OM System 150-600mm F5-6.3 review… Madness?!
Alright, Nerds, let’s delve into this colossal piece of kit — the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS Lens. It’s not just a chonky boi; it’s absolutely enormous! But is the bigger form factor worth it for the versatility this lens gives you?
This lens provides a ridiculous 300-1200mm focal length in full-frame terms and it weighs a hefty 2.2kg. For many, it seems to fly in the face of what micro four thirds is all about (Small! Light! Cheap! Nope! Nope! Nope! lol) but let’s keep an open mind and see what this lens actually brings to the table.
I took this lens to the Faroe Islands and had a blast photographing the puffins, landscapes, and other wildlife… which were sheep. Like… so many sheep.
The Sigma-shaped elephant in the room…
When I first got my hands on this lens I assumed, as many do, that it was just a rebranded Sigma 150-600mm full-frame lens. I was ready for sluggish autofocus and softer images, but I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
The autofocus is incredibly snappy — it works just like a native lens, because, well, it is one! — and the images are impressively sharp. This sharpness is likely due to the crop factor using only the centre of the full frame glass, so you get the best optical quality from the lens.
So… yes… it IS a re-branded Sigma lens. But it’s not a straight swap. There are plenty of tweaks and differences which I’ll cover later.
Handling and Usage
Now, let's talk about handling this chonky boi.
If I could change one thing about this lens, I would make it internal zoom. But. Alas. It is not. This makes a significant difference. For example, while “Big White” (Olympus 150-400mm f4.5) weighs only slightly less at 1.8kg, it feels much lighter and more balanced due to its internal zooming mechanism.
When you fully extend the OM System 150-600mm, you definitely feel it in your arms, hands, and back. While it’s very usable handheld, for longer shoots a monopod might be necessary.
Fortunately, the lens comes with built-in stabilisation offering 7 stops when synced with a compatible camera body, which is invaluable at the long end, helping to keep things steady as you compose your shots and wait for the action.
Check out the used market here at MPB!
The most zoom that money can buy on micro four thirds
The OM System 150-600mm lens provides the most zoom you can get for the price, and the most zoom in general, really. There’s nothing else quite like it! You can even pair it with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for some truly insane range. However, the size and weight are the trade-offs. It all depends if you think the zoom is worth it.
What else could you buy?
If we look at micro four thirds alternatives, the Olympus 300mm f4 prime with a 2x teleconverter would give you 600mm at a slower f8, plus it’s more expensive.
And then there’s "Big White," the Olympus 150-400mm f4.5 pro, which, with its built-in 1.25x teleconverter will get you to 500mm at f5.6. Yet, it costs a whopping £7000. So, if you’re after that 600mm reach, the OM System 150-600mm lens starts to look very appealing indeed.
You can check out Big White used on MPB with the links here. They open in a new window. It’s the most expensive micro four thirds lens ever made, so used is probably the way to go! :-
Baffling pricing of the OM System 150-600mm
OK. Let’s have a chat about the price, shall we? At the time of writing this blog, this lens retails at £2400, whereas the Sigma version it’s based on for full-frame Canon is a mere £1000. Why the massive difference?
There are of course some differences. Whether or not those differences are worth the price jump is up to you. You get:-
stabilisation sync for OM system cameras
teleconverter compatibility
more function buttons
better weather sealing
and the delightful OM System lens coating which is supposed to help with haze and glare
Other stuff to consider
One downside worth noting is that the OM System 150-600mm isn’t a Pro lens, which means burst modes will be capped at 25 frames per second only. OM System reserves 50 frames per second for their top-tier lenses, like Big White. For some, this might be a deal-breaker, especially if you’re used to faster burst modes for capturing action shots.
For my own tastes? 25 frames is absolutely fine. Faster is nice to have? But you should still be able to capture birds in flight for example just fine with the “slower” burst mode.
Haze at the long end
I’m not sure if this was a result of the sheer range this lens covers, or a characteristic of the lens its self, but I found shooting at 600mm sometimes to lack a bit of contrast and it gives the photos an almost hazy look. This is easily tweaked in the edit, but I did notice a drop in quality at the long end versus the wide end.
I couldn’t really compare it to anything else — nothing else I own goes to 600mm! — but at 500mm Big White showed none of this.
Overall sharpness
I think in isolation this lens really stands up. I had a pixel peep against Big White at equivalent apertures and focal lengths, and — perhaps perdictibly! — I found Big White to be considerably sharper. You’d hope so given it’s three times the price.
That isn’t to say this 150-600mm is soft or anything. It’s perfecly sharp and lovely, but I think you’ll notice a bit of a difference if you’re coming from Big White or a nice prime, like the Oly 300mm f4 for example. You can see some comparison shots in the video review which I’ll link at the end.
Final thoughts and feelings on the OM System 150-600mm lens
All things considered, if the size and weight don’t deter you, and you’re not keen on forking out a small fortune for the "Big White" 150-400mm, this lens is a stellar alternative. It offers a decent mix of performance, range, and affordability for micro four thirds users. You get a stupid amount of zoom range for the price, and there honestly aren’t that many alternatives if range is your key goal.
While it’s not without its quirks and the price is a bit on the high side, the OM System 150-600mm F5-6.3 lens was super fun to use and I’m really happy with the photos I got from it. I was really pleasantly surprised to be honest!
Check out the used market here at MPB!
P.s. If you are interested in learning more about the Faroe Islands for a photography trip, I’ve created a handy dandy downloadable with all my favourite spots, hikes, and tips! And a full breakdown of how to plan your puffin photography trip. You can see it in my store here.