The M.Zuiko 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO

It's Nothing if not Versatile!

Disclosure: I am an OM SYSTEM Ambassador and as such, receive compensation from OM Digital Solutions. However, no compensation was paid for this review. I endorse their products because I truly believe in the quality of their gear

As a nature photographer, when it comes to focal lengths, I tend to work at the extremes. For most of my landscape images I like a good wide-angle lens like the M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4 PRO. For my wildlife images my favourite lens is the 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO. I don't shoot nearly as much with the mid-range focal lengths. When OM SYSTEM sent me the new 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO I wasn't sure how useful it would be for me... but I certainly wasn't going to say no to the offer. 

Features
A casual glance at the new 50-200mm F2.8 and you would be forgiven for thinking you were looking at the 150-400 - the original "white lens" in the OM SYSTEM family. While it shares a very similar design and quality of construction, the older sibling is, of course, significantly larger and heavier. Here is a brief run-down of some key stats and features of the M.Zuiko 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO;

• ​Construction - 21 elements in 13 groups
• Fluorine Protective Coating
• Focal Distance Equivalent - 100-400mm and up to 800mm with the MC-20 teleconverter
• Mass - 1076g without tripod collar, lens hood and caps; 1250g with those items
• Length - 225.8 mm
• Filter Diameter - 77mm
• Closest Focusing Distance - 0.78m
• IP53 Splash proof/Dust proof Rating
• 5-axis SYNC IS, up to 7 steps EV

The zoom and focusing rings are rubberized for better control. As well, there are several switches that control various aspects of the lens;

• The Focus Limiter can restrict focusing from 0.78m to 3m or from 3m to infinity. Moving the switch to the centre position provides the full focusing range.
• A Focus mode switch to easily switch between auto and manual focusing;
• An IS switch to turn image stabilization on or off;
• L-Fn / Preset Switch to enable either programmable lens functions using the four buttons surrounding the barrel or to engage preset focus positions. 

The lens hood that comes with the 50-200 also has a filter control window - a port that allows easier access and control of any filters. I found this to be particularly convenient when adjusting my circular polarizer. 

My first real test of the M.Zuiko 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO was photographing the hummingbirds in my garden. It performed incredibly well, even with the MC-14 or MC-20 teleconverters attached (ISO1250, 1/1600s, f/4, MC-14 239mm)

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Shooting with the 50-200
Picking up the new 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO was like greeting an old friend. I have been shooting with its bigger sibling for quite some time and, although the new 'white' lens is considerably smaller and lighter, there was a comfortable familiarity to it. I started my testing of this lens by heading into my garden, hoping to photograph some of the hummingbirds in their search for nectar. I engaged one of my custom modes that was programmed with bird subject detection and Pro Capture. I wanted to test how well the new lens could focus on and track these little avian dive bombers when paired with the OM-1 Mark II. Although some patience was required, once the hummingbirds arrived the lens performed perfectly, with excellent tracking and sharp and accurate focusing. 
At an equivalent focal length of 400mm I wanted to get a bit closer to my subjects so I decided to test the MC-14 (1.4x) and MC-20 (2x) teleconverters. In the past I have had mixed success with teleconverters so I was a bit wary, especially with the MC-20. I was shocked with how well the lens performed. It showed no reduction in focusing speed and accuracy. I know this sounds like hyperbole, but I had very low expectations of how well the lens would perform when paired with the MC-20. I was truly impressed, even though the lens was now operating at f/5.6 instead of f/2.8. 
I am quite content to photograph wildlife using a shorter focal length and show them in the context of their environment. Some of my favourite wildlife images were captured using smaller lenses. But knowing that I can add a teleconverter to the 50-200 without any significant loss of performance opens the door to more wildlife shooting opportunities in a smaller package.

