whats the difference? zuiko ed 50-200mm swd and zuiko ed 50-200mm

[nirvana84]

hi all i was just wondering what the difference between these 2 lenses are, they both have the same apperture rating and same focal length so just wondering why olympus have made what it seems 2 lenes the same? im sure there is a diffrence and why i would buy one over the other so i thought i would ask you guys.

i am after a good tele lens so i can get some good shots of wildlife esp of big cats when i go on safari next year would the ED 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 be a good buy? it has more zoom but will the extra zoom be woth the drop in quality?

i am also thinking of upgrading my kit lenses which i got with my twin kit e510 any advice will be welcomed

[xwingkiller]

the difference between the two is that the SWD version has the swd focusing motor in it. it is the same lens just built to have faster autofocus speeds when used with the E-3.

i dont have the 70-300, but everyone says its really great. most people suggest using combined with bright outside lighting. the nice part about the 70-300 besides the reach is also the reletively small physical size of the lens.

ive recently upgraded both of my kit lenses. i now have the 12-60 and the 50-200. it's impossible to decide which lens you want to put on your camera. they are both amazing and make the ultimate combo of lenses. the only thing i feel i am missing by having these two lenses is just one super fast lens for indoor lowlight goodness.

so, going with the 50-200 would be great way to go in my opinion.....but the price on the 70-300 might be good enough to let you buy that for now and get the 50-200 aswell down the road. i've heard from people that having both of them is not a bad thing either. =)

[nirvana84]

yeah im thinking that the 50-200 will be a good replacement for my 40-150 kit lens, but i really want the extra reach so the 70-300 might be brought first, but ive also seen the 50-500mm sigma that would be alot better reach than the 70-300. the more mags i seem to read and more reviews and posts the more confussed i seem to get, and my shopping list keeps getting bigger! the order i want to buy things is.

good zoom lens
upgrade kit lens
wider angle lens
and prime lens for macro and portraits.

i better find a job soon so i cant start saving!

thanks for clearing up the swd thing,

[Jaedon]

Sigma's 50 - 500 APO lens was my first lens addition and I use it almost exclusively. (see my gallery for examples) The clarity is outstanding once you find the sweet spots and the extra reach is without a doubt the best aspect of the lens. I have even used it with the EX 20 (teleconverter) to make the lens reach 1000mm but anything after 750 - 800 just gets too soft for my liking.

The downside is that this lens was designed before the digital lenses were made so it is a brute to carry around at 9 lbs but after paying my chiropractor off in trade by shooting his daughters wedding he has fixed my carpal tunnel for me lol.

[Atomic2]

IMO upgrade the kit lens first. you honestly benefit from the extra reach as often as you would with an excellent walk around lens. the 14-54 and the 12-60 are both awesome, and both worth the money, the only question is how much better do you want your lens? the 12-60 has that SWD you were inquiring about, and its amazing. find a local camera store and see for yourself.

now i JUST got a 70-300 last week, and used it a great deal over the past week at Road America [race track] and I found that it gets me just way too close. I ended up using my 40-150 3.5-4.5 for most the trip. and when I did use the 70-300, i rarely went above 200mm.
I loved how close I could get with the 150mm and always wanted to get closer, but now having tried 300mm, i no longer see the necessity for it. Im going to sell this lens now.