Review on 📷 Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm F4.0-5.6 MEGA O.I.S H-FS100300 - International Version (No Warranty) - Professional Telephoto Lens for Stunning Captures by Shaun Bushey

I've had the lens for about 6 months now and I think it was a great purchase. The pros and cons are pretty simple to me: Pros: - Long range and fairly sharp throughout (very sharp 100-200mm). This is roughly the same field of view you get with 100-400mm f4-f5.6 on a DX sensor or 200-600mm on an FX sensor. I preferred it to the 200mm version because if I need to shoot at long distances I can spend a bit more and have range (telecovers aren't an option with these lenses) plus I would put the 200mm lens in prefer the middle. range and be sharp when everything comes out than have it at the end of the range and be a little softer. - From excellent to good wide open in all lengths. No, not sharp at 300mm f5.6. Good (and slightly better than "good enough"). When you view your photos online, you will be amazed; If you make prints up to 13x19 or so you will be amazed. If you care about pixels, what the heck do you do with a $400 lens and an m4/3 body? Give up and get a D800, 5DM3 or medium format body and you're done. I'm sure the corners are a bit crooked, but what lens with this range and maximum aperture isn't? I'd say it's better than the Nikon or Canon 70-300mm f4-f5.6 for DX, with better effective range given the m4/3 sensor size. - Affordable price for the range. If you can use a good one I would always advise going down that route, but $400-$500 for this lens is what you would expect. Revain will likely pack the lens poorly (sorry, that's right), but you can always return it if there are any problems. - Small and light: it won't impress your friends with its bulging forearms. It is easy to carry and makes you look like a tourist when you use it. That's a good thing about the m4/3 system, because I don't like being asked about my gear when I'm shooting. Pull out a monopod and 100-400 on a DSLR and someone will surely ask you how much it costs. You also become suspicious of what you are filming. I can slip this lens, 9-18, 25mm and 45mm, into a somewhat feminine medium-sized canvas bag and put it under an airplane seat. - IS: I'm just guessing here; I use Oly in the IS body. If you're using Panasonic, you'll probably appreciate this. It might be easy, but you get a lot more 300mm keeper if you use IS (or even better: some kind of support). - Glare/ghosting doesn't seem to be a problem. Images are high in contrast unless taken directly into the sun. The downsides are fairly limited: - Chromatic aberration: Maybe it's an m4/3 issue, but it seems every Panasonic and Olympus m4/3 lens I own performs worse than my Nikon for chromatic aberration. ; This lens is no exception. The body pans are removed if you shoot in JPEG format, but for me this is a non-starter. It can be removed in post, but it would be nice to have more control over it from the start. - Not weatherproof: I like to shoot in all weather and on windswept sand, so it would be nice if it was waterproof. - Not suitable for most sports: I saved this for last because it's very important depending on what you want to do. To be honest this is really a limitation of the m4/3 bodies I've tried, not just the lens. But there are plenty of people who might think this would be a great lens for birdwatching or sports, and it doesn't work for two reasons: the continuous focus is a joke, and f5.6 is too long overall for decent shutter speeds though bright light. . . Yes, you can probably do anything with any lens if you're good enough or patient enough. But why are you making it so difficult? If you mainly shoot sports or fly birds, you will be disappointed with this lens and the m4/3 body in general. Hope this review helps you. All in all, if you're on a budget and have invested in an m4/3 system, this is a good addition to your bag for more range and portability.