Olympus' 300mm is a Micro Four Thirds giant (pictures)
Though small by dSLR standards, its new pro 300mm lens is pretty big for a system used to more compact lenses.
Lori Grunin
Pretty long for the system
Fast, long lenses necessarily require a lot of elements and big glass, so it's not surprising that this one is pretty big for Micro Four Thirds.
Focus cuff
That front section is the manual focus cuff. When you pull it back, you're in manual-focus mode, when extended, it autofocuses.
Switches
The lens has a focus-limiter switch with three choices: 1.4-4m, 1.4m to infinity (the entire range), and 4m to infinity. There's also a programmable function button and stabilizer toggle.
With teleconverter
If you need more reach, Olympus' 1.4x teleconverter can increase the effective focal length to 420mm (a 35mm- equivalent angle of view to 840mm) and 0.67x magnification.
The space between
Part of the lens' size is a result of the necessary distance between lens elements.
Framing help
The dot-sight accessory mounts next to the camera and aids you in keeping the subject in-frame with minimal head movement.