OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II

This telephoto zoom gives Micro Four Thirds photographers long reach in a light body. The 75–300mm range suits birds, wildlife and outdoor sport. At 300mm it offers the framing that a full-frame camera would need a much longer lens to match. Even so, it stays easy to carry all day.

The trade-off is light gathering. The maximum aperture is narrow at the long end, and there is no built-in stabilisation. Both limits point toward daylight shooting of distant subjects. OM System introduced the design in 2013, and the lens remains in production.

At 14.9 oz (423 g) and 4.59 in (116.5 mm) long, this is a light, compact telephoto zoom. The barrel measures 2.72 in (69 mm) across. You can handhold it through a long afternoon without strain. It takes 58mm screw-in filters.

This lens scores 49/100 on our optics specification measures. The zoom covers both moderate telephoto framing and extreme reach. At 75mm you can cover sports across a pitch or animals at middle distance. Zoom to 300mm and distant birds fill the frame. Shooting from a distance also compresses perspective, so animals and habitat stack into layered frames.

The aperture is the main constraint. It opens to f/4.8 at 75mm and drops to f/6.7 by 300mm. In daylight that stays workable. In shade you will need higher ISO settings to keep the shutter fast. Long focal lengths still blur backgrounds at f/6.7, so bird portraits keep pleasant separation.

Birds in flight push that demand hardest. Reach and shutter speed both draw on the same limited light, so bright days give the best chance.

Closest focusing is 3 ft (90 cm). That lets you frame approachable subjects tightly, such as butterflies or birds at a feeder. Maximum magnification reaches 0.18x, so small subjects appear reasonably large in the frame. Seven aperture blades help keep out-of-focus highlights round when stopped down.

Image stabilisation is absent from this lens. At 300mm even slight hand movement shows in the frame. You will need fast shutter speeds or steady support for sharp handheld results. A monopod earns its place during long waits at a hide. It scores 19/100 on our features measures.

The fluorine coating helps the front element shed water and oil. Fingerprints, spray and dust wipe away easily with a soft cloth. That suits seaside wildlife photography and other damp outings.

There is no weather sealing, so keep the lens dry in rain or dust. A zoom lock is absent too. Carried facing down, the barrel may creep outward on its own.

Focusing happens inside the barrel, so the lens keeps a constant length while you focus. The optical formula includes two ED elements and one Super ED element. This special glass helps reduce chromatic aberration, the coloured fringes that appear along high-contrast edges such as a bird against bright sky.