Class compact but mechanically in the price league not the best

I worked for a year with the lightweight 75-300mm Olympus.
At present, I had tested it against several 5.6 / 100-300 mm Panasonic lenses - because to me its faintness and housing quality did not like in relation to the price.
But it was at 300 mm always sharper than the 100-300 mm and not vignetted and the image stabilization is very usable since the OM-D.

But recently I have made new tests. The occasion was my dissatisfaction with the OM-D, in practice, be added that I had 2 x dust hooch in 75-300 mm. They were free and quickly eliminated from Olympus both times.
But my confidence in the design has not improved.

Lo and behold, Panasonic has obviously its mass production optimized, because now two 100-300 mm at full aperture and 300 mm were sharper than my re-aligned 75-300mm Olympus
and vignetting can be seen, at least on newer cameras also no trace. And many attempts to bring the image stabilizer to its limits, the internal OIS cut off always better than the 75-300 mm at the OM-D E-M5.

Only the AF I have the impression that at 300 mm, the OM-D is faster than the G5 - but that will change with the Panasonic GH3 probably.

Sold So 75-300mm and when buying from 100-300 mm even left money - what more could you want.
Moreover for me the advantage of a Panasonic Tele on each camera is always to use with optimum image stabilizer
and sun visor and soft bag are included.

The Olympus lens policy without sun visor for sale is unworthy of Olympus and raises for me the shade on the Zuiko production.
The processing of all previous Zuiko MFT zoom lenses leaves to be desired left for me - especially in direct comparison to Panasonic. (I speak not of the high-intensity fixed focal lengths!)

Meanwhile, Olympus has the lens revised cosmetically something - maybe the newer version II is sealed against dust sometimes? In any case, it is offered for prices around 500 - that is ever more realistic, but still not really cheap for a 6.7 / 300mm Zoom - Panasonic remains at 5.6 / 300 mm my favorite.

A year ago I would have given 4 stars yet, but now there are only 3 - Price and performance are not here in the balance.
Light:
+ Weight
+ Compactness
+ Small front diameter
+ Faster AF
+ Image stabilization from OM-D highly effective

Shadows:
- Housing material and seal (neither against dust inside, even when it rains)
- Extreme price
- Lack of sun visor
- Low light intensity at the telephoto end
- The focal length slips while wearing
- No gumming the zoom ring
- