My Long Lens Solution

I have found the replacement for my Olympus 75-300mm MFT lens. It's an adapted vintage four-thirds Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD lens.

The Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD with Four Thirds MMF-3 adapter on my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III.

The release of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS for the micro four thirds system several months ago seemed to be the solution for my need to move up to a longer lens for flower and bird photography. The reviews have been good and the test images I have seen are impressive. However, the $1,500 USD price is a little bit expensive for my budget.

I had been using the Olympus M.Zuiko 75-300mm F/4.8-6.7 ii for several years. It is light-weight, auto-focus is quick, keepers are very sharp, and I can hand-hold throughout its focal range. However, I have often wished for a little longer reach, and the bokeh in shots with defocused background is very unpleasant.

Back when an Olympus OM-D E-M5 was my primary camera, I purchased a used four-thirds Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-35 and adapter for micro four thirds. That early-version lens on that early-version mFT camera was noisy and autofocus driven by the camera's contrast-detection tended to hunt most of the time. I eventually sold the lens.

My new OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera features an advanced 121-point all cross-type autofocus system using both phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocus. The version of the second 50-200mm lens I acquired is the SWD (supersonic wave drive), a model with a quieter and faster-focusing motor, utilizing phase-detection for autofocus. Obviously, this older lens has no internal image stabilization, but the seven stops of IS delivered by the E-M1ii make it a breeze to shoot hand-held in most situations. 

A blue plumbago shot hand-held with the vintage Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD. Settings: 200mm, f5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO 640.

The background blur produced by the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD is pleasingly smooth, particularly when compared to that of the 75-300mm lens. Since it is four-thirds glass, the lens is big. However, it balances well on the E-M1iii. The lens tripod mount can be easily removed for more efficient handling.

The autofocus with this equipment is too slow for sports action or flying birds, but for my needs it's perfect. With a maximum aperture of f2.8, this lens is faster than the micro four thirds Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS lens. Perhaps the most important benefit is acquisition of the lens and adapter for about 1/3 the price of the 100-400mm.


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