PANASONIC LUMIX G LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR PROFESSIONAL LENS, 100-400MM, F4.0-6.3 ASPH, MIRRORLESS MICRO FOUR THIRDS, POWER OPTICAL I.S, H-RS100400 (Renewed)

As a semi-professional (I need a day job to keep the lights on) I am not particularly brand-loyal. Most of my gear is Canon but I've used Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Tamron and more over the past 40+ years. I view a camera-lens combo as a tool to achieve a purpose. In this case, I am replacing my excellent, but heavy, Canon wildlife/birding setup for a lighter MFT setup featuring the Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm. I've been doing some test shots to make sure that I am not giving up any image quality. What follows is a quick explanation of my testing methodology and some issues I found. Scroll down for the conclusion if you're not interested.Systems in the comparison:1) Canon 7D Mk II+EX 1.4X extender+EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II2) Olympus OMD EM1 MKII+Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3Calculated field of view at maximum zoom:1) Canon - 1.6 crop*1.4 ext*400mm = 896mm field of view2) Olympus/Panny - 2.0 crop+400mm = 800mm field of viewTest shots:These photos of a particularly cooperative mourning dove are at maximum zoom for each system. The bird is ~70 ft from the camera (if my trig is correct). Spot focus on the eye. Shutter priority at 1/800 with auto ISO/aperture for both. Handheld from sitting position with elbows on my knees. Best of 6 shots from each system.The first pair are uncropped 3:2 ratio RAW shots converted to .jpg in LR CC (MFT native ratio is 4:3 but I set the Oly at 3:2 to match the Canon). Exposure adjusted slightly to match (Canon was darker). Adobe lens correction applied for the Canon setup (Olympus corrects in-camera even for RAW). No sharpening or other enhancements applied. The second set is 100% crops of the same. Despite the theoretical advantage of 96mm from the Canon setup, the actual uncropped field of view is surprisingly similar. The Panasonic/Olympus displays more magnification than I would have thought compared to the Canon combo. This may be due to adjusting the Olympus frame ratio to 3:2 providing a slight zoom effect but I wouldn't have thought it to be very significant.Performance:Both systems focus very quickly and accurately. I am able to track birds in flight equally well with both systems. The Panasonic tends to hunt a little more than the Canon when the subject slips out of the focus area but not enough to cause significantly more missed shots. This is more that Canon's autofocus is superior to Olympus' than an issue with the lens. Focus accuracy is about the same. On the long end, where it counts, the Pansonic has a 1-stop aperature advantage over the Canon-plus-extender (f/6.3 vs f/8.0). Both systems produce sharp images but I give a slight win to the Oly/Panny as seen in the 100% crops provided. The big difference, of course, is size & weight. This becomes an even bigger deal after a long day of hiking/shooting. I can see getting more keepers at the end of the day with the lighter system.Size &Weight:1) Canon 100-400mm: 3.56 lb with tripod collar. Dimensions: 3.70 x 7.60"2) Panny 100-400mm: 2.26 lb with tripod collar. Dimensions: 3.27 x 6.75"Zoom Ring:There has been a lot written on the stiff zoom ring of early run Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm and I have to say I was worried. I purchased a "Certified Refurbished" version hoping that this would be addressed. Apparently it was. My unit zooms very smoothly. Not as good as the Canon or Olympus lenses, but very smooth nonetheless. It is not a factor for birds in flight or any other action shooting.Tight Fit/Metal Flakes on Olympus Bodies:Another reported issue has been poor fitment on Olympus bodies. I had this experience with my copy. The Panny was VERY tight on the OMD EM1 MKII upon first mount. I had read that some folks have seen metal flakes inside their Olympus bodies using this lens. I experienced this also as I carefully removed it the first time (inverted the camera in anticipation). The issue seems to be due to poor tolerances in the Panasonic manufacturing process combined with a softer metal on the lens mount compared to the Olympus body. I was able to try the lens on a Panasonic GX85 and it fit fine.The problem seems to be a combination of three things: 1) the tension springs are stiffer on the Olympus body vs the Panasonic body, 2) the weather seal on the Panny is taller than on Olympus lenses and finally, 3) there appears to be ~1000th-inch thicker lip on the Panny mount that accentuates the other two issues. I worked the lens onto my Olympus several times, blowing out the flakes each time. After about 5 or 6 mounts, there were no more flakes. It helps to push the lens and body together while mounting/dismounting. Although concerning at first, I'm good with it now and will be keeping my copy.Conclusion:The Olympus/Panasonic-Leica system is equal to or better than the Canon system in every way. Stabilization is vastly superior on the Panny. Sharpness is, to my eye, also slightly better. I also prefer the color rendition of the Oly/Panny combo to the Canon. Weight is the real reason I am switching. While the lenses themselves differ by a substantial 1.25 lbs (37%) the entire camera/lens system is what really matters and this is a huge win for any MFT system. The 7D MK II is a particularly heavy camera so that system is 6.12 lbs vs 3.52 lbs for the MFT system. I get a 40% weight savings with equal or better performance. This is a no-brainer. I hope you found this review helpful.

owner's manual was not includedcosmetically like new packaging, complete lens and accessories as listed on downloaded owner's manual <ftp.panasonic.com › lenses › hr-rs100400_mul_om>, identical serial numbers on the box and lens zoom ring action was smooth but moderately stiff, this is a known issue on some examplesno issues with the three switches, manual focus, zoom lock or auto focus actionsharp images90 day warranty provided by fourth partyno issues with seller (6th Ave Electronics) on this transaction, but to reduce heart burn, you should read online reports about their business practices before buying from them

I use this with a Panasonic G9. It makes an awesome pair! The lens is a bit heavy, but not so much so that I cannot carry it for hours (and I have arthritis and am in my late 60's). The images I have taken have so far been beautiful, even at full 400 mm. I recently took pics thru a rather dirty window at a nature center overlooking a group of feeders. The images were still drop dead gorgeous. This lens is nothing short of amazing!

It brings a whole new dimension to my photography. Holy crud this lens gets close! Game-changing dual-IS with the GH5 - no tripod is needed for almost all daylight shots. Had to up my tripod game for low light an d stars...

Having a great time with birding and nature photography with this lens and my Lumix G9.