Olympus launches new M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens for Micro Four Thirds

Olympus launched a redesigned M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens for Micro Four Thirds.

The “newly-designed” M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens has been announced without too much fuss by Olympus. This came as a surprise, as the company had several opportunities to reveal the new lens, including at CES 2013 and at CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging 2013, where it could have received more attention from the crowd.

Olympus M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens was redesigned for Micro Four Thirds and to provide a 35mm equivalent focal length of 150-600mm.

New specs for a new lens

Although it seems like a minor redesign, Olympus claims that this is an entirely new lens. Anyway, it is called M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm II f4.8-6.7 and is here to provide a 35mm equivalent of 150-600mm. It is said to be an “affordable super telephoto lens” which is very portable and provides “outstanding image quality”, but only when used in combination with Olympus PEN and OM cameras.

The super telephoto lens features ZERO coating, which stands for Zuiko Extra-low Reflection optical technology. It is intended to deliver better photos even in strong backlighting conditions. The lens construction consists of 18 elements in 13 groups (including a super ED lens, two ED and three HR lenses), high-speed MSC autofocus system, maximum aperture of f/4.8 for 75mm and f/6.7 300mm, and a 0.18x maximum magnification or a 0.36x magnification for a 35mm equivalent.

The minimum focusing distance is just 90cm at 75mm focal length, while the minimum aperture stands at f/22. The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II lens is only available with a mount for Micro Four Thirds. Olympus’ latest lens features a 58mm filter size and it measures 69 x 116.5mm, while weighing 423 grams / 14.9 oz.

Price and availability information

According to Olympus, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II lens will ship in mid-March for a price of $549.99. It will be available through the company’s official online store or through select retailers.

For the time being, the telephoto lens is available for pre-order for the aforementioned price and it can be paired with the Lens Hood LH-61E (70-300mm f4.0-5.6) which costs $24.99.