus instead of it; it's mainly for storage. The PL100-400 is f/4 - f/6.3 but the wide end is only for finding the subject and it quickly jumps to f/5.3. Nor does it particularly like being shot wide open, shut it down a notch or two.