I purchased this lens four months ago for my E-520 for moon shots at the first, then wound up using it for much more, particularly nature photography. This lens is capable of amazing photos of the moon, to the point where you can crop out the edges until the moon fills most of the image and is still tack-sharp (using a remote control or anti-shock release and tripod).
When I began using it for nature photography--birds especially--it was a mixed blessing. The fact that birds are generally to be found in the shade of trees makes the f/5.6 at 300mm slow at finding a focus, and sometimes you have to nudge the manual focus into the right area for the auto to get the idea, but once you hit that sweet spot, it's golden. Another downside is the lack of depth of field in mediocre lighting: two birds, with one behind the other, will not both come into focus unless you have enough good lighting so as to be able to open the aperture. But I'm not knocking too hard it for that; that one bird you get is in incredibly detailed focus. Some may lament the slow focusing for each individual shot, but the way to get around this is to set the camera on quick-shot so it takes a succession of photos so long as you hold down the shutter button, like frames in a movie. THIS can lead to amazing shots, for it can capture the birds in poses you never would have had time to catch when pressing the shutter each time. Some of my best bird shots have been at 300mm while using this feature, usually on either Aperture or Sports mode.
Also, birds which reside around one's house which one has been feeding for a long time become incredibly adapted to people. Since December (when I was using a 40-150mm) I've been able to move from the open window to the porch and on out into the yard closer and closer to the feeders. This is wonderful news for the 300mm, for the birds very nearly fill the frame or are easily cropped to do so, providing wonderful detail.
It's a good idea to use this lens on a tripod which has a mount you can swing around. The one I use has a twisting handle which moves the mount up and down and has a screw which tightens side-to-side motion. Keeping that screw loose and using the handle to swing the camera around while the right hand remains on the shutter button will give a quick aim and steady support. If you're in a place where you can't use a tripod, bracing it against something, such as a tree, helps tremendously.
All in all, I give this lens 5 stars for its excellent performance in all I wish it to accomplish. The few negatives, such as not working well hand-held and needing good lighting for the best DOP are trifling against all the positives I outlined above. If you are an amateur looking for a good telephoto without breaking the bank, you will be very happy with it.
This product is available as Renewed.
Olympus Zuiko 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Standard Four Thirds Digital SLR Cameras (Renewed) $219.99 & FREE Shipping. Details
Works and looks like new and backed by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee
Works and looks like new and backed by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now
Frequently purchased items with fast delivery
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Compare with similar items
This Item  OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS Zuiko 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Standard Four Thirds Digital SLR Cameras | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $189.88 | -27% $399.99 List: $549.99 | -26% $1,999.99 List: $2,699.99 | -35% $129.99 List: $199.99 | $529.00 | $199.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 23 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 22 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 22 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 22 | Get it May 23 - 29 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | TONY'S Camera Shop | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Gabrian's | Ace Photo |
| lens type | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Wide Angle | Macro, Standard |
| compatible mountings | Four Thirds (Olympus, Panasonic) | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | — |
| lens design | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom |
| focus type | Manual Focus | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto/Manual | — |
| minimum focal length | 70 millimeters | 75 millimeters | 1200 millimeters | 40 millimeters | 14 millimeters | 18 millimeters |
| max focal length | 300 millimeters | 300 millimeters | 300 millimeters | 150 millimeters | 54 millimeters | 50 millimeters |
| fixed focal length | 300 millimeters | 300 millimeters | 150600 millimeters | 150 millimeters | 54 millimeters | 50 millimeters |
| real angle of view | 18 degrees | 16 degrees | 2.1 degrees | 30 degrees | 75 degrees | 69.3 degrees |
| model name | zuiko | 75-300mm | M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS | 40-150mm R f4.0-5.6 R | zuiko | — |
| max aperture | — | 6.7 f stop | 150 millimeters | 4 millimeters | 2.8 f stop | 5.6 f stop |
| image stabilization | Digital | — | Optical | — | Digital | digital,optical |
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 5.02 x 3.15 x 3.15 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 12 ounces |
| ASIN | B000SSLR5Q |
| Item model number | 261057 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Customer Reviews |
3.9 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,072 in SLR Camera Lenses |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | June 17, 2003 |
| Manufacturer | Olympus |
Warranty & Support
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here
Feedback
Would you like to
tell us about a lower price?
OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS Zuiko 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Standard Four Thirds Digital SLR Cameras
Share:
Found a lower price? Let us know. Although we can't match every price reported, we'll use your feedback to ensure that our prices remain competitive.
Where did you see a lower price?
Please sign in to provide feedback.
It depends upon what you'll use it for...
I've had this lens for a couple of months now and I can say that I'm pretty happy in some respects and not so happy in others. Over all it is a nice lens FOR THE PRICE. That is the crux of the matter. If you can't afford something better then this will do in a pinch. It's not a bad lens. However, If you are a birder then I don't think that you will be happy in the long run. Here's the thing. When people say that this lens is slow to focus they mean that often (though not always) it has to go through a long procedure of spiraling its barrel (external barrel) from one end to the other. It hunts and pecks its way until finally it finds a focus. That usually means that your beautiful shot of that cardinal is GONE! I'm often confused as to why sometimes it focuses quickly and other times it has to go through this frustrating procedure. I think that it comes down to this... when you see the perfect "money shot" in front of you it purposely chooses this moment to mess with your head! One other thing that really bothers me is that, as I said, it has an external focus barrel. This means that if you use a polarizing filter you have to twist the filter AFTER EVERY TIME YOU FOCUS since the filter thread twists during focusing. Lastly, don't think that this is going to get you as close as you want for birding. No matter what, you will always wish that it was three times closer! Having said all that, for most other uses, including taking shots of your daughter on the soccer field, you will be relatively happy. Cheers! EDIT (4/28/2014): Over time I've come to appreciate this lens just a bit more. Everything that I stated above still applies, however, one always needs to put the flaws in the context of price and what it is being mounted to. So I'm adding a star. ;-) Because of the 4/3 system's sensor's issues I now shoot MOSTLY with Nikon but still, this lens for the Oly system is worthwhile for the price.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
- Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2008
Top reviews from other countries
-
Michele MazzilliReviewed in Italy on April 28, 2015
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 70-300
-
PacoReviewed in France on May 11, 2011
Excellent rapport qualité-prix
Je voulais augmenter mon parc optique sans me ruiner... Possesseur d'un Olympus E-510 avec un kit 2 objectifs (appareil primé aux Tipa Awards en son temps), j'ai acheté ce zoom le 24 mars pour 338 euros. Livraison rapide, comme d'habitude chez Amazon.PacoExcellent rapport qualité-prix
Reviewed in France on May 11, 2011
À ce prix -là, il me paraît difficile de faire mieux... certes, il n'est pas très lumineux (f 4) mais les résultats sont extrêmement satisfaisants,(voir mes photos du rouge-gorge ou de la pâquerette, en images partagées) et je le conseille vivement à tout possesseur d'un boîtier en monture 4/3 ne voulant pas exploser la tirelire avec un 300mm standard.
Images in this review
-
-
- Peter ChermanowiczReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2010
A really great lens
