Hi Ron, Nice to hear from you again and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and observations in such a detailed manner. This is what this channel is all about, I field test different things, report on my observations and share them with the group to get a discussion going so that we can collectively learn from each other. You bring some very valuable points, but I must admit that because I absolutely try my best to disturb the wildlife as little as possible I am somewhat of a "longest possible focal length" fan hence my interestin the 100-400mm. This having been said I have kept both lens and use them in different ways. The 100-400mm is my go-to lens for day hikes and traveling when weight and space aren't restricted but when going on multi-day backpacking excursions in the backcountry the 100-300mm is my go-to lens because of the quality, light weight and how small it is. Cheers,

Hi Gaylon, Thank you very for your positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. Cheers,

Hi Erik, Thank you very much for the positive feedback it's always very pleasant to hear that viewers find the comparison videos useful. Best of luck in your lens choice. Cheers

Hi, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the topics. My goals has always been to strike a balance between too little and too much information while maintaining the quality of the content. Cheers

Hi Robert, Thank you very much for the positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in the videos I make. The G9 has on sale at various prices for quite some time now. Does this signal that Panasonic could be coming up with a new MFT model in 2020? I do not know. Olympus is, according to many, poised to come out with a newer version of the E-M1 (the mk III) around mid February... So if you're not in a rush, maybe you'll want to wait a little and see what comes up and what impact all of this, if any, will have on the prices. Cheers

Hi Bruce, Thanks for the positive feedback it's always very much appreciated. I try to make the videos that I would like to see. I test, observe and report trying to understand or verify for myself certain precise points without losing track of the bigger picture. My end goal is always to try get a discussion started on nature photography related topics so that we can all learn from each other. I'm glad to hear that my videos were of some help and hope that you have lots of fun with your new lens. Cheers

Hi Ray, Thanks for the positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. Thank you also for taking the time to share your observations. The 100-400mm lens is a wonderful lens and when paired with the G9 it offers a great light weight system. I hope of have a great time with your new gear and get some amazing shots. Cheers

Hi Smiff, Thank you for the very positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in the videos I make. I'm working on several photo and KZfaq projects at the same time while keeping a regular day job and taking care of my family... so unfortunately the KZfaq videos don't roll out as fast as I'd like, but there's more coming. Cheers

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences with the community, it's very much appreciated. We all come from different backgrounds and have different needs, so the more people share their thoughts on a subject the more we can collectively learn and grow. Getting photography enthusiasts to share stories and information in a helping way is the main motivation behind the Field Notes series. Again thanks for taking part in this effort. Cheers

Hi, Glad to hear you found this video useful. Thank you very much for your kind words. Cheers,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree there's value in both lens I can see applications for both of them. I would very much like to try the 50-200 with TC as I've heard good things about it. Thank you also for the feedback, it's appreciated. I'm always trying to bring added value and I know I can sometimes go too much in details so it's nice to have feedback. Cheers

Hi Ulrich, Thank you for taking the time to comments and answer the question, it's very much appreciated. The 100-300mm lens proves the old saying that good things come in small packages. It's often said that the best camera is the one you have with you, that's true and all fine but if your interest is wildlife or certain sports then a smartphone most likely won't work and that's where a system like a MFT and a 100-300mm lens makes so much sens. Before I use to ask myself do I really want to carry my full frame camera and big 200-500mm lens just in case I see some interesting wildlife and often the answer would be not really. Now with the 100-300mm I hardly ever ask myself that question and I get more occasions to have fun with my camera. Cheers!

Hi Gert, Thank you for kind words, it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. I find that bird photography can be both very challenging and rewarding. Birds are everywhere, in the city, in the suburbs, in mountains, in the plains, by the ocean... seasons bring migrations and changes in the plumage... Birds in flight are a unique challenge... so lots of fun can be had taking photos of birds. Best of luck with your photography. Cheers!

