Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150 400mm F 4 5 TC1.25X IS Pro Review | 54 Data compared

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS Pro is a highly engineered, professional wildlife and landscape lens that offers an incredibly versatile full-frame equivalent reach of 300–800mm. With a single flick of a finger, the built-in 1.25x teleconverter can be engaged to seamlessly extend that reach to a 375–1000mm equivalent range at f/5.6. The lens delivers stellar image performance with excellent definition, contrast, and sharpness, which holds up remarkably well even when paired with external 1.4x or 2x teleconverters for up to a 2000mm equivalent focal length. Additionally, it features a short 1.3-metre minimum focusing distance that is ideal for close-up macro photography of insects, robust weather-sealing for harsh environments, an effective focus limiter, and an internal zoom mechanism requiring only a quarter turn. Its sync image stabilisation provides up to 8 stops of compensation, enabling sharp, handheld shooting without a lumbering tripod setup. Despite these stellar capabilities, the lens does have a few drawbacks, most notably its premium price tag of $7,500 / £6,700, making it a major financial investment. While it is relatively lightweight for...

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO is a premium, professional-grade Micro Four Thirds telephoto lens that offers an 800mm full-frame equivalent field of view, expanding to a 1000mm equivalent when the built-in 1.25x teleconverter is engaged. Weighing just 1.87 kg and measuring 12.4 inches long, it provides exceptional portability and allows wildlife photographers to comfortably shoot handheld for extended periods without a tripod. The lens features internal zooming and focusing to maintain a fixed physical length, five barrel switches for customizable focusing limits and stabilization controls, and an IP53 weather-sealed alloy construction designed for harsh environments. Combined with the OM-1 camera's body stabilization, its built-in optical image stabilization delivers up to eight stops of compensation, enabling sharp handheld shots at slow shutter speeds like 1/5th of a second at 400mm. The review highlights several prominent advantages, including phenomenal edge-to-edge sharpness across the entire focal range even when shooting wide open at f/4.5, highly accurate tracking autofocus, and superb, lifelike color rendering. Reviewer Ivor Rackham praises its completely silent operation, robust build quality, the extra depth...

The Olympus M.Zuiko 150–400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO is a lightweight, highly versatile super-telephoto zoom lens designed for the Micro Four Thirds (M43) system, giving it a full-frame equivalent focal length of 300–800mm. A standout pros of this lens is its built-in 1.25x teleconverter, which easily toggles via a switch to extend the equivalent reach to an impressive 375–1,000mm at f/5.6. Weighing only about four pounds, its exceptional ergonomics make it highly maneuverable for tracking birds in flight, and its powerful image stabilization allows for sharp handheld shooting at shutter speeds as slow as 1/25 second in low light. Furthermore, it boasts an incredibly close minimum focusing distance of just 4.25 feet (1.3 metres), making it an excellent dual-purpose lens for both distant wildlife and close-up macro photography of small subjects like hummingbirds and insects. Its robust, upper-level weatherproofing was also proven field-hardy after surviving an accidental drenching in salt water and sand without requiring any repairs. Despite its high praise, the review highlights a few notable cons, primarily its premium price tag of $7,500, which may cause some...

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO is a highly versatile, weather-sealed wildlife photography lens that weighs only 1.8 kg and balances exceptionally well with the Olympus EM1X camera body. Key advantages include an internal zoom system requiring just a quarter-turn to travel the full range, a built-in 1.25x teleconverter easily engaged via a perfectly positioned lever, and an integrated tripod collar that clicks seamlessly when rotating between landscape and portrait orientations. Its sync image stabilization system offers up to 8 stops of compensation, enabling sharp handheld images at low shutter speeds, while the autofocus performance is incredibly snappy and optical coatings excel at preventing flare and ghosting when shooting directly into the light. On the downside, the bright white finish lacks natural camouflage, though the heat-resistant coating is engineered to reflect infrared sunlight. When paired with smaller bodies like the OMD EM1 MK3, the overall system feels less balanced unless a stabilizing battery grip is attached. Additionally, pairing the built-in converter simultaneously with an external 2x teleconverter (MC-20) drops the maximum aperture to f/11, causing the...

Olympus 150-400mm M.ZUIKO Digital ED F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO Lens In his field review featured on David Tipling Photography, professional wildlife photographer David Tipling shares his initial hands-on impressions of this highly anticipated super-telephoto lens. He highlights the exceptional ergonomics and balance of the lens, noting that it pairs beautifully with the Olympus E-M1X camera body. Tipling praises the physical design of the controls, particularly the built-in 1.25x teleconverter lever, which can be easily flipped with a finger without the photographer needing to remove their eye from the viewfinder. Additionally, he points out that the short rotation of the zoom control allows for incredibly fast adjustments, letting users jump from 300mm to 800mm equivalent focal lengths with a minimal turn of the wrist. David Tipling In terms of optical performance, the prominent pro of this lens is its "razor-sharp" image quality, which remains impressively sharp even when pushing the gear to an extreme 2000mm focal length by combining the built-in teleconverter with an external 2x teleconverter. However, Tipling notes a few cons regarding the lens's design and setup. His primary...

