Olympus MC-20

The OM System MC-20 is a 2x teleconverter that doubles the reach of select M.Zuiko PRO lenses while adding just 150g to your kit. The 5-stop stabilization is best-in-class, making 1200mm equivalent handheld shooting genuinely possible. You lose two stops of light and some sharpness, but at around $400, it's a fraction of the cost of a dedicated super-telephoto. If you already own compatible PRO glass and shoot in decent light, this is an easy recommendation.

Let's talk about what this thing does well first. The stabilization is genuinely best-in-class, sitting in the 96th percentile. When you pair the MC-20 with a lens that already has optical IS, like the 300mm f/4 PRO, the sync IS system is almost spooky. You can frame a distant bird at 1200mm equivalent, half-press the shutter, and watch the viewfinder image just lock into place. It's one of the best implementations of telephoto stabilization we've seen, and it's the main reason this teleconverter is usable handheld. The build quality is also top-tier, matching the weather-sealed, dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof construction of the PRO lenses it's designed for.

Now for the reality check. The optical performance is middling, landing in the 34th percentile. You'll see some softness wide open, especially at the edges, and the ZERO Coating can only do so much to fight the contrast loss that comes with stacking extra glass elements. The aperture takes a big hit too, sitting in the 24th percentile. An f/5.6 maximum aperture on a 2x teleconverter means your autofocus system is working with less light, and on older OM-D bodies, AF can hunt in anything but bright daylight. The AF performance itself is average, around the 55th percentile, which means it's fine but not going to keep up with fast action like a diving falcon. And don't even think about macro work, it scored a dismal 23.5 out of 100 there.

The MC-20 doesn't have a ton of direct competitors because it's a teleconverter, not a lens, but you'll inevitably cross-shop it against superzoom lenses that offer similar reach in a single package. The Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 for APS-C systems gives you a massive zoom range without needing a teleconverter, and it's sharper at the long end than the MC-20 paired with a zoom. But you lose the weather sealing and that incredible sync IS. The Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 is another all-in-one option that covers a huge range, though it's bigger and heavier than an MC-20 plus a 40-150mm PRO.

If you're already in the Micro Four Thirds ecosystem, the Panasonic 2x teleconverter is the obvious alternative, but it's designed for Panasonic Leica lenses and the cross-compatibility is hit or miss. The MC-20's real advantage is the seamless integration with OM System bodies and the sync IS that you just can't get from third-party options. The Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM and Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 are in a different universe entirely, they're standard zooms for larger sensors and don't compete on reach at all. If you need 600mm or 1200mm equivalent without a mortgage, the MC-20 on a PRO lens is the most practical path.

Pricing on the MC-20 is all over the map depending on where you look, with a spread from $376 to an absurd $45,990. Obviously, ignore that high outlier, someone's probably listing a gold-plated one or made a data entry error. The real street price hovers around the $400 mark, which is competitive for a 2x teleconverter with this level of weather sealing and stabilization integration. For comparison, a dedicated super-telephoto prime like the Olympus 300mm f/4 PRO costs well over $2,000. If you already own that lens, spending $400 to get a 600mm f/5.6 equivalent is a no-brainer value play.

But value depends entirely on what's in your bag right now. If you don't own any compatible M.Zuiko PRO lenses, the MC-20 is a paperweight. And if you're shooting with a slower zoom, the resulting aperture might be too dim to be practical. For the right person, this is one of the best deals in telephoto photography. For everyone else, it's just a tiny, well-built reminder to buy more lenses.

The OM System MC-20 is a 2x teleconverter that doubles the reach of your existing Micro Four Thirds glass, and it does it in a package so small you'll forget it's in your bag. We're talking about turning a 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO into an 80-300mm f/5.6, or a 300mm f/4 into a 600mm f/5.6. For wildlife shooters who don't want to lug around a massive super-telephoto prime, this little 150g gadget is a genuine problem solver. It's built for the M.Zuiko PRO ecosystem, so if you're already invested in Olympus or OM System bodies and lenses, this is a natural extension of your kit.

Who's this for? Honestly, it's for the traveler and the wildlife enthusiast who values reach over everything else. Our scoring puts travel at a strong 75.1 and wildlife at 60.2, which makes perfect sense. You get a 1200mm equivalent field of view with the 300mm f/4 and the MC-20, and the built-in stabilization means you can actually handhold that absurd focal length. That's not a typo. Five stops of image stabilization on a 1200mm equivalent setup is the kind of thing that makes birders and airshow photographers grin. But there's a trade-off, and we'll get into that.

The catch is light. You're losing two full stops of aperture, which means your f/2.8 zoom becomes an f/5.6, and your f/4 prime becomes an f/8. On a Micro Four Thirds sensor, that's pushing into diffraction territory and demanding a lot from your ISO performance. The optical quality takes a hit too, landing in the 34th percentile overall. But for the right kind of shooter in the right kind of light, the MC-20 opens up framing possibilities that would otherwise cost thousands more and weigh ten times as much.

If you shoot primarily in low light, the MC-20 is going to frustrate you. Losing two stops means your viewfinder gets darker, your AF gets slower, and your ISO climbs higher. Wildlife at dawn and dusk, indoor sports, anything under stadium lights, this isn't the tool for those situations. You'd be better off saving for a faster native telephoto or even considering a used older super-telephoto prime if you can handle the weight.

Also, if macro is your thing, look elsewhere. The MC-20 scored a 23.5 out of 100 for macro, which is frankly terrible. The minimum focus distance doesn't improve with a teleconverter, and the light loss makes focus stacking more difficult. For close-up work, grab a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes instead. And if you don't already own compatible PRO glass, the MC-20 is just an expensive rear lens cap until you do.

If you're a Micro Four Thirds wildlife or travel photographer who already owns the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO or the 300mm f/4 PRO, just buy the MC-20. It's $400 to double your focal length, and the stabilization means you can leave the tripod at home. The image quality trade-off is real but manageable, stop down a bit and keep your shutter speeds up, and you'll get shots that would otherwise require a lens costing five times as much. For birders, airshow enthusiasts, and anyone who needs reach in a small package, this is one of the smartest purchases in the OM System lineup.

But if you're shooting in low light often, or if your main body is an older OM-D model with less capable AF, think twice. The two-stop light loss is punishing at dawn and dusk, exactly when wildlife is most active. And if you don't already own compatible PRO glass, the MC-20 is a gateway drug to a lens purchase you might not be ready for. In that case, consider a superzoom like the Tamron 18-300mm on an APS-C body instead. The MC-20 is a specialist's tool, and for that specialist, it's brilliant.