OM System 50-200mm f/2.8 Review: The Last Wildlife Lens?
Is the OM System M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 one of the best wildlife lenses out there? Is it the last wildlife lens you'll ever need?
I've been testing it in Yellowstone and I have a lot of thoughts.
Disclosure: this video was sponsored by OM System, and they lent me the gear. Partners like that are what make these videos possible. As with everything I post, all thoughts and opinions are my own and nobody has any say in what I say. You'll see that below, where I go through the real downsides. Some links are affiliate links.
Why this lens matters
It's one of the only 50-200mm f/2.8 lenses on the market.
On Micro Four Thirds, with its 2x crop, that's a 100-400mm full-frame equivalent with a constant f/2.8 across the entire range. That combination is genuinely hard to come by.
What that gets you: excellent compression, a properly shallow depth of field at f/2.8, and as much light as a fast telephoto can gather.
And it's remarkably lightweight and small. Meeting people out here in Yellowstone, I kept handing it over just so they could feel it. I'm not sure OM System will love me saying that, but the weight is the single biggest selling point of Micro Four Thirds, especially if you're a travel photographer or you live in a camper where space is already scarce.
The focal length is better for wildlife than you'd think
When people think wildlife, they think the longest lens they can possibly get. 600mm and up.
But with the 2x crop putting this at 100-400mm equivalent, you're already very close at the top of the range. And you'll be surprised how often wildlife ends up nearer than you expect. Hopefully not a bear.
Photographing bison, elk and foxes in Yellowstone, this was the sweet spot. It sits really well for medium to large wildlife.
It's also right for environmental portraits, showing the animal in its landscape, which we should all be doing more of rather than only chasing tight close-ups.
Where it falls short: small birds. For those you'll often want more reach.
Does a smaller sensor hurt?
People worry that Micro Four Thirds gathers less light. True in isolation, but the lenses more than compensate because they're faster.
I got genuinely impressive compression out of this lens. Subject isolation was almost immediate and very pleasing, and I was blown away by some of the results.
A fast lens also means you can shoot earlier in the morning and later into the evening, which is exactly when wildlife is most active.
In the field
I paired it mostly with the OM-1 Mark II, which shoots up to 120 fps. I admittedly overused that and walked away with tens of thousands of photos, many of them the same pose. That's a problem for future me.
Autofocus impressed me. It held focus behind branches and tracked wildlife fast enough that I was really pleased. The camera deserves credit there too.
Weather resistance is real. It dipped to 20 degrees and snowed while I was shooting, and everything survived fine. That matters enormously in a lens at any price.
I never used a tripod with it once. Between the lens and OM System's stabilisation, handheld is entirely viable, even for video, though there is a significant crop in video mode. Being able to leave the tripod behind also lets you drop your shutter speed and your ISO.
As a nature photographer you know how miserable it is hauling big telephotos around, and that the one day you leave the lens behind is the day everything shows up. This one goes in almost any backpack, so it just comes with you.
Teleconverters
This is where the lens transforms. It takes the OM System 1.4x and 2x.
Setup | Native | Full-frame equivalent | Aperture |
Bare | 50-200mm | 100-400mm | f/2.8 |
With 1.4x | 70-280mm | 140-560mm | f/4 |
With 2x | 100-400mm | 200-800mm | f/5.6 |
The 1.4x is the sweet spot and about as far as I'd go. As with most telephotos.
The 2x is remarkable on paper, 200-800mm equivalent for about an inch of added bulk, and f/5.6 is still fast. But you do start losing image quality, particularly on more distant subjects. Autofocus stayed pretty good. For closer subjects where you want a tight shot, it's still quite nice.
For comparison, I put it against the 150-400mm f/4.5, a faster lens at natively greater reach, and that performed better than the 50-200 with teleconverters, as you'd expect. Against the 300mm prime it performed similarly, which is impressive for a zoom.
I do wish this lens had a built-in teleconverter, the way the 150-400 has its 1.25x. It would have transformed it. It would also have added bulk and cost.
Who should buy it?
Buy it if you:
Shoot wildlife and also like shooting landscapes
Photograph larger wildlife that tends to be closer than your longest glass expects
Travel and don't want to carry a massive telephoto. With teleconverters this gets you close enough without the bulk
Shoot OM System already. This would be the first lens I'd pick up
Skip it if you're primarily photographing the smallest birds. Kudos to you for the patience, but you'll want more focal length.
FAQ
What is the full-frame equivalent of the OM 50-200mm f/2.8?
100-400mm, thanks to the 2x crop factor on Micro Four Thirds.
Is f/2.8 constant across the zoom range?
Yes, which is what makes this lens unusual.
Does it work with teleconverters?
Yes. The 1.4x gives 140-560mm equivalent at f/4, the 2x gives 200-800mm equivalent at f/5.6. Quality drops with the 2x on distant subjects.
Can you handhold it?
Easily. I never took a tripod out with it.
Is it weather sealed?
Yes. I shot it at 20 degrees in snow with no issues.
Is it enough reach for birds?
For larger birds, yes. For small birds, you'll want more.
Final thoughts
Is it the ultimate wildlife lens in the world? I wouldn't go that far. Is it one of the best wildlife lenses out there? Absolutely.
It won't replace your longest glass, and I've been reaching for the 150-400 plenty. But when wildlife is in that closer range, there's no other lens in this lineup I'd rather have.
Is 50-200 enough for your wildlife photography, or do you need more reach? Let me know in the comments. I'll see you out there on the road.
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