M.Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO

I love this lens, which is a good thing, considering the price. I bought it slightly less than a month ago, but have since taken well over 7000 photos with it, mostly of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. I bought the lens because I wanted the extra reach (beyond the 40-150 f/2.8 I have used in previous years) to fill the frame with individual performers. It has met all my expectations. It is sharp edge to edge and wide open, fast, light enough to hand hold, and image stabilized enough to use to use at exposures way slower than the 1/focal length rule of thumb. Although it is light enough to carry around for hours for random pictures (such as at rehearsals), I found that holding it up to my eye continuously over the course of a concert pretty quickly made my back hurt, so I began to use a tripod if I was going to be shooting continuously. It's light, but not THAT light. Though not relevant to my concert photography, I have played with the close focus ability on some plants and am very impressed with it. Though OM System pushes its gear to nature photographers, I have found the system, and this lens, perfect for my theater work. I have a collection of Canon L glass, including a 100-400 lens, and I seriously considered buying an R6 iii and using it with the 100-400 lens, as that would have been hundreds of dollars cheaper than buying the M.Zuiko 50-200. Fortunately, my camera store recommended that I rent the body first. It took me only a few minutes of use to realize that the R6 + 100-400 combination would be impractical, and I decided to pull the trigger on the 50-200. Painful though my wallet found that, it was a great decision photographically.

THE BEEP YOU GET ON CAMERA BODY WHEN YOU SET FOCUS DST WHEN PRESSING SET ON LENS IS TOOK WEEK TO BE HEARD ESP OUTSIDE

Great lens! Easy to operate, excellent results. Even using 2X extender the results are quite clear. The only drawback is that it is large and fairly heavy, which requires more care in not putting too much strain on the connection to the camera. But it is worth the extra effort.

This lens is simply superb. I also use Sony and have several of their GM lenses. IMO this lens is sharper, faster focusing. Works great for birding by itself or with 1.4 TC, even with 2.0 TC IQ stays useable. I don't think it's possible to get a better lightweight birding setup than OM-1 II paired with this lens.

I bought this lens for nature / wildlife / bird photography, and I’m really liking it! It’s pretty much the only lens I’m using these days. I already have the MC-14 1.4x teleconverter, and I’ve been using the 50-200mm mostly with the two in combination, so I get pretty good reach. Everything stays pin-sharp with the teleconverter, so the only downside I see with it is the loss of one stop of light. That isn’t a problem on a sunny day, but when it’s overcast I have to bump the ISO for the fast shutter speeds I use for birds in flight. The lens itself is deceptive. With the focal lengths, aperture, and physical size of the thing, it seems like it should be heavy. But it isn’t at all. The tripod foot is in a good spot to hold the lens and easily operate the zoom ring, manual focus ring, and the L-Fn / Preset button. The zoom is very smooth and covers the whole range of focal lengths with just a 1/4 turn, so fully zooming in and out is fast and easy. The manual focus ring is even smoother. It has just enough friction to keep it in place, and turning it requires almost no effort. The rubberized treads on the rings are also helpful. It’s really easy to operate the rings with just my thumb. The L-Fn button works great for how I programmed it (manual AF target selection). I tried using the button for the preset focus function, and I can report that it works fast, almost instantaneously. I haven’t had much use for that yet, but it’s nice to know it’s there in case I need it. Autofocus also works great and is plenty fast. Same for Sync-IS. The trap door on the lens hood is also a nice touch. I have found it handy for when I use a polarizer. Apparently the tripod collar comes off, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve kept it on since it works nicely as a hand hold. It’s also needed for use with my Cotton Carrier and monopod. I can see why so many people are raving about this lens.

I finally received the lens. Please send any product that costs over $3500 via FedEx or UPS Air. I live in SE Alaska . I ordered from OM System on 5/9/2025 . It took over 3 weeks to receive it!! At any rate the autofocus is very fast and the photos are super sharp. A superb lens.

One of the best lenses I have ever used and has been an indispensable tool for wildlife documentation

I have been a long time customer and have purchased most of the Pro level lenses in the past. Last year I finally moved up to get the OM 150-400 (the Big White). I was so impressed with this lens I sold several of my lenses and got the M.Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO. It has proved to be just as exceptional and covered almost all of the range of the lenses I sold to purchase it. Great addition.

I extra splurged for this lens to combine with my 150-600 and cover all the ranges I shoot. It has been fantastic and I often find myself just cropping instead of swapping lenses. The 150-600 is great, but this is two steps above at least.

This is a terrific lens. Light enough and small enough for hand holding. Images are crystal clear and sharp. It is a perfect lens for the mid-distance range. When you subject is semi-close but you still need a lens that can handle a wide range of composition.