OM Digital Solutions has officially announced the M.Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro lens (Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Adorama), a telephoto zoom designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras. This lens has been on OM System’s roadmap for several years, and its release marks a significant addition to their lineup of professional-grade optics. The lens is expected to be available starting October 3rd and will cost $3699.
Key Features and Specifications
The OM System 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro boasts a range of features designed to appeal to professional and enthusiast photographers alike:
- Focal Length and Aperture: The lens offers a 50-200mm focal length, which is equivalent to 100-400mm on a full-frame system. It maintains a constant F2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, allowing for consistent exposure and shallow depth of field.
- Image Stabilization: The lens incorporates optical image stabilization (IS), which, when paired with a compatible OM System camera featuring in-body image stabilization (IBIS), provides up to 7 stops of shake compensation. This “5-axis sync IS” system enables handheld shooting at slower shutter speeds, even at the telephoto end of the zoom range. Without Sync IS, the lens compensates for approximately 5.5 stops of camera shake.
- Weather Sealing: As expected for a professional lens, the 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro is fully weather-sealed with an IP53 rating, making it resistant to dust and splashes. This allows photographers to shoot with confidence in challenging environmental conditions. The lens barrel also features a heat-resistant coating.
- Optical Design: The lens construction comprises 21 elements in 13 groups, including a large-diameter EDA lens and two super ED lenses. These elements are designed to minimize flare and color bleeding while maintaining sharpness and resolution across the entire image. The lens also features OM System’s ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) Coating II to further suppress ghosting and flare.
- Close Focusing: The lens offers a minimum focusing distance of 0.78 meters (2.6 feet) throughout the zoom range. This allows for a maximum image magnification of 0.5x, making it suitable for tele-macro photography. With the 2x teleconverter, it can achieve up to 1x magnification.
- Autofocus: The lens employs high-speed, high-precision focusing, supporting up to 50fps AF tracking sequential shooting with compatible cameras.
- Teleconverter Compatibility: The 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro is compatible with OM System’s MC-14 1.4x and MC-20 2.0x teleconverters. When used with the MC-20, the lens can achieve an equivalent focal length of 800mm.
- Build and Handling: The lens features a robust metal barrel and a variety of controls, including a focus limiter switch, image stabilization controls, and customizable function buttons. It weighs 1075g on its own, or 1250g with the tripod ring attached.
Performance and Image Quality
Early reviews of the OM System 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro suggest that it delivers exceptional image quality. The lens is reported to be sharp across the frame, with excellent detail rendition and well-controlled aberrations. The autofocus performance is also praised for its speed and accuracy.
Market Positioning
The OM System 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro is positioned as a high-end telephoto zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds users. It offers a combination of reach, speed, image stabilization, and weather sealing that makes it well-suited for wildlife, sports, and action photography. While it is more expensive than some other telephoto zoom options for the system, it offers a unique set of features and performance capabilities. Some reviewers are calling it the best telephoto lens you can buy for the Micro Four Thirds system.
A “Unicorn Lens?”
The OM System M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 IS Pro is being called a “unicorn lens” because it’s the only 100-400mm f/2.8 equivalent on the market, and because of its wealth of features.
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