Olympus Zuiko 70 mm-300 mm F/4.0-5.6 ED Lens For Four Thirds

FIRST: don't look for any technological jargon in this review. I am an armature who just enjoys capturing a photo that brings pleasure to the average person. I am NOT a pro or tech savvy, but I do read the manuals. I purchased my lens, used, off eBay for about 2/3 the cost of a new one and did pretty good getting one for that price. The cost of this lens is usually prohibitive for most of the average armature photographers but I will say that it is well worth the cost if you want to step up the quality and options available in order to do really professional work.
I coupled the lens with a new E-600 and shot some portrait work, still life, did some birding, took action shots of dirt bikes, and some difficult landscapes. WOW !!! The 100mm portraits were phenomenal and the 300mm inf. shots were clear in the smallest detail.

I am certain I would be impressed with some of the highest end lenses Olympus makes but the quality of this lens makes me wonder why I would ever need one. This and all Olympus lenses are solidly built. The lens has smooth action and almost instant focus even at the extreme range. I have gotten better depth of field using this lens for flower photos and this makes them look 3D on the finished work. (I love it when someone says "Ooooooo" when they see a shot made with this lens.) The range of the lens has made it possible to get the photos I couldn't get any other way. So far I am still amazed with the results and I have just begun to see what all it can do.

One of the suggestions eBay recommends to include in reviews is what you don't like about a product. That is hard to come up with... I suppose the cost is what I wish could be in easier reach of all the amateurs. A weeks pay is hard to justify to the spouse. Then they could see what they can achieve with a lens like this. Other than that I can't say a thing against this lens.

For those with a brand other than Olympus, I would recommend using this lens with an adapter rather than the stock Cannon or Nikon. I have friends who are into photography and that is pretty much how I got involve in my hobby. They are as hard core brand believers as I am in the Olympus brand and we have compared the photos taken on both their cameras with the equivilent stock lens and with my Olympus 70-300mm on an adapter ring. My lens wins hands down: No argument. I warn you it will be a bit more expensive to do this and you will need to use a tripod because Olympus has in body image stabilization and the other brands do not (the IS is in the lenses- (issue here if changing the other brands stock lenses mid shoot). I recommend using a tripod/monopod when at extreme ranges if possible anyway, so no skin off anyone's nose here.
NOW; if you read this review to the end you will see that I really like this lens and I think you would be nuts not to get one if you can. Clear enough?

NOTE: I DO NOT ADVISE using the $30 to $75 lens multipliers that fit at or with a filter on the end of a lens. I wasted my money with these in the beginning just trying to save a few bucks. I have not found one with the quality of glass and construction required to give a good picture, that is, unless you are looking for fuzzy fog. All told I would have saved money getting this lens in the first place.

Should state that the auto focus feature will not work on an Evolt 500 model until the firmware in the camera is updated. Olympus has yet to reply to my emailk for the update on my firmware. Two weeks have passed. I am disapointed in Olympus. They are usualy right on top of it. I have used only Olympus gear since 1974. both professionaly and more recently for fun. I quit using Nikon due to the weight and small image finder. The only other cameras I use are an old M3 Lieca and an old Hasselblad. All digital gear is Olympus. I expected a better response and advisory from Olympus.

The 70-300 Zukio lens is a decent lens at a reasonable price. It makes a great addition to the 2 lens package that comes standard with the camera body (14-45, 40-150 mm). I have only used the lens for a week now, but, have taken almost 100 photos with it. The only shortfall that I have discovered thus far, the AF can be easily tricked while using a polarizing filter or in lower-light close-up situations. This happens even when using the FL-36R flash as an AF assist source. The lens conveniently has a built in switch, AF/MF, to take care of this problem without going into the camera menu to switch back to Manual Focus.

Although, slightly bulkier than the 150mm lens, the weight is not a problem, as it does not weigh that much more, and using a tripod is not necessary in most shooting situations as is the case with most longer lenses. The quality of the pictures seems to be standard for Olympus equipment and the AF is about medium speed considering. (I am using an E-500 set-up w/ FL-36R flash)

All in all, I would have to say I am pleased with the purchase of this lens, good quality for the price. As prices vary greatly on eBay, one should shop around and not expect to pay more than $275.00 for this type of lens in excellent, used condition.

An excellent lens for birding. My pictures of birds have never been better.
I have been able to hand hold it at 300mm with the IS turned "ON" on my E-620.
Auto Focus speed depends on the distance the lens has to travel. If you preset the focus close to the distance you expect it will be fast. If it has to go from 1 meter to infinity it is very slow. Focus has problems locking on target in low light.
As with any long focal length lens, it takes practice if you are trying to track a moving target. Learn the correct way to hand hold a camera to get the maximun benefit.
I am very happy with the lens and would recommend it to anyone. You would have to spend alot more to find a significantly better lens at this zoom range.

I bought this lens after researching Olympus DSLR user forums. It delivers exactly what I came to expect from Olympus. The optical quality is outstanding and the focus is dependable. It is a big lens. I am learning to use it with an Olympus e-410, which has no built-in image stabilization. All in all, I will probably carry this and the smaller Olympus 14-42 in the camera bag. I can hand-hold for most shots at the 70mm end of the range, but can see that the 300mm end will offers challenges unless I use a tripod or monopod. My interest is mainly landscape and wildlife composition, as well as the usual family/pet grouping.

Other lenses that I considered were the more expensive Oly 50-200, Oly 12-60 and 14-54. Simply put, the original kit lenses 14-42 and 40-150 covered an exceptional basic range and the advantages of the others were for their optical quality, build and speed.

The 70-300 offered the advantage of greater magnification with reasonable speed for my skill level. It is solidly built, but is not weather-proofed. As an amateur, I don't envision myself taking many pictures in inclement conditions. But, for the approx. cost of $300 shipped with warranty, it is easily recommended as a " must have" purchase for any Oly user. It was a timely purchase as I've noticed the prices on e-Bay creeping upward for Olympus products.

If you purchase this lens, I'm certain you won't be disappointed.