The original Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 qualified as a standout, ahead-of-its-time lens when it debuted back in 2014 due to its relatively light carry weight (1.9 pounds), small size (6.3 by 3.1 inches HD), blistering fast autofocus, and excellent optical performance. It’s held up well over the years, and while it’s been undercut in price by the also-excellent OM 40-150mm F4.0 Pro ($1,099.99) and isn’t quite the optical marvel as the expensive OM 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro, it’s still a goldilocks lens for enthusiasts using Micro Four Thirds camera gear. The 40-150mm F2.8 isn’t too big or expensive, has a desirable F2.8 aperture, and is compatible with rear teleconverters. It’s got all the hallmarks of a professional zoom, and lives up to its moniker and reputation.
(Credit: OM System)
As mentioned, apart from changing the brand logo from Olympus to OM System, this new edition of the 40-150mm F2.8 is the exact same lens inside and out. It’s well-built with a metal exterior and is fully weather-sealed, though it does not have an IP rating. I’ve used the 40-150mm F2.8 in the rain on many occasions, including at a muddy dirt bike track, without worry or incident. On the downside, the front element does not include the fluorine protection that OM puts on the 40-150mm F4.0 and 50-200mm F2.8. This means you’ll need to take care and use a wet wipe to remove watermarks and smudges from fingerprints, whereas you can clean fluorine-coated lenses with a microfiber cloth.
OM-D E-M1X, 150mm, f/2.8, 1/1,000-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The 40-150mm F2.8 Pro sits right in between the 40-150mm F4.0 Pro and 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro in pricing, even after a recent increase. The lens sold for around $1,499.99 for what felt like an eternity, but went up to $1,799.99 in October 2025. I asked OM System about the price change, and a representative said that “due to recent changes in tariff rates, we can no longer absorb the increased costs, and we regrettably have no other choice than to implement an increase to select products in our lineup.” It’s disheartening to see prices rise, but this reflects a broader trend in the camera industry. Granted, tariffs haven’t moved prices on everything so dramatically; the similar Panasonic Lumix Leica DG 35-100mm F2.8 is $1,199.99 at the time of this publication, a modest $50 increase versus what it cost when it first went on sale in 2023.
The 40-150mm F2.8 is pretty light and decently short for a telezoom, but it is still front-heavy when paired with a tripod. The lens includes a removable tripod collar and foot so you can mount it at its center of gravity. The foot is a little small and omits dovetail cuts, so it can’t mount directly into an Arca-Swiss tripod head, signs of the age of the original design. Many newer lenses, including the OM 50-200mm, put more space between the lens barrel and foot so you can carry the lens comfortably by the foot, and include dovetail cuts so you don’t have to add a quick-release plate to use with a compatible tripod.
OM-1 Mark II + MC-20, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/320-second, ISO 2500 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The bundled lens hood has an uncommon retracting design that makes it a little finicky to use in practice. The hood ratchets onto the front bayonet, like a typical lens, and includes a control ring that allows you to extend or retract it with a counterclockwise twist, after which you either pull out the hood to lock it into position for photography, or push it in for storage or to get at the 72mm filter thread. I like the concept, but found myself twisting the ring in the wrong direction on more than one occasion, and worry about how well it will hold up over time. I had one of these hoods fall apart when I used the lens along with the Olympus E-M1X, though I can’t attest to how much abuse it went through before it made its way to my hands.
(Credit: OM System)
The 40-150mm F2.8’s bright aperture makes it a good choice for use in dimmer light, and a good lens if you want to capture images with a shallow plane of focus and soft, defocused backgrounds. It also makes it a good choice to use with teleconverters, an accessory that narrows the angle of view to bring small and distant subjects into closer view. Photographers who want to take photos of skittish wildlife and birds often add one to expand the versatility of a zoom lens, and since teleconverters reduce light transmission, they work better with bright lenses than dim zooms like the OM 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II.
OM-1 Mark II + MC-20, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/250-second, ISO 640 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 works with both the 1.4x MC-14 extender (which turns it into a 56-196mm F4.0 zoom) and the 2.0x MC-20 (80-300mm F5.6), though with either, you should expect a drop in picture quality. I used the lens with the 2.0x extender for bird and wildlife photography and noticed that pictures with the extender show softer details versus using the lens without it. The teleconverter takes away some texture from the plumage of songbirds and fur of animals, whereas the pricey 50-200mm F2.8 captures details that are impeccably sharp when matched with the MC-20. If you plan on using a teleconverter, it’s worth it to stretch your budget and get the 50-200mm, assuming you can stomach its $3,699.99 price.
OM-1 Mark II + MC-20, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500-second, ISO 200 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
There is no optical stabilization in the 40-150mm F2.8, which is a feature that’s included in other OM zooms like the 50-200mm F2.8, 300mm F4 Pro, and 100-400mm II. OM cameras include in-body stabilization, however, so it’s not as much of a drawback as you might expect. I noticed some shake in the viewfinder when taking images at maximum zoom with an OM-1 II body—this happens because the camera’s stabilization only kicks in when you’re taking a photo. I also noticed a change in my intended framing, again, because the sensor moves as you take a photo, which can affect your composition. Still, the stabilization is effective in practice. I am able to get sharp 1/2-second exposures at 150mm consistently, and stretched the shutter to 1 second with a decent success rate.
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