Hi Don, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. I'm glad you share my views on not crowding wildlife, because a great photo is nice, but in the end it's not just about the photo but about the time spent in nature and preserving it for our children and grandchildren. I hope you make some beautiful photos with your next purchase and more importantly that you have lots of fun in the great outdoors. Cheers

Hi Don, I hope you are very well... I'm interested to buy a 100-400mm, and you mentioned ''The Panasonic Leica100-400mm mk II will be my next purchase'' I can not find any information regarding the 100-400mm Mark II in google.... You are sure there are Mark II available? Or you made a mistake and you want write 100-300 Mark II? Kind regards. Bart

Hi Andrea, Thank you for taking the time to share yours thoughts and for your kinds words of encouragement, it's very much appreciated! Cheers

Hi Janet, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for your kind words, it's very much appreciated. The 100-400mm is an expensive lens and I agree it's always a good idea, whenever possible, to try a lens before buying it. I've heard of photographers having issues with this lens (mostly complaining about a stiff zoom ring) but I can't really comment on the durability of the lens as I've only had mine for a relatively short period. I totally agree with you, micro four third systems are amazing. For me one of the best thing is they're lighter and smaller, so I find myself taking my camera out more often and taking more photos, which is always a good thing. Cheers

Thank you for all the positive feedback, it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. Cheers

Hi William, I agree with you the extra reach of the 100-400mm is very useful for birds, but sometimes the weight restrictions require the lighter 100-300mm. It's nice to have options. I own the D750 and the Nikon 200-500mm and there's no way you can convince me to go backpacking in the backcountry for several days with that lens with my usual hiking bodies (and I'm just 55). Cheers!

Hi Alan, Thanks for positive feedback it's very much appreciated! I haven't had the chance to use the Olympus 75-300mm, just curious, how would you say it compares with the Panasonic 100-400mm for image quality? Cheers

@@PaulBawby I can't compare with the 100 400, it hasn't arrived yet. 75 300 compared to my Olympus 40 150 x 1.4 f4 the autofocus is slow. The reach was good but in fast action, nowhere near as quick.

Thank you for your kind words, this is one of the nicest things someone has written in the comments in a long while 🙏

Thank you very much for your kinds words of encouragement, it's very much appreciated. Cheers

Hi, I totally agree with you, I've found one of the best ways to get good photos of birds is to get to know them really well and one of the good ways to learn as much as possible about birds is to get as close as possible with a long zoom of course and study them with your photos! Cheers

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this comparison it's very much appreciated. I hope you have a great time with your camera gear and make many extraordinary photos! Cheers

Hi, Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this subject. I agree with you. I firmly believe that you can't go wrong with more reach for bird photography. This having been said I've kept both lens because when I go on long multi-day treks in the backcountry I appreciate the lighter lens. Cheers

Hi Nirav, Thank you for your kind words, a lot of time, effort, money and hard work goes into making such a video, so it's always nice to know that viewers find value in them. Cheers!

Hi, Thank you for your words of encouragement and positive feedback. I'm happy to hear you find value in my videos. I tried answering the comments you left in my previous video but we I click on the notification to get to the comment it doesn't open your comment. Is KZfaq playing a trick on me? Anyway if you have any question that I haven't answered please feel free to resubmit them (sorry for the inconvenience). Cheers

@@PaulBawby No Worries. After I saw your last video I looked deeper at what I was doing and "discovered" Spot Metering and that fixed the problem I was having when I added it to an increased ISO with crazy faster shutter speed using Shutter Priority (which opened the aperture giving me nice color too). No more crushed dark colors or washed out light colors at max zoom and I eliminated a lot of the blur; ie. my max zoom photos don't look like the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot anymore... LOL. And my close ups at the lower mm zoom on a tripod are coming out amazing. Even though all I have is a P530 bridge I can tell now I am reaching doing the best I can within the limits of the camera, sensor, and glass, which is my objective before upgrading. Keep leading the way! :)