The M.Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is an exceptional, magnesium alloy telephoto zoom lens that delivers professional-grade performance and up to a 1000mm equivalent reach (expandable to 2000mm with external teleconverters). Designed for wildlife and sports photography, it features a constant f/4.5 aperture across its native zoom range and stands out for its integrated 1.25x teleconverter, easily operated via a finger lever. The lens excels in low-light conditions and fast-moving environments, utilizing a highly precise High Speed Imager AF system alongside an industry-leading 5-axis Sync IS capable of up to 8 stops of stabilization. Furthermore, it boasts a remarkably close minimum focusing distance of 1.3 meters throughout the zoom range—enabling 0.71x macro magnification—and incorporates a hydrophobic fluorine front coating to repel dirt and moisture. In terms of pros, the lens is surprisingly compact and lightweight for its class, offering excellent ergonomics and a well-balanced handling experience when paired with camera bodies like the E-M1X. Users will benefit from highly customisable controls, including an L-Fn/PRESET switch to instantly recall programmed focus points, an Arca-swiss compatible rotating collar, and a protective...

The Imaging Resource review praises the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO as an exceptional super-telephoto lens, offering superb sharpness across its 300–800mm (equivalent) range and an integrated 1.25x teleconverter to reach 1000mm. Weighing only 1.87kg, it provides excellent handheld mobility for wildlife photographers, bolstered by strong IPX1-rated weather sealing and up to 8 stops of Sync Image Stabilization. However, the lens is a significant investment, priced around £6,700, and is the heaviest option in the Micro Four Thirds system. While optical quality remains high, activating the built-in teleconverter causes a minor reduction in edge-to-edge sharpness and lowers the maximum aperture to f/5.6. Additionally, this lens lacks the manual focus clutch mechanism found on some other PRO models.

The Olympus M.Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is a premium, specialist lens designed specifically for professional sports and wildlife photographers using Micro Four-Thirds systems. Its standout feature is its extraordinary focal reach, providing an effective 35mm focal length of 300-800mm that can instantly expand to 375-1000mm via a built-in 1.25x teleconverter lever. The lens delivers exceptional, first-class image quality and impressive sharpness. Its highly effective image stabilisation offers up to 8 stops of compensation when paired with compatible Olympus bodies. Furthermore, it is exceptionally compact and lightweight for its class, weighing just 1,875 grams and measuring 31 cm in length. It also features durable weatherproof construction and a heat-resistant coating ideal for harsh environments. Despite its high performance, the lens has a few notable drawbacks. The most significant barrier is its steep price tag of nearly $12,000, making it too expensive for casual, everyday hobbyists. From an operational standpoint, activating the built-in teleconverter drops the maximum aperture from f/4.5 down to f/5.6. This slower exposure requires photographers to carefully monitor their lighting conditions to manage the increased risk of...

The Oxbow Photography review identifies the Olympus 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO as an exceptional, weather-sealed super-telephoto lens designed for demanding field conditions. Key ergonomic features include a carbon-fiber hood, an integrated Arca-Swiss foot, and a tripod collar with 45-degree click-stops for intuitive adjustments. Oxbow Photography The lens offers immense versatility, providing a 300–1000mm equivalent range with the built-in converter, while remaining light enough for all-day handheld shooting. While the review praises the pristine optical quality and constant f/4.5 aperture, it notes the lens represents a significant financial investment and has a large physical footprint, making it a specialized tool for the Micro Four Thirds system.

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is a highly capable super-telephoto lens designed for serious Micro Four Thirds sports and wildlife photographers, offering an impressive 300-800mm full-frame equivalent focal range. Priced at $7,499, this weather-sealed optic stands out for its remarkably lightweight, easy-to-hand-hold 4.1-pound body, fast stepping autofocus motors that track subjects accurately on bodies like the OM-1, and an Arca-Swiss compatible tripod foot. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional sharpness wide open at f/4.5 across the zoom range, excellent flare resistance due to advanced coatings, and acts as a brilliant macro tool with a 0.29x magnification and close 1.3-meter working distance. Its versatility is further amplified by a built-in 1.25x teleconverter that extends the reach to a 1000mm equivalent with negligible loss to image quality, dropping the maximum aperture to a still-usable f/5.6. Despite its stellar performance, the lens has one notable drawback: its harsh, frenetic, and potentially distracting background bokeh. Out-of-focus areas suffer from a pronounced soap-bubble effect, onion rings, and a "cat's eye" effect on specular highlights at f/4.5, which turn undesirable and...