The Olympus M.Zuiko ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS ($1,499.99) is an appealing lens for Micro Four Thirds photographers interested in capturing photos of distant action. It’s built to high standards, made for all-weather use, and offers teleconverter support. And despite an ultra-telephoto angle, it’s quite useful for handheld photography. That said, its optics are a mixed bag—we enjoyed sharp results at the wide end, but quality drops off when zoomed in. For the price, we hoped for better.
Ultra Telephoto for Micro Four Thirds
Olympus has a few telephoto zoom options for the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless system. The M.Zuiko ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS qualifies as midrange in price and position. It’s a step up from the $550 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II, and well shy of premium options like the $2,900 M.Zuiko 300mm F4.0 and the $7,500 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25X IS Pro.
From the outside it looks great. The barrel mixes polycarbonate and metal, incorporating dust, splash, and freeze protection. Olympus skips putting anti-smudge fluorine on the front element, though you’ll want to use the included hood to help keep it free of drips and debris, or reach for a 72mm protective filter.
It’s a hefty lens. At 8.1 by 3.4 inches (HD) and 2.5 pounds, it’s as big as similar lenses that cover full-frame image sensors. This one is for Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus, Blackmagic, Panasonic, and others. The smaller-angle sensor nets a tighter angle of view—to get the same coverage on a full-frame system, you’d have to reach for a hypothetical 200-800mm zoom.
Olympus includes a tripod collar with the lens. It’s a smart add-on if you’re mounting it or using a sling strap. The lens is already front-heavy at 100mm, and at 400mm it extends out from the camera by a full foot. The tripod collar better centers the weight, leading to more stable tripod support. Its dovetail finish is compatible with Arca-Swiss mounts.
The tripod collar does add some bulk, though. It’s removable, and if you’re a full-time handheld photographer you may opt to take it off. You’ll want to get the DR-79 Decoration Ring, a $25 add-on, to take its place. Without it, it’s a little too easy to snag your finger on the small metal nuts that are exposed when the collar is removed.
The zoom and focus rings are both finished in polycarbonate. The focus ring sits farther ahead and the zoom ring takes up a good portion of the barrel. Both are easy enough to find by touch—their textures differ, the zoom ring has a rough diamond finish.
There are a few toggle switches on the barrel. Lock, on the right side, keeps the lens set at the 100mm position for storage and transport. The focus limiter, AF/MF toggle, and IS switches are located on the left. The focus limiter comes in handy—you can set the autofocus system to look for focus only in the close-up range for times when you know you’re working in the macro range, or only for distant subjects at times when you’re separated from the action. The full range is an option, too. Autofocus is speedy, especially if you pair it with a phase-detect focus camera like the Olympus E-M1 Mark III.
Close-up focus is a strong point, too. The 100-400mm can lock on as close as 4.3 feet, good enough for 1:1.8 macro results when zoomed all the way in. Image stabilization is included, important for a telephoto. You get a steady view through the EVF and have more freedom to use longer shutter speeds.
Teleconverters are also supported. You can add a 1.4x or 2.0x extender to turn the lens into a 140-560mm F7-9 or a 200-800mm F10-13. With those narrow f-stops you’ll need loads of light to get good results, though.
In the Lab
I paired the 100-400mm with the Olympus E-M1 Mark III for testing in the lab. Resolution tests show performance to be a mixed bag. The lens nets outstanding resolution for the 20MP sensor at 100mm (2,650 lines), with strong resolution from center to edge. You’ll enjoy the best results at f/8 and wider apertures—stopping down to f/11 and smaller nets softer, diffracted photos on Micro Four Thirds systems.
There’s a drop in clarity at the 200mm setting, but we still see very good results (2,225 lines) at the maximum f/5.9 aperture, as well as at f/8.
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It’s at the maximum 400mm zoom where images fail to impress. Our lab results show soft results at f/6.3 (1,520 lines) and f/5.6 (1,775 lines), matching photos shot in the field. Even when working close to cooperative subjects, like the rabbit I spotted in my backyard above, the detail the lens shows at wider settings is lacking. It’s a disappointing result for a lens that costs this much.
Other aspects of performance are very good. There’s no visible distortion or vignette in images, and the quality of the defocused blur is pleasing. If the bokeh has bright highlights, they take on a circular shape toward the center, and only a slight cat’s eye effect toward the edges and corners of the frame.
Sturdy Exterior, Underwhelming Optics
The Olympus M.Zuiko ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS has many of the trappings of a quality lens. It’s built well, with weather protection, quick autofocus, and a tripod collar with Arca-Swiss compatibility.
Its zoom range is attractive, too. You get more effective reach than you do with a full-frame system, where most zooms reach to “just” 600mm, in a compact, light package. Teleconverter compatibility and macro focus add versatility. But for the price, we expect clearer results through the zoom range. The lens just doesn’t deliver the clarity we want to see when set at or near its maximum zoom.
As for alternatives, the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4-6.3 ASPH. Power OIS is one we’ve not yet reviewed, but is well regarded. It costs a bit more, around $1,800. If you prefer to stick with Olympus, its 300mm F4 prime is still one of the best lenses you can get for a Micro Four Thirds camera, but it’s had a price increase since its introduction, and now sells for $2,900.