Hi again, The Nikon P530? Hey for a number of years my go to camera for long backcountry expedition was a Nikon P510 bridge camera and I loved that camera. I took many very nice photos with it, photos that to this day are still very special. Don't stop exploring, trying, testing and sharing. You're on the right track, your curiosity and efforts will open a world of photographic possibilities. Cheers

Hi, I'm glad to hear you found value in the video. Thanks for the positive feedback, it's very much appreciated. Cheers,

Glad I could be of some help. I totally understand, there is no perfect camera system and no camera system that meets every photographer needs, it's all about finding what will work best in the present and for your future needs as well... best of luck in your decision process. Cheers

Again, thank you very for you positive feedback it's always appreciated! Cheers,

Are you happy?)

@@BogeeDee So far I am happy with the lens. I haven't had a chance to shoot any birds yet, but I have taken some flower shots and the lens performed very well.

Hi Trevor, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject and for the feedback on the length of the videos it's very much appreciated. Cheers

Hi Brandon, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on the subject. There will be a follow up to this video involving the G9/100-400mm combo and I'll make sure to include the settings. In the meantime you could also have a look at my previous video (episode one - three) as I've posted a fair amount of info on the settings (if there's specific info you would like more details and it's not covered in the previous video leave a comment and I'll see what I can do). Thank you for the feedback on the length of the videos it's very much appreciated. Cheers

Hi, I think you're doing the right thing by getting started with what you can get. Every photo you take will increase your knowledge/understanding of your gear, of photography and of the wildlife. I wish you lot's of fun making precious photographic memories and I hope enjoy your time in nature. Cheers

Hi Rick, Thank you for kind words and for sharing your thoughts on this subject. I try to strike the best balance between too much and too little information while keeping in mind that some viewers have a wealth of experience and knowledge while others are just starting out. Cheers

Hi, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject. The 100-300mm is a great lens and it's my go to lens for wildlife photography when doing multi-day hiking trips because it has good image quality, it's lightweight and robust (I've shot with it when there was some heavy wet snow falling and didn't notice any issues after). Cheers!

Hi, Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences and for your kind words about the video. I don't get paid either for my wildlife photography, I do it out of passion for nature and for learning. I hope you have many great photo adventure with your 100-300mm. Cheers

Paul Bawby Thank you!

Hi Aaron, Thank you for the positive feedback it's always appreciated. I'm glad to hear you found value in this video and I'll keep your suggestions in mind while working on my next videos. I have to admit that you nailed it, I work in the applied sciences but enjoy tremendously the creativity of visual arts, so I try to approach each video with scientific rigor while showcasing the beauty of nature photography. Cheers,

Hi Edwin, Sorry for not getting back to you before but I was in Yosemite national park (California) hiking in areas where cell coverage is minimal at best, when there’s any. Thank you for you kind words. A lot of work, money, resources and efforts go into making such videos and it’s always nice to know that viewers find the videos interesting and of some use. Cheers!

Hi Roland, Thank you for your thoughts on the subject. I hope you're enjoying your GH5 and 100-400mm lens! Cheers

Hi Nick, Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with the G9 "splash proof" and Panasonic warranty services. I've often wondered how far I should push this "splash proof" thing... I've just got my answer... not very far at all. Question: have you ever considered getting a rain cover of some sort for your G9? I've been toying with this idea, but now I think I should look into this more seriously. I've had a very unpleasant warranty experience with Nikon myself... the focal length ring on my Nikon 200-500mm lens got stuck between 400mm and 500mm. I had to send it in only to be told that it wasn't under warranty, because there was a minute crack on the filter ring and according to them it ment the lens had been dropped or had received a hit. Being the only user of the lens I knew full well that it had never been hit or dropped... There was no reasoning the "customer care" people at Nikon... So I feel you pain. Cheers

