The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 100-500mm and the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS is the longer of the two lenses at 314mm. The Canon RF 100-500mm with a length of 208mm, is 106mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS also has a larger diameter of 116mm compared to the Canon RF 100-500mm's 94mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon RF 100-500mm weighs 1365g, which means it is 485g (26%) lighter than the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS which has a weight of 1850g.
Filter Threads
The Canon RF 100-500mm has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS has a 95mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon RF 100-500mm:
And these are the 95mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS:
Lens Mounts
The Canon RF 100-500mm has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon R100, Canon R8 and Canon R50 for the Canon RF Mount and OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Canon RF 100-500mm has a focal range of 100-500mm and
5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
160 - 800mm.
On the other hand, the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS has a focal range of 150-400mm and 2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 300-800mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.