Zuiko 4/3rd 70-300mm lens

[kecy57]

<p>My 2yr old Zuiko 70-300mm lens on Olympus e510 has never performed well for me... i put this down to my inexperience... but having improved a heap i realise the lens refuses to focus properly.... what am i doing wrong. please help.<br>

cyndy</p>

[lihong]

<p>This lens only performs well when the lighting conditions are really good, like under bright sun light.</p>

[kecy57]

<p>have tried bright days, o/cast days, short distance, long distance, different filters, aperture changes, shutter changes, change of mode etc etc.. nothing seems to help.... really am thinking the lens is faulty but how does one check for sure. thanks for info cyndy</p>

[ilkka]

<p>It is a very good lens for its price. To say that it only performs well in good light is nonsense. It is of course a bit slow making it less useful as an action lens. That is why I bought the 2/150 when I need speed. If it does not focus correctly then something is wrong, either with lens or camera. Live view with magnification makes it easy to confirm how well a lens focuses and performs because it eliminates focusing errors completely.</p>

[kecy57]

<p>thanks Ilkka...... have just tried live view with magnification and it is simply awful, so really it looks like the repair shop next week........ YUK..... thanks cyndy</p>

[Greg M]

<p>Mine splits time almost equally with the 50-200 f2.8-3.5 SWD.</p>

<p>Last week I took my E30 and the 70-300 to one of the last Dallas Stars games before the Olympics break..</p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#782991373_CexTr"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/NHL-Images-2009-2010-Season/P2061860/782991373_CexTr-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#782984497_i4kwD"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/NHL-Images-2009-2010-Season/P2061797/782984497_i4kwD-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#782996517_YPbzA"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/NHL-Images-2009-2010-Season/P2061905/782996517_YPbzA-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p>But it also gets used for many other subjects..</p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#782582277_NPipM"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Other/Olympus-E30/P2061648/782582277_NPipM-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#782587619_sfbzH"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Other/Olympus-E30/P2061584/782587619_sfbzH-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#282404601_h2u7r"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Other/Dallas-Guitar-Show-April-20/P4209521/282404601_h2u7r-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#309073968_qTVUK"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Other/Olympus-E510-Images/P6070294/309073968_qTVUK-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#304382555_Nxnxp"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Other/Olympus-E510-Images/P5309894/304382555_Nxnxp-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#344050166_Mqtd3"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/Texas-Rangers-vs-Toronto-Blue/P8021506/344050166_Mqtd3-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#305173225_HJ5bC"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/Oakland-As-at-Texas-Rangers/Ponson-Pitch-Motion/305173225_HJ5bC-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

<p><a href="../olympus-camera-forum/#305012889_aEP3X"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://gmchappell.smugmug.com/Sports/Oakland-As-at-Texas-Rangers/P5310069/305012889_aEP3X-XL.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

[dennis_gardner]

<p>Cyndy,<br>

Connect the camera and lens to Olympus Master. If it allows you to update the lens, see if that fixes the focus problem.</p>

<p>Dennis</p>

[william_white8]

<p>the lens is perfectly sharp.<br>

it is also very difficult to hold steady, especially at the 300mm end.</p>

<p>try it on a tripod. set the camera to anti-shake (5 seconds).</p>

<p>if your shots are still blurry, then it looks like it might have a problem</p>

[kecy57]

<p>Hi Dennis, thanks but have done the camera/lens Master update..... no changes in focusing..</p>

<p>Hi William... have also tried the tripod, as you say, it is a heavy lens. haven't tried the anti-shake so will have a go at that... will also use a cable release on it.... thanks.</p>

<p>Hi Greg... thanks for some great shots there.... makes me hopeful of fixing the problem as i'm sure it will be worth any effort..... love the insect?? not sure what it is as i'm in australia.... some similar insects here but not that one.... <br>

Thanks to all you guys........ keep shooting hey....</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>Sorry, Syndy,I have had zero problems with this lens, so I can' help much. Only a good test on a sturdy tripod, with opportunity to stop the legs from any shake, and with a time delay even will give you a of a worthy test. Remember that at 300 mm you are actuall shooting at 600 mm so the angle of view is quite large vs the film frame,thus shake is amplified a lot more than we realize. I would try bracing it and shoot at logged focal lengths. If you read the lens story by Dr Wrotniak, (By now you must know of his web site and if not you are missing a sure bagful of good dope) he describes a kind of love hate relationship with that budget lens. Mostly likes it.. I have shot some birdies by leaning against a wall,no IS employed. Acceptable. Crisp enough. Used the lens hood natch..even with tele lenses... No anti I usually forget anti shake,not sure why. I hope your lens is an ok sample...we can't overlook that possibility alas. It is one of Olympus's best 'deals IMO.' And I expect there are some bum assembled ones in existence. let us hope Syndy did not get stuck with one of the sickies...I doubt it.</p><div></div>

[rdm]

<p>Wow Greg,you have to tell me how you made that shot of the Pitcher pitching :)</p>

[Greg M]

<p>I shot it with an E510 using the burst mode, then combined four images in Photoshop using Layers, painting away all but the pitcher and third baseman in the top three layers using Layer masks and lowering the opacity to give a ghosting look in three of the four layers. Once you've done 2-3 of these, you're glad your camera could not do 6 or more frames per second!</p>

[rdm]

<p>Very nice. I have to use Photoshop more.... Im Mostly a Film and Darkroom guy. But my friend lets me borrow his e-500 and i use it allot when we go out shooting together .. and i use a Nikon D40x when i am shooting local fashon shows, but still use the film in studio and for walking around.</p>