OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS Zuiko 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Standard Four Thirds Digital SLR Cameras

I purchased this lens four months ago for my E-520 for moon shots at the first, then wound up using it for much more, particularly nature photography. This lens is capable of amazing photos of the moon, to the point where you can crop out the edges until the moon fills most of the image and is still tack-sharp (using a remote control or anti-shock release and tripod).When I began using it for nature photography--birds especially--it was a mixed blessing. The fact that birds are generally to be found in the shade of trees makes the f/5.6 at 300mm slow at finding a focus, and sometimes you have to nudge the manual focus into the right area for the auto to get the idea, but once you hit that sweet spot, it's golden. Another downside is the lack of depth of field in mediocre lighting: two birds, with one behind the other, will not both come into focus unless you have enough good lighting so as to be able to open the aperture. But I'm not knocking too hard it for that; that one bird you get is in incredibly detailed focus. Some may lament the slow focusing for each individual shot, but the way to get around this is to set the camera on quick-shot so it takes a succession of photos so long as you hold down the shutter button, like frames in a movie. THIS can lead to amazing shots, for it can capture the birds in poses you never would have had time to catch when pressing the shutter each time. Some of my best bird shots have been at 300mm while using this feature, usually on either Aperture or Sports mode.Also, birds which reside around one's house which one has been feeding for a long time become incredibly adapted to people. Since December (when I was using a 40-150mm) I've been able to move from the open window to the porch and on out into the yard closer and closer to the feeders. This is wonderful news for the 300mm, for the birds very nearly fill the frame or are easily cropped to do so, providing wonderful detail.It's a good idea to use this lens on a tripod which has a mount you can swing around. The one I use has a twisting handle which moves the mount up and down and has a screw which tightens side-to-side motion. Keeping that screw loose and using the handle to swing the camera around while the right hand remains on the shutter button will give a quick aim and steady support. If you're in a place where you can't use a tripod, bracing it against something, such as a tree, helps tremendously.All in all, I give this lens 5 stars for its excellent performance in all I wish it to accomplish. The few negatives, such as not working well hand-held and needing good lighting for the best DOP are trifling against all the positives I outlined above. If you are an amateur looking for a good telephoto without breaking the bank, you will be very happy with it.

Bought this several weeks ago in anticipation of an Alaska trip in June. I've had a chance to try it out on some local (Tennessee) wildlife and it works great. Powerful -- It zooms up to the equivalent of a 600 mm lens on a 35mm camera! There is a switch to change from auto focus to manual focus on the side of this lens. Not shown in photos of the lens is a substantial lens hood which I keep on the lens when it in use as much for protecting the front element as to reduce lens flare.Some have complained that the auto focus does not work well but that has only seemed to be a problem in low light situations. I've also heard complaints that it does not focus fast. I could show you photos from a 4 year old's soccer practice that will disprove that complaint. Use the switch on the side of the lens to change settings to manual focus if the auto focus has difficulty or for focusing on very close objects. And this lens will focus close!Twisting the ring to adjust the zoom is perhaps not as smooth as on a more expensive lens, but this does not effect the ease of use.Yes, you can find a better lens, but you will pay much more for it. I have no regrets about purchasing this product.

I used this lens for Birding and Macro by adding the EX-25. For Birding, This lens is good only when you want to take a shot of a bird on a tree but not good for flying birds. because of the very slow auto focus. Also isn't very sharp as many people say. The lens produces a soft image unless you use f8 but you'll have to use high iso. Raising the level of noise reduction on the camera to standard, will remove a lot of noise but you'll get a softer image. you can try to turn off the noise reduction if there is an excellent source of light to get a sharp image.For Macro, this lens is very good specially if you have the Macro extension tube (ex-25). I'm using it intensively for macro and happy by the results but not very satisfied. Don't ever think this lens is enough for Macro or as good as macro lenses. The images aren't good as macro lenses' images at any case. The image will not be very sharp because of this reason:- Forget the auto focus when you use this lens with the extension tube. you will have to use the Manual focus which is bad and not accurate. the manual ring isn't soft and I think this is the issue of all standard lenses.I tested the sigma 105mm macro and it was better a lot in everything specially the manual focus which was very soft. but, I didn't buy it because I need a longer focal length. at least the 150mm. I consider the 70-300mm as a temp lens and for learning.I don't recommend this lens for serious Macro or Birding photographers. The focal length isn't the most important thing. Many people got better results with 50-200mm because they can crop their picture without losing much quality (I'm not comparing the both lenses but I'm talking about cropping).For temporary and learning, this lens is an excellent bargain; don't miss it. This lens even without the ex-25 has a capability of macro. put in mind that using it in low light areas is a bad idea.Finally, this is not a bad lens whatever the price is (I bought mine for $374) but also not for people who have a knowledge in the fields of Macro or Birding. If you are a serious macro shooter, get a macro lens and if you are a serious bird shooter get the 50-200mm/sigma 50-500mm or turn off the noise reduction if you want the 70-300mm(in this case you will work harder using any software to enhance the IQ). Don't expect great results. still this lens is in standard level of Zuiko lenses.Recommended for starters.