In terms of its size and weight, it is almost identical to the legendary M.Zuiko 300mm/ 4 IS. Why legendary? Because that lens is a real gem for wildlife photographers and anyone who had the pleasure to experience its true abilities has high standards relative to other lenses as a result. Optically, probably only two lenses can match its performance – the Panasonic 200mm/ 2.8 OIS, and I assume, quite likely the highly anticipated M.Zuiko 150-400mm/ 4.5 IS with a built-in 1.25x converter. We could hopefully see the latter on sale at the end of 2020. Image quality and autofocus speed are impressive. Optional extras include a USB Tap-in Console for applying autofocus fine-tuning and firmware updates, and a tripod mount ring. Even so, at just over a kilogram, the Tamron is only about two-thirds the weight of Nikon’s 80-400mm lens and doesn’t really need a tripod mounting ring.

For me, it’s kind of a toss-up with this lens. The image quality is really nice, and it’s great to have a lens with the amount of reach that it has. If you’re a wildlife or bird photographer, it’s definitely something to consider. The question was how does the lens take the external 1.4x converter? I used it here. So that's 1400mm @ f8. The IS still worked great BUT you have to realise that at 1400mm any movement you make will result in a blurred image. So ideally you need to be on a tripod or balanced very well, with a decent shutter speed and light. Just to show you what I mean by lower sharpness with the MC-14, this is a photo of a Goldeneye Drake with the teleconverter attached. It does show a loss of fine detail around the beak and eye which made me think there was minimal gain to be had from using it. I'm tempted to hire/buy/obtain an MC-20 though to see if this combination would be better than cropping alone however.Both companies have a good arsenal of long zoom lenses too, but up until recently, it was Panasonic that also offered more premium products such as the 100-400mm and 50-200mm, both branded Leica. With this latest announcement, Olympus has added a zoom that goes in direct competition with the Panasonic equivalent. If you are and will be using Olympus cameras, then the Olympus 100-400 has a few advantages, most notably that you can use it with the 1.4x and 2.0 teleconverters. This is a handling challenge, but optically the results seem to be quite good. You also can use the higher speed pro capture feature, which apparently is precluded with the Panasonic lens. The IS using both an Olympus camera and lens is also a little better, but even with the Panasonic lens the stabilization is quite good.

While the latter will arrive this winter and possess a much higher price tag, thanks to its Pro designation, constant aperture and built-in teleconverter (giving it a ridiculous 2000mm reach), the Panasonic lens is available now for a comparable price –and is actually smaller, lighter, and has a brighter maximum aperture. The Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS comes with the weather sealing and freeze-proofing that is normally reserved for Olympus' series of Pro lenses – though it doesn't feature the Sync-IS system featured in Pro glass (which works in tandem with the in-body image stabilization of Olympus cameras, to provide extra stability), instead offering 3-stops of compensation via lens IS.

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Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more. Granted, it's got a maximum aperture of f/5, as opposed to the Panasonic which tops out at f/4, but it's got impressive weatherproofing, and its compatibility with Olympus's 2x Teleconverter MC-20 and 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 means you can extend that colossal reach even further! Over the past few years, Panasonic and Olympus have put in considerable effort to build a reliable and versatile system for wildlife photography. Today users have access a good range of products when it comes to both cameras and lenses. Tripod Mount Rotation– Olympus can rotate its tripod mount 360°, Panasonic only 90° and only to one side. It cannot be positioned so that the shutter is down.

We’re used to seeing robust kit from Pentax with impressive build quality, and this lens is no exception. It feels particularly solid and has a durable, weather-sealed construction. The flipside is that it’s physically larger and noticeably heavier than competing lenses, weighing in at 2kg. That’s nearly twice the weight of the Sigma and Tamron 100-400mm lenses, although they’re only available in Canon and Nikon mount options. Tactile Separation of Zoom and MF rings– Tactile separation of Focus and Zoom rings on Olympus is just excellent. When you hold the camera to your eye you know exactly which ring you rotate on the barrel. Panasonic has three equally grooved rings in a row and it’s easy sometimes to grab the Zoom ring instead of Focusing one. As someone who loves photographing all kinds of wildlife and sports, super-telephoto lenses always catch my eye. At the same time, as someone who, for all intents and purposes, is more of a casual enthusiast in this area and not a full-time pro, I find myself easily gravitating towards the Micro Four Thirds platform for super-telephoto shooting. Not only are these lenses significantly more portable, making them easy to carry with me on a hike, but also, the difference in price for an Olympus super-telephoto like the 100-400mm make them all the more conducive to my budget. Mylio Photos – Access your photos from anywhere, without the cloud! Easily showcase your photos on-the-go, resolve duplicates, find faces and look for those stunning locations.Zooming is not internal - The front extends considerably upon zooming to 400mm, extending from 20.5mm to reach nearly 25cms in length, at which point the lens cannot be considered tiny any more. Closest to the camera body, we find a well made, solid tripod foot on a rotating ring. This is useful for turning the lens/camera for vertical shots whilst on a tripod. The foot is ARCA Swiss compatible. We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. Broad-bodied Chaser, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 100-400mm/5.0-6.3 IS, 400mm, ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/400s, handheld

The OM System/Olympus 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS lens is compatible with the firm’s MC-14 and MC-20 teleconverters Tripod Mount Plate Removal– Panasonic can unscrew the plate altogether, it can be swapped around with Panasonic 200mm (one plate is sufficient for both). Olympus allows you to remove the entire mount after disconnecting the lens from the camera body.

The verdict

The image stabilization arrangement is unusual, though, with it sometimes feeling as though the IBIS and lens IS are working against each other if you activate them both. We experienced better results using the lens stabilization at longer focal lengths (where IBIS is traditionally less potent) and body stabilization at the 'wider' end. I thought I'd share a few photos I've taken in recent days. They were processed with silkypix and adjusted in photoshop CS6 and Topaz sharpen AI. And one last point here, be happy with whatever kit you have. Remember it's just a tool to help you enjoy your photography more, what counts the most is your vision. So be happy whatever kit you have and enjoy it. Tamron – Need lightweight, compact mirrorless lenses? Tamron has you covered, with superior optics perfect for any situation. With weather sealing and advanced image stabilization, you’ll open up your creative possibilities. The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS lens may have a lot of plastic parts to help keep the weight down, but the lens mount is, thankfully, made of metal.