Hi, Thank you for your positive feedback, it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. I've heard some very good things about the EM1X, but unfortunately I haven't had the possibility to test it yet. How do you find the autofocus? Are you happy with the image quality? Cheers,

No sorry can't say I have. But I know of others who do it for shorter focal lengths and are happy with the results. The main reason for going to MFT for me was to get good reach with a much smaller and lighter kit that I could take with me on multi-day backpacking trips in the backcountry without having to hire a sherpa... 😉

Hi SDC, Thanks for your kind words, it's always nice to hear viewers find value in my videos. To be honest (based on a sample of one of each lens) the zoom on the 100-300mm is smoother and more fluid than on the 100-400 which to my taste is a little too sticky (but I'm being a little picky here). For me reach was a significant factor and if you're a pixel peeper the 100-400mm is better, but if you're concerned by weight then the 100-300mm is the way to go. I Hope this is useful. Cheers

Hi Greg, I'm glad to hear you thought the video was useful. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the 100-300mm, it's a very good lens. The main reason I got the 100-400mm lens is because I shoot a lot of photos of small birds like warblers, very small and fast moving birds that are nearly impossible to get close too, so having an extra 100mm (200mm full frame angle of view equivalence) was significant for me. I still own the 100-300mm lens and it's my go to lens when on multi-day backcountry hiking trips where I want long reach but must manage the weight. My philosophy has always been to try not to spent too much money on the gear (it's really easy to do) and to keep funds to be able to go on fun hiking trips with my camera. I hope this information is useful. Cheers

Hi Buster, Thank you for your words of encouragement, it's always appreciated to know that people find value in my videos. All systems have their advantages and disadvantages, it's all about knowing your needs, finding what works best for you and more importantly getting outdoor to enjoy nature with a great hobby. I think you have the right approach don't worry about having the latest and newest, use whatever you have and get the shots that bring happiness in your life. Cheers,

@@PaulBawby ok, thank you so much for your reply, much appreciated.

Hi, thank you for the positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. I always start my videos with the intend of keeping them short (5-10 min) but often I end up with something longer...I'm still learning... I will be checking out Dave2D. Cheers

Hi Ammadoux, My advice would be try before you buy. I've been exchanging with another viewer who said that the his Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens wasn't playing well with his Olympus EM1 mk II and this viewer saw a very significant difference when he switched to the Panasonic G9... So the Dual IS and Sync IS don't always seem to work well together... Cheers!

Hi Joostered, Thanks for this excellent question. All my lenses have a protective filter for everyday field use. I select quality filters made by excellent companies and sold by my favorite camera shop (brick and mortar, not online). The only exception I make is when taking photos or shooting video for an evaluation (then I remove the filters). I understand that filters can make somewhat of a difference, but it's not the only variable in the equation and it may not even be the biggest one. As I mentioned in the video I only had a sample of one of each lens to work with... if for some reason one of the copies I got underperforms (let's say the 100-300mm for the sake of the argument) and the other one performs as intended or performs better (than the average of that lens) then we get a more significant spread in results... This is why one should never make a final decision based on one evaluation only. This having been said I think the 100-300mm is a very good lens. If you look at my "unfair comparison" video where I "pitted" the G9 and 100-300mm against the Nikon D750 and the Nikon 200-500mm ( yes I know it's completely unfair and maybe somewhat crazy...) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rZ2pY6agyLCooYE.html you'll see that the 100-300mm is a very capable lens (in my opinion at least). I hope this all makes sens. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences, it's very much appreciated. Cheers

Hi, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the subject it's appreciated. A fair number of my viewers are not native English speakers and having the text helps them to understand... I've been experimenting with variations of this approach in my more recent videos to try and find a better balance. Lately I've been writing less text and when I do I try to select images that are loosely related to the topic at hand without being central to the points being made... It's an ongoing process and finding the right balance is not easy. Cheers

Hi, excellent question. Purple fringing happens with a lot of lens and generally it is more pronounced with the more affordable ones. It is more noticeable when zooming on a photo of a back-lit subject when the background is "white-ish" or "grayish" (for example think of a bird perched high on a branch of a dead tree with a bright cloudy sky behind). Most post production software (like Lightroom) do a good job of reducing significantly the amount of purple fringing. Yes I have noticed it on the 100-300mm. Cheers

Hi, thank you for your feedback.

