Olympus Top-End Telephotos
Field-testing the ZD 150mm f2.0, ZD 300mm f2.8 and ZD 90-250mm f2.8
story and photos by Richard Pavek
hen asked to write up my opinions on the Olympus ZD 300 f2.8 and the ZD 150mm f2.0 I agreed, provided I didnt have to photograph resolution charts and provide technical data on the lens optical characteristics. I used to do chart picking years ago when lm lenses suffered from loss of edge sharpness, barreling, pin-cushioning and/or vignetting. Fortunately Olympus has eliminated those problems or reduced them to the realm of the inconsequential with their telecentric lens designs. Fortunately, the editor didnt want that kind of an article, either. On the other hand, I dont think you want a long ramble from me on how great they are or arent. So, mostly I am going to show you how well they deliver good photographs. But there are a few things that need to be said about long lenses. First, and perhaps most important because you might not think about it, telephoto images that are nearer will always appear sharper than images that are farther away (unless you are at a very high altitude on a still day). This is because haze doubles every time the distance doubles. Haze is the bane or the blessing of long lenses, whatever their quality. Usually haze is an interference we wish would go away, but not always. Recently I posted a moonrise shot over the San Francisco Bay, with the city in the background. The shot was taken with the ZD 90-250mm at
As for combining the EC-14 and the EC-20 with Olympus long lenses; do they work, are they sharp? Yes, they do. The resulting images are far sharper than one might expect. However, focusing speed is reduced markedly and it takes about twice as long to lock in and with moving objects ZD 300mm that may preclude getting a good shot. Note: I used center point focus for all photos 132mm at f2.8, wide open. Why wide open? Bein this article, except for the caveats mentioned cause I didnt want the foreground to be in focus, above, and had no problems focusing. However, only the city. The cooling air over the bay as the the Olympus (USA) website states that for the sun went down had caused the moisture in the air 50-200mm SWD with the EC-20 AF shooting is to condense, resulting in a lovely, romantic photo possible using the center AF target. No informaevocative of the song, I left my heart in San Frantion is given about using the EC-20 with any of cisco. the lenses tested for this article, but I suspect that Exactly what I wanted. But not to one fellow you may encounter difculties with multipoint fowho posted a response to the effect that, The cus or single point focus using corner points. Olympus 90-250mm lens is terribly soft at f2.8 Fortunately, manual focusing is always available. and not worth buying; its a disgrace. Fog, haze, smoke and a slightly overcast sky all interfere with focusing. Why? Because focusing is dependent on contrast and all of the above destroy contrast.

The EC14 and the EC-20

Ranking the Lenses
If I had to rank the ZDs for sharpness I would put the ZD 150mm rst, the ZD300mm next and the ZD 90-250mm last, but not by much. All three are denitely top drawer. All can deliver excellent prints up to 48x64 inches.

FULL SCREEN

ZD 90-250mm

JULY/AUGUST 2008

E-3 90-250mm f2.8 at 250mm 1/1600 f3.5 ISO 100 Image cropped 50% Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 5 pixels Notice the transparent eyelid covering half the eye (left inset).
JULY/AUGUST 2008 FULL SCREEN CLOSE

E-3 ZD 90-250 at 250mm plus EC-20 1/250 f5.6 ISO 400 Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 4 pixels

FULL SCREEN CLOSE

PHOTO COPYRIGHT JOHN ISAAC
E-3 ZD 150mm 1/1250 f4.0 ISO 100 Image cropped 67.5% Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 3 pixels
ZD 150mm plus EC-20 1/1250 f 4.0 ISO 100 Image cropped 50 %
Dene 2.0 for noise, Focus Magic 2 pixels
E-3 ZD 300 plus EC-20 1/1000 f5.7 ISO 200 Image cropped 50% Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 3 pixels
E-3 ZD 300 plus EC-20 1/2000 f5.7 ISO 800 Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 5 pixels
E-3 ZD 300mm 1/1250 f 5.6 ISO 100 Image cropped 50% Dene 2.0 for noise Focus Magic 3 pixels
E-3 ZD 90-250mm at 132mm, focused at Innity 1.0 second f2.8 ISO 100
Effects of atmospheric haze on long lenses.
Ever Hear of the Oly f4.0 300mm?
ZD 150mm + EC-20 Combo vs. ZD 300mm: Field Comparison

ZD 150mm + EC-20

First, Olys other 300mm is only f4.0, which is not at all bad if you shoot mostly in daylight, especially with the near lack of grain with the E-3s ISO 400. Also the lens weighs in at just over half the weight of the ZD 300mm making it much easier to handle.
ow many times have I read in the forums, Why doesnt Oly make an affordable 300mm f4.0 lens? It would be lighter and easier to handle. So when asked to evaluate Olympus other 300mm lens I jumped at the chance. It turned out to be much more than that. The other Oly 300mm? Never heard of it? Well, one reason is because in hasnt been publicized very much, but well take care of that here. My most favorite lens is the ZD 300 f2.8 (favorite because Im primarily a bird photographer and with birds, longer is better), so I planned to compare the other Oly 300mm against the ZD 300mm f2.8. I packed up my gear and took it all out to one of my favorite birding spots, one where I could be sure of the light direction and the availability of birds.
Comparing the two, we have:
Lens length ZD150m EC-20 Combo ZD300mm Price $2,199.95 $479.95 $2679.95 $5,894.lbs 6.4 oz. 7.9 oz. 3lbs 14.3 oz. 7lbs 3.2 oz.
about it, the combo has somewhat greater depth of eld than the ZD 300mm at the same f stop. Thats because the ZD 150mm has a greater depth of eld at any given distance. Since the EC20 only works with the central portion of the image fed to it, it retains the depth of eld. One more point for the combo, you cant take the ZD 300mm apart and use half of it to make a 150mm lens.

weight 10.2".3" 10.5 14
About the photos that follow
The combo is just over half that of the ZD 300mm f2.8 and about half the cost (length measurements include the hood).

Focusing speed.

The combo focuses noticeably faster than the ZD 300mm. Because the barrel is shorter and there is less distance for the focusing ring to travel.

Depth of field.

Not so surprisingly, when you stop to think
All main images were cropped 50% except for the ZD 150mm shot of the houseboats, that one was cropped 67.5%. As a side note, there is a lot of confusion about the percentages claimed for cropping; frequently someone posts a photo as cropped 100%. This cant happen, if it were cropped 100% the image would be gone. When I say cropped 50%, I mean the corner to corner distance is 50% of the original. That is of the original area and of the pixels of the original image. Conversion from ORF was done in Lightroom and post processing was done in Photoshop CS3 for all the images. Dene 2.0 was applied for noise reduction all images except the combo comparison and the atmospheric haze photo of the Moonrise. Not because those at ISO 100 needed it; I do it for all my photos. It sometimes makes a noticeable difference in shadow detail.

ZD 300mm

Clearly the ZD 300mm on the left is superior to the ZD 150mm plus the EC-20 on the right but the combination is denitely usable.

ED90-250mm f2.8

Instructions

For customers in Europe

The CE mark indicates that this product complies with the European requirements for safety, health, environment and customer protection. CE-mark products are for sale in Europe.
Checking the Package Contents
For customers in USA FCC Notice
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Any unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment would void the users authority to operate.

For customers in CANADA

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Lens body Lens Hood LH-120B Lens Case LSH-1738

Features

The ED90-250mm f2.8 is a lens with high imaging capability, designed exclusively for use with Olympus FOUR THIRDS single-lens-reflex digital cameras. Dustproof and drip-proof construction. Telephoto zoom lens equivalent to a 180500 mm lens on a 35 mm film camera. High-image-quality, 12-group, 17-element F2.8 lens system that includes three ED elements (Extra-low Dispersion glass lenses). Can be used in combination with the optional EC-14 teleconverter. Can be used in combination with the optional EX-25 extension tube under the following conditions:
Focal Distance 90 mm 150 mm 250 mm Shooting Range 47.7 cm 53.5 cm (1.59 ft 1.78 ft) 69.9 cm 103.7 cm (2.33 ft 3.45 ft) 107.1 cm 264.3 cm (3.57 ft 8.81 ft) Magnification (Equivalent 35mm values are shown in parentheses) 0.28x 0.32x (0.56x 0.64x) 0.17x 0.24x (0.34x - 0.48x) 0.10x 0.21x (0.20x - 0.42x)

Lens Cap LC-140

Lens Strap

Protection filter

Nomenclature
Focus stop buttons (x4) Zoom ring Mounting index Rear cap Focus limit switch Strap mount Focus ring Hood mount Filter mount thread Electrical contacts Tripod mount Lens hood
This lens cannot be used in combination with the Olympus Macro Flash System.

Contents

Features..... 12 Checking the Package Contents... 13 Nomenclature.... 13 Attaching the Lens Strap.... 14 Attaching the Lens Case Strap.... 14 Using the Protection Filter.... 14 Attaching Lens Hood LH-120B.... 15 How to Turn the Camera.... 15 Focus Limit Switch.... 16 Focus Stop Buttons.... 16 Shooting Cautions.... 16 Attaching Lens Cap LC-140.... 16 Precautions: Be Sure to Read the Following... 17 Main Specifications..... 18

Attaching the Lens Strap

Pull the end of the strap at least 5 cm away from the buckle.
Attaching Lens Hood LH-120B

<During use>

Attaching the Lens Case Strap

<During storage>

Using the Protection Filter
To protect the lens, attach the protection filter. Remove the protection filter before attaching another filter.

How to Turn the Camera

Focus Limit Switch

-2.5m -8m

8-2.5m
Precautions: Be Sure to Read the Following
This switch limits the autofocus range to speed up focusing in each range. Select the optimum mode according to the shooting distance. Close-up shooting : Autofocus is performed (26.6 ft) and 2.5 meters Normal shooting : Autofocus is performed 2.5 meters (8.3 ft). Distant shooting : Autofocus is performed 8 meters (26.6 ft). between 8 meters (8.3 ft). from (infinity) to from (infinity) to

Do not view the sun through the lens. Do not leave the lens without the cap. If solar light is converged through the lens, a fire may result. Do not point the camera lens at the sun. Sunlight will converge in the lens and focus inside the camera, possibly causing a malfunction or fire.
Warnings: Safety Precautions

Focus Stop Buttons

By holding down one of the focus stop buttons, you can deactivate autofocus operation and fix focus at the point where the button was pressed. Four buttons are provided. All have the same effect.

Handling Precautions

Working temperature range
Abrupt temperature changes
Do not put the lens with its contacts facing down.

Too much pressure

Shooting Cautions
Be sure to attach the hood when shooting against the light. When two or more filters are used or a thick filter is used, part of the picture may be cut off or obscured.
Do not touch the lens. Submergence Do not touch the contacts. Do not drop
Attaching Lens Cap LC-140
Organic solvents Excessive moisture Magnetism

Storage Precautions

Lens cleaning tissue or soft cloth
Cap the lens when it is not used.

Moth repellents

Lens cleaning

Main Specifications

Mount Focal distance Max. aperture Image angle Lens configuration : Four Thirds mount : 90-250 mm : f2.8 : 14-5.0 : 17 elements in 12 groups Multi-layer coating (partial single-layer coating) Iris control : f2.8 to f22 Shooting range : 2.5 m (8.3 ft) to (infinity) Focus adjustment : AF/MF switching Weight : 3250 g (114.6 oz) Dimensions : Max. dia. 123 mm (4.8 in) x Overall length 276 mm (10.9 in) Lens hood mount : Covering Filter mount thread diameter : 105 mm (4.2 in) Technical Support (USA) 24/7 online automated help: http://www.olympusamerica.com/E1 Phone customer : Tel.1-800-260-1625 (Toll-free) Our phone customer support is available from 8 am to 10 pm (Monday to Friday) ET E-Mail : e-slrpro@olympusamerica.com European technical Customer Support Please visit our homepage http://www.olympus-europa.com or call NUMBER : Tel.00800-(Toll-free) +49 1805-83 or +49 40-(Charged)

Design and specifications are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
Lens configuration diagram