This lens is very useful in low light and with fast action events. The lens is very fast (bright) which allows for fast shutter speeds to capture the action. The auto-focus is very fast and works very well while tracking moving subjects and in low light conditions. The lens is very high quality and is extremely sharp The focus range switch is very useful for shooting sporting events. The focus lock buttons are very convenient to use in both landscape and portrait orientation. The only drawback is the weight of the lens - which is to be expected with a lens of this focal length and brightness. The lens can be used hand held if you are steady, but a tripod will be very helpful.

Top notch lens without any real weakness, great for portraiture, landscapes, sports and more. + very sharp (right from wide-open) + beautiful, silky smooth bokeh + exceptional full-metal build + guaranteed weatherproof + AF-lock buttons, AF limiter + lens hood with doors, velvet inside the hood - expensive - big and heavy

Although hefty, this lens has no peer. It is extremely well made and optically superlative. It's reasonablly fast to autofocus and the limiters do help. I use it with the E5 and have also used it on the panasonic GH1 to shoot video which it also does very well. This lens is actually reasonably priced when you consider it's performance against other FF lenses. It is however heavy, and that is it's one downside, It's heavier than it's FF competitors, but every time I look through the viewfinder, I know it's worth it.

This is an outstanding zoom lens for the 4/3 system. I use this lens often, second only to the 14-35 mm lens I leave on the camera for general use. It is outstanding as a portrait lens especially when used outdoors; the shallow depth of field allows for a pleasing bokeh. I use it primarily on the E3 body; this combination is weather resistant and I have used it in the rain and in all sorts of foul weather and adverse conditions. The optics are fantastic. It is heavy but still good for handheld use. I keep a neutral density filter on it to protect the optics.

I got this lens just less than a week ago, was able to do an impromptu photoshoot with a friend and then photograph a large community service event to test drive it. Today I was able to film a short video with a friend. My overall experience with this lens so far has been far better than with any other lens I have ever used. I had slight trouble with backlighting, my foreground continuously came up underexposed (nothing a little lightroom couldn't fix) using spot, center, and matrix light metering. The resolution is incredible. I use this lens on the Olympus E-5, and I've never seen images so clear. I shot mostly at f/2, the edge to edge clarity was outstanding and the bokeh was beautiful. Not a light lens. Luckily I also use the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 which weighs in at about 3lbs. This is not too different than the 4.5lbs that this weighs. This brings the entire weight of the camera to around 6lbs... without the battery grip and flash unit. I used it straight for about 4-5 hours and didn't get tired, but I could tell I used it the next day, slightly... If you can learn to brace it effectively, it's not unmanageable.

great lens. though a little heavy