Mirrorless Systems Extend Reach

2016.01.15

As mirrorless digital cameras aim to replace DSLRs, they must make their systems are complete as possible. While all manufacturers started with standard and wide lenses, where the advantage of mirrorless cameras is the greatest, they are now growing towards longer focal-lengths. Just last week at CES 2016, the Micro Four-Thirds system got its longest native zoom and prime lenses. Today Fuji introduced a telephoto zoom as well.

The Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F/4 Pro IS is the longest prime lens for Micro Four-Thirds. The new 300mm is equivalent to a 600mm lens on a full-frame, providing super-telephoto reach with a comparatively light body weighing around 1.2kg. It is also the first Olympus lens to feature built-in optical image-stabilization which coordinates with in-body 5-axis stabilization to provide unprecedented stabilization performance. Like other Olympus PRO lenses, the M.Zuiko 300mm is fully weatherproof.

On their side, Panasonic launched the longest native mirrorless zoom. The new Panasonic Leica DG 100-400mm F/4-6.3 ASPH Power OIS equates to a 200-800mm zoom on a full-frame camera. While relatively dim at the long end, such reach only exists with much larger lenses, while this one weighs in less than 1kg. It offers optical image stabilization in a weatherproof body.

Fuji just unveiled their Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6R OIS WR today, another weatherproof super-telephoto zoom with built-in image stabilization. While this timing is highly coincidental, the story for Fuji is different. First, no Fuji mirrorless offers image-stabilization, making it essential in the XF100-400mm lens. Second, Fuji mirrorless cameras use an APS-C sensor with 1.5X crop. So, while it has the exact same focal-range as the Panasonic, it equates to a 150-600mm on Fuji cameras instead. It is also necessarily heavier at almost 1.4kg.

• CES
• Lens