Fast, sharp, build, weather sealing and great bokeh.

Weight

I would put this lens in the same category as the 14-54mm in performance and build. It is weather sealed an fairly heavy. Built like a tank. It is sharp across all focal lengths. Not as sharp as my 12-60mm but in the same range as the 14-54mm.
It takes some getting use to and sharper images requires a little more technique. The tripod mount makes for a nice handle. I had it on a tripod a couple of times and if want to use a tripod you will need a good steady one. Mine would wobble even in a slight wind.
The lens is very fast and focuses quickly in good light. It also focuses much faster on the E5 compared to the E3.
As good as it is unless you are planning on shooting in low light or fast action I would swing for the 70-300mm instead. The 70-300mm is lighter and has the extra length.

Customer Service

Na

Similar Products Used:

14-54mm, 70-300mm, 40-150mm

fast focus - accurate color reproduction

it can get a bit heavy after shooting for awhile

this is an excellent lens. i use it on an olympus e-510 and am very happy with the results. i got my e-510 with the 2 kit lenses and was satisfied with the results these lenses provided me. i'm a relative new comer to photography and was having issues about spending as much money on a lense as i did for the original camera and 2 lenses. an acquaintance from a camera class i joined showed me how much of a difference a good piece of "glass" can make in a picture and i was hooked. my wife bought it for me as a christmas gift and i have been amazed at the difference there is. to prove it to myself i took 2 identical pics with the same ISO, shutter speed and aperature settings. the only thing i did was change the lense. it made a world of difference. colors were more vivid and bright and the actual clarity of the whole exposurre was very noticeable. it also seemed to focus a bit fatser than the kit lense. i am now waiting patiently till i can afford the other high grade glass lense from olympus so i won't be needing either of the kit lenses any more.

Similar Products Used:

zuiko 70-300

excellent focus speed, accuracy, and noise
very good overall IQ
very consistent performance
dust/splash proof

200mm quality could be a bit better
lens flare could be an issue; albeit rarely

In short, solid and consistent performance at an okay price.

For what it is, the weight and size are manageable and generally better when compared to the competition. Mine came in its own carrying case, which I never use. Lens doesn't rotate while focusing and it takes 67mm filters, which is reasonable. The lens hood has a slide too, making the use of a polarizer convenient. Also comes with a removable lens collar. Oh, and as a high grade lens, it's dust/splash proof.

Speaking of focusing, the SWD makes it very quiet and snappy. As a telephoto, it will take a moment longer than, say, the 12-60mm but even racked out all the way, I was very happy with it's ability to quickly and accurately find focus (watch that shallow DoF though). The weight and bulk of the lens makes it difficult for macro attempts, and the arm's length 1.2m minimum focus distance doesn't help. But slap on an ec-14 or 20, and you can get some surprisingly nice results.

Performance-wise, it's right in between outstanding and very good overall. IQ is excellent with a tiny drop off towards the edge. The focal length extremes suffer a bit, especially at 200mm - which is unfortunate considering what it is. But unless you're going to be at 200mm ALL the time, it's not a dealbreaker. The performance across the aperture range is also very good, but more importantly, consistent. In my experience, the difference between 2.8 and the sweet spot of 5.6 is nearly unnoticeable at the same focal length.

You can find chromatic aberration if you look for it...but you have to look for it. Distortion is totally negligible, as expected. There is usually negligible vignetting at longer focal lengths, but I've only seen it when heavily push/pulling contrast in post-processing. I've experienced some flare, especially without the hood, but good technique will generally avoid the issue.

As far as more subjective experiences, it feels well-balanced, I love the snap-to-focus response, and all this makes it a fun telephoto to use. Don't expect excellent results right away though, especially if you don't have good telephoto experience. The faster aperture might make motion blur less of an issue, but the reduced DoF wide open and camera shake from the weight makes technique that much more important. Also, if weight and space are an issue though, think twice before bringing this lens along (I never use this lens when hiking, ever).

It's a tad on the expensive side, at least for me since I'm not a frequent telephoto user. It does complement my 12-60 nicely though. Still, it's not as great of a deal as the 70-300 and I don't use it nearly as much as my 12-60, so the value suffers a bit.

