Panasonic Lumix 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 MACRO O.I.S. Review

February 25, 2021 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Sharpness at 70mm

Our sharpness tests are carried out by photographing a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Panasonic Lumix S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 MACRO O.I.S. was attached to a Panasonic Lumix S1R camera, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Self-timer mode was activated to steady the camera completely. Any slight tonal changes you may see across the crops are a result of slight changes in natural light during the shooting session.

The full frame

The full frame at 70mm

At the centre of the image, sharpness is excellent even at the maximum aperture of f/4.5. It maintains that level of sharpness until f/16, where it remains excellent but is ever-so-slightly softer due to diffraction, and it gets softer again at f/22.

The edges of the frame aren't quite as sharp as the centre, with the best results obtained at f/5.6-f/11.

Aperture Centre Crop Edge Crop
f/4.5 f4.jpg f4.jpg
f/5.6 f5.6.jpg f5.6.jpg
f/8 f8.jpg f8.jpg
f/11 f11.jpg f11.jpg
f/16 f16.jpg f16.jpg
f/22 f16.jpg f16.jpg