Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Asph Mega OIS review

The Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Asph Mega OIS is a modest little telephoto zoom for MFT cameras

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Asph Mega OIS
(Image: © Panasonic)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Thanks to the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds system, this lens has an effective zoom range of 90-300mm, putting it in the same ball park as traditional 70-300mm telephoto lenses for full-frame cameras. However, it’s much smaller and more lightweight than most, making it a more ideal travel companion and less of a burden for walkabout photography. The Mega OIS optical stabilization system adds to the attraction but levels of sharpness are lackluster.

Pros

  • +

    Conventional effective zoom range

  • +

    Optical image stabilizer

  • +

    Compact and lightweight

Cons

  • -

    Lacks the reach of many tele zooms

  • -

    Uninspiring sharpness

  • -

    Basic build

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Competitively priced, the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Asph Mega OIS is a small lens with a small price tag. Looking every inch like a ‘standard’ zoom (and the inches are very few), it’s incredibly compact and lightweight. Indeed, at just 62x73mm and 200g, it’s only about half the length of most competing budget telephoto lenses for crop-sensor cameras, and around a quarter of the weight of some.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.