Panasonic 45-200mm Telephoto Lens

Panasonic 45-200mm on the Lumix G2

Most of us at some stage in our photography will buy a telephoto lens.  An entry-level Micro 4/3rds telephoto lens will have a focal length of approx. 40-150mm and a moderate variable aperture of f4-5.6. The Panasonic 45-200mm f4.5.6 is one such telephoto lens, but it offers an extended zoom range of 50mm over the 45-150mm kit lens (40-150mm Olympus).

The 45-200mm lens has Image Stabilisation built in (MEGA O.I.S.) that will give 2-3 f-stops of extra hand holding ability before you need to resort to a tripod or flash.  I found it strange that even if I had the Image Stabilisation switched to the off position, it would still operate.  While this had no negative impact on the images it did have a significant impact on the battery life of my camera.  On my Olympus E-P3, a fully charged battery ran out in 1 hour after about 50-80 shots.  This will vary depending on your shooting style and the camera used.  If you have an Olympus camera you'll need to switch off the in-built image stabilisation  if you're going to use the lens based stabilisation.  You cannot use both at the same time as they will work against each other and have the opposite affect.

The 45-200mm is quite small for the focal range it offers and weighs in at 380g.  The autofocus operates quickly and smoothly under good light but struggles a bit in low light at longer focal lengths.  It has a 52mm filter thread and is supplied with a lens hood.

The most obvious purpose of a telephoto lens is for zooming in when we can’t get physically closer to our subject.  However, it can be used for a lot more than simply zooming in on a horizon.  Longer focal length lenses have the ability to create background and foreground blur enabling the isolation of a subject.  Telephoto lenses also have a narrower field of view than wide angle lenses and will create a more natural perspective, therefore suitable for applications such as portraits and flowers. They are also suitable for still life photography and small objects such as jewellery, although a dedicated macro lens would be better for capturing small detail.

Owing to the relatively slow aperture of f4.5.6, the 45-200mm lens performs best in bright conditions or under controlled lighting such a flash.  In overcast conditions you will get slower shutter speeds that can cause camera jitter (hand shake) and can render your image blurred, so you’ll need to keep your eye on the shutter speeds if using aperture priority when hand holding the camera.  You'll also be forced to use higher ISOs.  At 200mm sharpness and contrast drops and images lack punch, especially when light levels are low,  but this is no different from other lenses in this class.  This can be boosted in camera or in post processing.  

This is not intended to be a technical review but just an opinion from a user perspective.

I took the lens out onto the streets to see how it performed in daylight and have also included a still life shot to demonstrate the shallow depth of field that can be achieved.

Taken at 200mm aperture f8

Taken at 51mm aperture f8

Taken at 200mm aperture f6.3

Taken at 140mm aperture f5.6 - 1/40 sec

Taken at 189mm aperture f8

Taken at 180mm aperture f7.1

Taken at 200mm f6.3

The 45-200mm performs best in good light
Taken at 200mm aperture f5.6

Taken at 78mm aperture f5.6

Taken at 91mm aperture f7.1

Taken at 200mm aperture f5.6

If you intend to get regular use out of a telephoto lens then I think the 45-200mm is a good choice to start with, considering its relatively low price tag and extra 50mm on the long end of the zoom.  If you only intend to use a telephoto lens occasionally then I think the Panasonic 45-150mm or Olympus 40-150mm would be a better choice due to being smaller and lighter. The Olympus version can be bought for as little as £129.00 new.

Whichever telephoto lens you choose there will be plenty of creative potential on offer to expand your photographic ambitions.  So go shoot and enjoy!

Thanks to my friend Johnson for letting me borrow the 45-200mm lens for this mini review.