For $144, I always carry this 80-300mm lens that's smaller than a soda can so I never miss a telephoto shot

There's a great Prime Day Camera deal on one of my favorite lenses: the OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is now just $144!

It's smaller than a soda can, as you can see in the image at the top of this page, meaning there's always room in my camera bag for me to squeeze it in. Or I can just slip it into my pocket!

The premium M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens offers tippy top image quality, but it also has a tippy top price tag and it's much bigger.

With this lens, I have an equivalent 80-300mm with me wherever I go – and it's enabled me to get some great spontaneous shots that I otherwise would have missed, because who carries an 80-300mm everywhere they go? With this one, you can!

Save $95.50

OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R: was $239.99 now $144.49 at Amazon

Offering an 80-300mm equivalent focal range in a super-small, super-light form factor with sharpness way above its price bracket, this Micro Four Thirds lens means you can always have a tele lens in your bag – or your pocket! It's not an image quality monster, but for $144 it's worth it to never miss that shot you would otherwise never have got!

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One of the best value lenses out there, I originally bought the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R on a whim because I wanted a long lens on a wildlife-friendly holiday – but it's consistently been one that I go back to and keep getting great results with!

It's not a fast lens, and it doesn't deliver pro lens levels of detail, but the sharpness is very good across the whole focal range – and again, it's shorter than a soda can and just over half the weight!

Yes, it does get longer when you zoom in, but even then it's still so lightweight that balance isn't an issue.

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I mainly use it to snap animals on walks, but I've also used it for portraiture – and honestly, it punches so far above its weight that I could conceivably shoot 75% of my photography on this one lens.

"The Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R might just be the best lens you never knew you needed," I wrote in my review.

"If you're looking for a take-everywhere telephoto zoom with an equivalent 80-300mm range – whether that's to shoot a school play from the back of a hall, a bird in a faraway tree on a hike, or even the action from the sidelines at a Sunday soccer game – this is an ideal option."

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This is one of the best Olympus / OM System lenses and one of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses on the market. And of course, it's one of the best budget telephoto lenses!