These are the best Olympus telephoto lenses, chosen for how they deliver long yet portable reach, fast and sticky autofocus, excellent stabilization (IBIS + Sync IS), weather-sealed builds, and clean, neutral color on OM SYSTEM/Olympus Micro Four Thirds—perfect for wildlife, sports, airshows, and compressed landscapes. The flagship is the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150–400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO: built-in 1.25× teleconverter to 500mm (1000mm-eq), razor acuity, pro sealing, and world-class Sync IS for hand-holdable super-tele work; pair it with the MC-14/MC-20 to push even farther when light allows. For a lighter yet pro spine, the M.Zuiko 300mm f/4 IS PRO (600mm-eq) is a legend—tack sharp, quick AF, superb Sync IS, and takes MC-14/MC-20 cleanly—while the M.Zuiko 100–400mm f/5–6.3 IS offers value reach to 800mm-eq with close focus for “compressed macro,” and still accepts TCs for 1120–1600mm-eq field coverage. Fast sideline and field flexibility belongs to the M.Zuiko 40–150mm f/2.8 PRO (80–300mm-eq): constant f/2.8, crisp rendering, minimal breathing for hybrid video, and TC compatibility; the featherweight M.Zuiko 40–150mm f/4 PRO keeps the range with prime-like sharpness in a compact, sealed barrel—an ideal travel tele. Panasonic/Lumix tele standouts round out the system: Leica DG 50–200mm f/2.8–4 (100–400mm-eq) is a weather-sealed, fast-focusing gem with close focus and O.I.S. that plays nicely with Olympus IBIS; Leica DG 100–400mm f/4–6.3 (200–800mm-eq; v1 or v2) remains the travel-reach champ with crisp edges; the Lumix G 35–100mm f/2.8 II (70–200mm-eq) is a gimbal-friendly indoor sports and event tele; specialist speed comes from the Leica DG 200mm f/2.8 (400mm-eq) with included 1.4× TC for low-light fields and stage. Budget and compact options still perform: M.Zuiko 75–300mm f/4.8–6.7 II (150–600mm-eq) is a lightweight bird-park lens, while Panasonic’s 45–150mm, 45–175mm PZ (internal power-zoom), and 45–200mm II plus the updated 100–300mm II bring accessible reach with O.I.S. for hiking kits. What makes these the “best” in MFT: dependable, quiet AF that tracks erratic motion, robust sealing and fluorine fronts for dust/rain, Sync IS or O.I.S. that buys real shutter speed, restrained CA so backlit feathers/fur stay clean, close-focus abilities for tele-macro looks, and sensible tripod collars with Arca feet for quick support swaps; focus limiters and custom function buttons speed field handling, and consistent color across PRO/Leica lines simplifies grading. Technique turns reach into keepers—set a minimum shutter of 1/1000–1/2000 for birds-in-flight and field sports (1/500–1/1000 for mammals), use Pro Capture for takeoffs and strikes, run back-button AF with tracking, pan smoothly with IS Mode 2 or Boost as needed, and brace on a monopod or beanbag for long glass; stop down a third to a stop for peak acuity when light allows, mind heat shimmer at extreme reach, and use TCs only when the scene tolerates the light loss. For video, follow a 180° shutter, favor lenses with low breathing (40–150/2.8 PRO, 35–100/2.8), slow AF speed/sensitivity for graceful pulls, and use a variable ND outdoors; internal zooms (45–175 PZ, 150–400 PRO’s internal design) balance gimbals better. Practical kit recipes are simple: pro wildlife spine—300/4 IS PRO + 100–400/5–6.3 (add MC-14/MC-20 as needed) or single-lens 150–400/4.5 TC PRO; sports/event—40–150/2.8 PRO with 1.4× TC plus 35–100/2.8 for indoor courts; travel-reach—Leica 50–200 + 100–400 for two-lens coverage, or Olympus 40–150/4 PRO + 100–400 for sealed light carry; budget birds—75–300 II or Lumix 100–300 II with IBIS; hybrid video—35–100/2.8 + 40–150/2.8 PRO for low breathing and smooth AF. Whether you’re tracking raptors at dusk, freezing soccer under mixed lights, compressing ridgelines at sunrise, or filming stabilized wildlife reels, the best Olympus telephoto lenses deliver reach, stabilization, and fast, reliable handling that make distant subjects look close, crisp, and intentionally cinematic straight out of camera.