(ISO3200, 1/1600s, f/4, MC-14 239mm)

(ISO1600, 1/125s, f/5.6, MC-20 196mm)

(ISO400, 1/500s, f/5.6, MC-20 400mm)

It's a Small World...
One of the things that has always impressed me with the OM SYSTEM lenses is their close focusing ability. This allows for macro-style shooting without an actual macro lens. It also allows the photographer to keep a bit of distance from more skittish critters like butterflies and other insects. 
The 50-200mm has a minimum focusing distance of 0.78m at a magnification of 0.5x. Add the MC-20 and you have true 1:1 capabilities. The lens also works with the built-in focus stacking feature on OM SYSTEM cameras. I don't usually go out to expressly shoot macro images so it is nice to have the ability to shoot smaller subjects when the opportunity presents itself.
On a hike in a local forest I found some photogenic fungi. Normally, with my M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 or 90mm F3.5 macro lenses I would get in quite close to my subject, sometimes just a few centimeters away. That's not possible with the 50-200. It did take some time to get used to positioning myself a bit farther from my subject but at 200mm I was able to nicely pull in even the smallest mushrooms. The focus limiter also ensured faster focusing at close distances. 

(ISO250, 1/100s, f/2.8, 200mm, Focus Stacked)

(ISO640, 1/125s, f/2.8, 100mm, Focus Stacked)

(ISO400, 1/2000s, f/4, 200mm)

(ISO400, 1/800s, f/5.6, MC-20 400mm)

It's a Big World...
I love photographing wildlife, both large and small, but my first love is landscape photography. For me to carry this lens around on a hike or while paddling my canoe it would have to give me something I can't get with my M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4 PRO or the 12-100mm. And it does! 
Like most landscape photographers I enjoy capturing "the grand landscape". The aforementioned lenses do a great job at that. Over the past few years however, I find myself looking more closely at the details in a scene and trying to capture those with a longer lens. The 50-200mm has turned out to be perfect for that. 
I love the power I have as a photographer. I get to decide what the viewer of my photographs sees, or more importantly what they don't see. A telephoto lens allows you to more easily isolate your subject and remove elements that may pull focus. This lens covers an excellent focal length range to pull in distant details and eliminate distractions. It is also small and light enough for longer hikes. 
To make the lens even lighter the tripod collar is removable, something that you are not able to do on its big brother. Although there are times when a tripod may be necessary or convenient, the image stabilization is so good that even in low light you can achieve rock-steady results. On numerous hikes I removed the collar to save a few ounces.
One feature that I didn't know I needed was the filter control window. This port allows quick and easy access to turn your circular polarizer with the filter still attached. I used it quite often in my landscape images to reduce glare and improve colour saturation.

Given my proximity to this lake I could not get the entire scene into the frame so I captured a 4-shot panorama. (ISO200, 1/320s, f/5, 50mm)

(ISO200, 1/8000s, f/2.8, 127 mm)

(ISO400, 1/8000s, f/5.6, 200mm)

Final Thoughts and Images
​Quite simply, the 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO is the most versatile, highest performing lens that OM SYSTEM has built. I know how that sounds. "This guy is exaggerating!" I'm not. It's not perfect for every situation. No lens is. But given its focal range, exceptional build quality, fast and accurate focusing, weather sealing, image stabilization, and close focusing range it outranks any other lens I've used. 
So, what am I carrying in my bag right now? I have the OM-3 and the 8-25mm for the 'big picture' landscapes, and the OM-1 Mark II and 50-200mm for almost everything else. Toss in the MC-14 or MC-20 and I've got a compact kit that can handle almost any opportunity that presents itself. 

(ISO200, 1/8000s, f/3.2, 164mm)

(ISO200, 1/1000s, f/6.3, 200mm)

(ISO640, 1/25s, f/4, 50mm, Focus Stacked)

(ISO1250, 1/6400s, f/2.8, 121mm)

(ISO500, 1/500s, f/2.8, 200mm)

(ISO400, 1/1000s, f/3.5, 200mm)

(ISO1000, 1/500s, f/5.6, MC-20 400mm)

(ISO800, 1/1600s, f/4, MC-14 239mm)

(ISO1250, 1/1250s, f/2.8, 186mm)

(ISO500, 1/400s, f/3.5, 171mm)