Hi, I’m Alex from Wilkinson Cameras and this is the brand new OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED
150-600mm F5-6.3 IS super telephoto dust and weather sealed lens. OM System are describing
this as The New Pinnacle of Photographic reach… and it certainly offers a lot of reach!
As you can see, it is quite a beast! It actually reminds me a lot of the Sigma DG DN 150-600mm
Sport lens for Sony. It’s remarkably similar in both weight, dimensions, design and build
quality… but of course this is designed to be used on a micro four thirds sensor and so really,
you’re getting a 300-1200mm equivalent focal length. AND it’s compatible with teleconverters,
so if you really wanted to, you could even make it a 600-2400mm lens! WOW!
By the way, if you enjoy this video then please hit the like button so
that other people will be shown it as well! Ok, let’s just run through some of the numbers. If
you’re not sure what I mean when I’m talking about crop factor or “equivalent focal lengths” then we
do have a video on this, but in simple terms… this lens allows you to see really far away!
On its own - 150-600mm F5-6.3 or the equivalent of 300-1200mm.
With a 1.4x converter = 420mm – 1680mm F7.1-F9. With a 2x converter = 600mm-2400mm – F10-F13.
Would I use this lens with a 2 x teleconverter? Probably not, but you CAN and that’s pretty cool.
Despite being a super telephoto lens and of course a great wildlife lens, this also has impressive
macro capabilities with close focus down to 56cm at the wide end and 2.8m fully extended
end. With a 0.7x image magnification, this will enable you to get impressive
detail of small subjects without disturbing them. Now if you’re pairing this with the new OM-1 Mark
II, which we’ve also done a video on so make sure to go and check that one out, then you’re going to
get the full 8 stops of image stabilization thanks to the camera’s own IBIS system. But if you’re
using this with an older model then you’re still getting an impressive 7 stops at the wide end and
6 stops when fully zoomed out. This means that it’s a very viable option to use this hand-held
despite the size of it and the focal length. I’m going to be using a mixture of hand-held,
tripod and monopod today… thanks to my Promaster Chronicle tripod, which I nearly forgot the name
of, because that also converts into a monopod. Why? Well, we’re going to test the teleconverter
options for you, but at 2400mm I’ll definitely need a helping hand to help me frame up my shot!
The lens weighs just over 2 kilos, which also means that sometimes the monopod is
just going to come in handy for just a bit of support, make it a bit easier to use.
It isn’t super heavy for a lens of this focal length, but it does start to feel
heavy after a long day’s shooting. It’s dust and splashproof. This is
not a PRO series lens, so you’re getting IPX 1 weather sealing as opposed to the higher IP53 on
some OM System or previous Olympus products. OM System are actually the only camera manufacturer
who get official ratings, which I do like. It’s nice to understand the limitations and
therefore be able to work within them. IPX 1 means that it’s protected from vertical
drips of water. So you’ll be fine in normal rainy conditions, but perhaps don’t go out in
the worst of the storms or sideways rain! The front element is also coated to repel
dust and oil, which is always a nice features. Let’s take a look at the build, starting with a
feature I really like to see on these long zoom lenses… the push-pull operation. This lens has
been designed to zoom both with a standard twist or you can just grab the front of the lens to zoom
as well. On the side you’ll see a switch here, which I don’t know the official name of… let’s
call it the tightness switch… this allows you to set if you want it to be smooth, tight or locked.
If you’re tracking a slower moving animal, tight is a nice option, but if you’re tracking something
faster or looking for something in particular then having this set to smooth means you can
quickly choose a focal length. Or, you can lock it to a set length as well in the L position.
There’s an aperture ring towards the back and 3 custom buttons on the side of the lens as well.
There’s a built in tripod collar, as you can see, with a arca swiss type foot on as
standard. Also included is this large and robust lens hood with a screw on design.
It takes 95mm filters, which is pretty standard for a lens of this size.
The lens is made up of 25 elements in 15 groups and combines 4 Super ED and 2 ED elements within
that. This should ensure sharp images, with minimal chromatic aberration across the frame.
And that’s the main details of this new super telephoto lens for OM System.
It’s a good lens and I have enjoy using it, especially paired with the new OM-1 Mark II,
but at a UK launch price of £2499… is this going to be on your wishlist?
Or will you be looking at an alternative? Let us know what YOU think in the comments…
Thanks for watching as always and if you haven’t subscribed yet, then please do and
don’t forget to check out our other OM System review, including for the OM System OM-1 II!