To be honest, I've been using several microphones over the years, so I'm not 100% sure, but it was most likely the rode video micro.

Hi, thank you for the positive feedback. Both the Panasonic 100-300mm and the Panasonic 100-400mm have their advantages and disadvantages. One thing to note is that to get better reach you'll be sacrificing light in with both lens compared with the 35-100mm. Cheers

45-200 .. its not a bad lens .. just lacks the reach of the 300 and 400 offcourse :)

Hi Ming, I have never shot with the Panasonic 100-300mm mk I so I can't comment on the image quality, but I know the mk I has mega OIS and the mk II has power OIS which is compatible with dual IS. I hope this is useful. Cheers

Hi Leo, Getting good sharp images hand held requires practice, practice and more practice. In my opinion the 100-400mm is somewhat faster at focusing than the 100-300mm but one must keep in mind than speed and accuracy are two different things. Measuring the "in focus hit rate" of a camera lens combo is a difficult thing to do scientifically... There's always a significant user and environmental component this is hard to get out of the equation... BIF are a difficult subject to get in focus with either lens. When the the G9 was launched in December 2017 it was a very good camera and despite having a better focusing system than the original GH5, it wasn't ground breaking. Fast forward to early 2022 and advanced animal/Bird eye AF of the Sony A1, Canon R3 , R5, R6 and to some degree the Nikon Z9 have made getting good sharp photos of BIF way easier, but this technology remains the domain (at the present time) of higher end cameras. Now this is not to say that you can't get good BIF photos with the G9 and 100-300mm (or 100-400mm), as I've done it, but this is meant to help keep the expectations in perspective. The Sony A1 is one year old and cost 6500 USD and the G9 is more than 4 years old and currently at 1200 USD (I paid way more for it back then). Am I disappointed that the G9 can't keep up with the best of the cameras that are coming out at multiple times the price of the G9, no because I didn't buy the G9 expecting it to do what other cameras couldn't at the time. Things have changed, the bar has been raised... This having been said you can have a lot of fun shooting, landscapes, birds at rest, BIF, animals (Marten, coyotes, deer, moose...) and make excellent photos with the G9... Not convinced?maybe you should check out my intagram account: paulbawby you can also checkout the account of another talented G9 user: freeselloyd on intagram. Hope you're having fun with your gear! Cheers

Hi, I agree with you the 100-300mm is a great light weight and affordable lens. Even though I have the 100-400mm and appreciate the extra 100mm, I'm still keeping my 100-300mm lens for my multi days backpacking/camping expeditions in the mountains when weight and space are at a premium. I hope you have a great time with your gear and take some amazing shots. Cheers

Hi Malcom, Excellent question. I've heard great things about the 50-200mm lens but I don't have enough hands on experience with it to be able give a fair image quality comparison. I would love to have the 50-200mm but personally I think that for the kind of photography I do it's too short. I could get a 2x teleconverter, but then I would loose the lower f/stop advantage, would have to pay more (600$) and using a teleconverter very often bring a lowering of the image quality. So at this point in time it doesn't make much sense for me to be investing in the 50-200mm. So I would say that it's depends on what you're shooting, how much light and/or reach you need. I hope this is somewhat useful. Cheers