The zoom focal length covers most of angle of view in a medium to long distance.

Well-built for splash-proof and superb photographic quality.

The lens-hood is a little bite longer than usual.

The aperture of f/2.8 is not constant throughout the longest focal length.

The ZD50-200SWD f/2.8-3.5 is a superb zoom lens that covers most of the photographic situations, such as portrait, sports, birds and landscape shoots from a medium to long distance of the subject.

It produces excellent photographic quality in optics, smooth, quite and fast in auto focus by means of Sonic-Wave-Drive (SWD) motor.

It would be a " MUST BUY " tele-zoom lens for 4/3 users and being worth valued in the arsenal of photographic equipment.

Customer Service

No need

Similar Products Used:

Sigma Macro 150mm f/2.8 Lens
ZD40-150mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens

Lightweight for it's range and speed
Accurate focus
Weather- and dust-proof
Well balanced
Compact design

Focus is a bit slow, even with E-510. Hopefully the upcoming SWD and E-3 delivers the goods.

This is a great lens! 100-400mm range in 135 equivalent in a 920g package is GREAT! I have done many shots ranging from birds to fighter jets to portraits and landscapes. And, all the shots are stunning. Very high contrast and superbly sharp. Focus is relatively slow, but still much faster than 40-150mk1 lens. But, what do you expect from a 4x long telephoto zoom.

At 2.8 until 100mm, this is a steal for a long telephoto lens. Portraiture work is good, with 1.2m working distance. While not as versatile as 14-54/2.8-3.5 for close portrait work, this lens produces a more pleasing bokeh.
With the lens thread at 67mm, I can share filters with 14-54, especially for C-PL and ND.

Zoom action is quick and smooth, with the lens extending near 2x it's size. One good thing is that the from element doesn't rotate like the 40-150mk1. This is a welcome for C-PL users like myself.

Focusing is not snappy, but is super accurate. With such shallow DoF, this is very critical, and this lens really delivers. Top marks in my book!!

Weight? It's light as I am able to shoot birds flying handheld continuously for 1 hour active shooting. Wow!!!

Customer Service

None.

Similar Products Used:

40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 mk1

Very sharp with lots of contrast
little if any distortion
little chromatic aberrations (less than 1 pixel)
compact 67mm filter size
all weather
well built

none.

Outstanding. I've use a few lenses in this zoom range. The Carl Zeiss-80-200 f/4 and Canon 70-200 f/4 "L". This lens is just as good or better. All weather construction and a compact size given the fast f/2.8-3/5 aperature. The 14-54 & 50-200 make the ultimate two lens kit. The price is good given the faster than f/4 speed. Unlike the Canon, this lens does come with a tripod collar.

Customer Service

Olympus has excellent customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Carl Zeiss 80-200 f/4
Canon "L" 70-200 f/4

* Very sharp lens for all range and aperture
* Weathersealed !
* Quite comfort for handheld operation
* Lightweight
* Terrific 3D rendition results !

* No Image Stabilizer (maybe Olympus will follow KM or the latest Pentax K-100?)

Complement to ZD 14-54mm for covering 28-400 mm range in 35 mm system.
This ZD 50-200 mm will have the same FOV with 100-400 mm

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

ZD 14-54 mm f/2.8-3.5
ZD 8 mm f/3.5

Sharpness, size, and weight. Firmware in the lens is upgradable. Usable with Olympus 1.4 x tele extender giving 560mm very usable, and handholdable lens.

No stabilization!

I have used this lens for wildlife in Africa. It has exceeded my expectations. The lens is quite small, and light considering the focal length range. The weather sealing, and the sensor cleaning were a real advantage in rainy, and windy wearther. The size was a real plus during a visit to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The climb up to the gorillas was 2.5 hours often on steep, and slippery trails. The size, and weight were really appreciated. The results were beyond my expectations considering the low light, and poor contrast conditions.

Customer Service

No experience.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 100-400 mm I.S.

Very good build quality. Very sharp, realitively fast (f 2.8), fast focusing.

Big, expensive.

Bought to use with my E-300. Have used it along the ocean this winter during storms. Incredible sharp images.

Customer Service

excellant

Similar Products Used:

N/A