Testing a new lens and new camera firmware

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I pre-ordered the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens in mid November 2020. Then Olympus sold their camera division and when this lens was supposed to become available, the number of pre-orders exceeded the availability and they delayed shipping. I received mine in late February but there has been so much snow and so few birds in my local birding spots that I had not really tested the lens in my usual shooting conditions until yesterday. It was a sunny day and there were enough birds at Barr Lake State Park to give the lens a chance to demonstrate its capabilities.

Click on the images to see a slightly larger view.

American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 473 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320, handheld

The 150-400mm focal length with a constant f/4.5 aperture on the Micro Four Thirds camera is equivalent to 300-800mm in 35mm terms. The lens has a built-in 1.25x teleconverter (approximaely 188-500mm f/5.6 which is approximately 376 - 1000 mm in 35mm terms). The lens is compatible with the Olympus 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters. The weight of the lens is 4.13 pounds. The image stabilization in the camera and the stabilization in the lens are additive. The image above was shot handheld at the 35mm equivalent of 945mm focal length.

American White Pelicans - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 375 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld

The latest firmware update for the E-M1X camera included “Bird Detection Autofocus.” This is an Artificial Intelligence trained subject recognition that will focus on the eyes of birds, or their bodies if the eyes are not visible. I was using this autofocus mode for the first time.

Mallards - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 406 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld, large crop

Based on a single outing sample, I am pleased with the new lens and impressed with the subject recognition software. Both performed well despite operator errors. The weight of the lens was different from that of the lens I have been using. My “motor memory” needs to adjust to the weight of the new lens. I did not do a good job of rapidly acquiring the target. And I was tracking the bird(s), not letting the camera track the birds. In the “bird tracking” mode, all or many autofocus points are active and the camera firmware selects the proper autofocus point. My attemps to track the subject disrupted the ability of the camera to do so.

American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 395 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld, large crop

Note the relative sizes of the Pelicans and the Mallards.

American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 375 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld

Impressive wingspan!

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.