Hi MrFirstdance2000, Thank you for sharing you thoughts. I could see why someone could think that, but it wasn't the point I was trying to make. In my videos I've been trying to to deflate some of the marketing hype around big sensor, big lens and expensive gear. What I was trying to say is unless you depend on your gear to earn a living and thus feel you need the absolute best gear to get the competitive edge and nail photos that would otherwise be impossible to make, you can make great photos with MFT cameras and more "basic" lens like the 100-300mm. To me it's more important to go out and enjoy nature with the gear you have than to stay at home waiting to get the perfect gear. Great gear doesn't necessarily mean great photos, more affordable or older gear doesn't necessarily mean that the photos can't be outstanding, wildlife photography is more than just gear. I think my videos show that with some rather average priced gear you can manage to get great photos and though I'm not a professional some of my photos have been published in national publications so the quality must be there... Thank you for your suggestion regarding a video on my editing workflow. My workflow is rather minimalist (in my opinion good photos don't need much more than a little tweaking), other than the fact that I shoot raw I'm not sure there would be much to talk about but I will take that in consideration. Cheers

Hi Daniel, Sorry for not getting back to you before but I was in Yosemite national park hiking in areas where cell coverage is minimal at best, when there’s any. Unfortunately I’ve not had the opportunity to test the Olympus 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II, because my budget is somewhat limited at this point. But I would love to test it if I have a chance. Thanks for taking the time to share your constructive criticism it’s always appreciated. I Always strive to strike the perfect balance between too little and too much information. Because a lot of photographers are more visual I've taken to writing down on the screen most (not all) of what I'm saying in the video. So that it's not just boring text on the screen or a video of me talking to a camera, I put background images behind the text. I carefully select those background images so that they are peripheral to the topic but not central. The test images, that are central to the topic, have very little text or no text. I hope this all makes sense. Again thank you for your comment, I will it keep it in mind and try to find a better balance for the next videos. Cheers

Daniel Dougan i own the G85; i had tried the Olympus 75-300 on my camera and i actually liked it. I am tossing up between this lens or the 100-300ii. The only thing on my mind is the Panasonic lens has OIS, and weather sealing, so it I wonder if it may be a better choice for me to go with a Panasonic lens. If cost wasn’t a factor, the 400 would be my choice .

Hi Eder, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences, it's always appreciated to hear from other photographers. Yes I agree the 100-400 is sharper at f/7,1 or f/8,0 but it was the same with my Nikon 200-500mm lens. I think it's because zoom lens are always to some extent built on a series of compromises. For this reason fixed lens are generally sharper. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with the 200 f/2,8. Generally teleconverters do degrade the image quality (to what extent I don't know in this case exactly) and when you add the price of the lens and of the teleconverter it's becomes to expensive for me... Also I know that for the type of photography I like to do 200mm (400mm FF) just isn't enough reach. If you do decide to try the 200 f/2,8 let me know what you think" Cheers

Hi Pom Pom Mom, Very interesting question and somewhat tricky to answer for several reasons. First I don't own a G85 and can only base my answer on results with the G9. Second the G9 manual warns that the use of the digital zoom will result in image quality loss but doesn't quantify it... So to answer your question I took some sample shots with both lens on the G9 with the digital zoom and without the digital zoom. Long story short, yes there's an image quality deterioration when using digital zoom and in my opinion it is noticeable. In any case I would not go more than a 2x Digital zoom. What bothers me more is that digital zoom can only be used when shooting JPG file format (so no raw files, this may not be important to you but it's significant to me) and when using the digital zoom I can't seem to be able to move the focus point around... So yes you can get reasonably good photo with the digital zoom but there's a loss of quality and of functionality (at least with the G9). Best of luck with your very difficult decision. While you making up you mind you may want to have a look at my other videos where I compare G9 with the 100-300mm II to the Nikon D750 with the 200-500mm ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rZ2pY6agyLCooYE.html ) and the one where I compare the G9 with the 100-400mm to the Nikon D750 with the 200-500mm ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i8uUgLmdnZawqnk.html ). These two videos may (or may not) help you to decide by showing how image quality of the two Panasonic lenses compare with that of a full frame system. I hop you find this at least somewhat useful, and again thank you for this very interesting question. Cheers,

