Will a 12-200mm lens on Micro Four Thirds match my Canon 70-300mm on APS-C for backyard wildlife?
Asked 3/2/2021
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I’m shooting backyard wildlife from about 70 feet away and want to know whether an Olympus 12-200mm on a Micro Four Thirds camera will give me a similar field of view to the Canon 70-300mm I used on a Canon 80D (APS-C). I’ll mainly shoot video outdoors in good light on a tripod, with occasional garden close-ups. My main concern is whether 200mm on MFT will let me get reasonably close shots of squirrels and birds, or whether I should consider a longer telephoto instead.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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Given the ratio of the Canon APS-C crop factor (1.6) to the MFT (2.0) sensors, the equivalent of a 300mm on your camera is 300*1.6/2=240mm so a bit longer than your intended lens (200mm).
The zoom capability you mention is really a zoom range, but since your lens starts at 12mm which is a wide angle, the zoom factor from "normal" is smaller, more like 8x.
Your 12-200mm is really a "super-zoom" for people who don't like/want to change lenses. If you just want to use it as a zoom, there are more specialized lens that will zoom more such as the Olympus Zuiko 75-300mm (which will get you closer than your Canon 300mm).
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A 200mm lens on Micro Four Thirds gives a 35mm-equivalent field of view of about 400mm. Your Canon 70-300mm on the 80D at 300mm gives about a 480mm-equivalent view. So the Olympus 12-200mm will be a little less tight than your Canon at full zoom, not more.
A rough comparison: 250mm on your Canon APS-C setup is close to what 200mm on MFT will look like. If you were happy with the Canon at around 250mm, the 12-200mm should be similar. If you relied on the full 300mm end, the 12-200mm will feel shorter.
Also, “16.6x zoom” is just the lens’s zoom range, not extra reach by itself. For wildlife, a superzoom like 12-200mm is convenient, but a longer dedicated telephoto is better if reach is the priority.
Based on the answers, an Olympus 75-300mm would be a better fit for matching or exceeding the framing you had on the Canon, and it should get you closer for birds and squirrels at 70 feet. The 12-200mm may still work if you value versatility and can accept less reach.
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