Paul Bawby thank you very much Paul for your reply. Much appreciated. I know in my mind digital zoom will cause a deterioration in image quality, but dont know bu how much. I still would like as clear an image resolution as possible. I will check out those comparisons you mentioned. As for the 100-400, though i am impressed with the reach and clarity, i wonder if the weight might hamper my use of it. I am still seriously considering the 300 as such. Regarding the lack of Raw format using digital zoom, i didnt realise it could only shoot in JPG. i know also if i shoot in RAW, i cannot transfer these raw files from camera to ipad. I wonder why? Thank you again..

@@pompommom4904 Hi Pom Pom Mom, I agree the weight difference between the two lenses is not insignificant that's why I'm keeping the 100-300mm for multi day backpacking trips where keeping the weight down as much as possible is important. As for why you can't import raw files to your iPad I'm afraid I can't help you much since my son dropped mine, screen side, on a concrete floor... As a work around, have you tried importing raw files to your computer and syncing the files to your iPad? That's how I do it with my phone. Cheers.

Digital zoom is FAKE ZOOM. Don't use it!

I finally bought the 100-300mm and i enjoy it so much.

Hi Gordon, Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the subject, it's very much appreciated. I agree with your assessment, for me the extra reach and faster focus of the 100-400mm are significant. But I'll be holding to my 100-300mm for when size and weight are at a premium, like on multi day backpacking trips. Do you see an advantage in keeping both lens in your style of photography? Cheers

I've got the 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 which, at 140mm, is "good enough" for me out in the backcountry. :) Sold the 100-300. Generally on weight conscious trips I now bring the 14-140, the Laowa 7.5/2, and the Lumix 20/1.7 for any low light work. Super portable kit!

Hi I'm not sure what your questions is exactly but I'll try to provide an answer. If I don't get it right don't hesitate to ask again. I think that the G9 and lens are a sweet spot when it comes to the enthusiast-amateur segment of wildlife photographers who are looking for a light weight and compact system. The size and light weight are ideal for my multi-day backpacking trips in the backcountry. Given time and with the implementation of more computational powers in the cameras, I wouldn't be surprised if they got even more smaller. This having been said, I don't think that Panasonic needs to put much effort into reducing the size of their mft cameras, they need to improve the focusing system as far as I'm concerned. Cheers

@@PaulBawby GX9 is more compact with its skin capabilities. Have you considered it? Many put on a 100-300 obktiv, it looks more compact, which is especially important in the forest, in summer or winter on skis)

@@user-yr5fq7fd6f Hi, The G9 and GX9 are similar but there are some differences if I remember correctly. I was an early adopter of the G9 and at that time the GX9 wasn't out yet, so I didn't consider it (actually I couldn't consider it). Cheers

Hi, I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think the Panasonic DMW-TC20 2x teleconverter works with the Panasonic 50-200mm f/2.8-4 (stil trying to officially confirm this). My understanding is the 2x Tele is meant to work with the Panasonic-Leica 200mm f/2,8. Even if they did work together, the combinaison of the 50-200mm and the 2x teleconverter would cost about 600 $ US (at the time of writing this) more than the Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm alone. Also the 2x teleconverter with the 50-200mm would give you an equivalent of 100-400mm at f/5,6-8 (because you would loose two stop of light) so it would not be such a great combo in my opinion (less light for more money). Thank you for taking the time to share you thoughts and comments, because this is what this channel tries to be, a forum for discussion and sharing ideas to collectively improve our photography skills. I hope you find this useful. Cheers

The 100-300mm m2 is certainly a good starting point for wildlife photography and it is my preferred lens when going on multi-day backpacking trips in the backcountry because of how small and light weight it is. When not on multi-day hiking trips I prefer the 100-400mm because of the longer reach and slightly better image quality. In my personal opinion there is no such thing as too much reach when shooting smaller birds or very wild animals like bears, moose, cougars, bisons that you can't easily get close too... If you have the choice between getting the 100-300mm and having money for traveling to good places for wildlife photography on the one hand and on the other buying the 100-400mm and having to stay home (because you don't have enough money), I think getting the 100-300mm is a good choice... I hope this is useful. Cheers

@@PaulBawby g9 or g90?)

@@user-yr5fq7fd6f Hi very good question as the G90 offers a lot. To be honest though I have a limited real world hands on experience with the G90 but Gordon Laing has a great detailed review ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eq5ilpSktZ7VZ6M.html ) of the G90 that features a comparison with the G9. Cheers

Hi, Thank you for the positive feedback it's always appreciated to know that viewers find value in my videos. I always start my videos with the intend of keeping them short (5-10 min) but often I end up with something longer... it's a complicated balance between having too little and too much information... I'm still learning... Cheers

Hi Greg, I strive to find the right balance between too much information and videos that are just too long. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject, it's appreciated. Cheers

Hi Nerd Mike, Thank four sharing your thoughts and experiences on the subject at hand. I haven't yet tried the Oly 40-150mm with TC but I've heard good thing about it, so yes, given it's more limited focal range it's quite possible that it could pull ahead of the 100-300mm II and possibly the 100-400mm image quality wise. But in my experience using a teleconverter does impact the quality of the image and even with a 2x teleconverter the 40-150mm would not have the same reach as the 100-400mm. So in the end, no one system is perfect, it's always a question of tradeoffs and what works for one person might not work for someone else. Cheers

Thank you!

Hi Lee, Excellent question. I can't say I have. But I've used it on numerous occasions in heavy wet snow and the lens wasn't adversely affected by the very generous water that accumulated on it. Now that not at all the same has been in the rainforest for several days... Cheers

Hi, Yes, I agree the focal length is more or less relevant for buildings but I was trying to illustrate the effect of atmospheric distortion on far away subjects, which can happen if your doing an environnemental animal portrait... Cheers,

Hi, Great questions and interesting comment. I've not used the 100-300mm much since the firmware upgrade, I've been too busy testing Animal detect AF with the 100-400mm in different scenarios, but I'll I'm planning on testing the 100-300 soon. Yes the 100-300mm is really good, but if you don't mind the extra weight and more expensive price the 100-400mm gives more magnification which is often useful. I know that Olympus is working on a new M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 IS PRO lens and a M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS lens but I've not herd anything from reliable sources about Panasonic working on a 100-400mm mk II. Can you point me to a reliable source? Cheers

@@PaulBawby I have it only from a Norwegian site, and when i chat with them they confirm the news...but they could be wrong. (though the price was 20% higer) It is 3-4 years since this lens was introduced so we could hope for a even better upgrade with more sharpness at 400mm

@@haak737 Hi Haakan, Thanks for the update. The fact that I haven't heard about it doesn't means much... it's quite possible that Panasonic could be working on a better version of this very well loved lens... I'll be paying more attention for the next little while to see if can find out more. Cheers

@@PaulBawby After asking one of the main camera stores in Oslo, they confirmed that the lens have a new item number, but that is becuase the lens is now made on another factory...so that is no version II yet...but maybe minor upgrades they do not tell you about. And I see several stores are now increasing their price with up tp 20%. on this lens

@@haak737 Hi Haakan, Again, thank you for the update, that makes a lot of sense. Let's hope that for the price increase they managed to do away with the sticky zoom issue. I didn't get to go to my favorite camera shop recently but I've noticed through their website that the 100-400 is on sale right now (about 15% off). So are they selling off the "older" lenses before bringing in the "newer" ones? 🤔 I don't really know, but it will be interesting to see in the manufacturer's code changes or not. Cheers

HI Eugen, Thanks for submitting your opinion on this question. Cheers

@@PaulBawby it was a pleasure watching you.Thank you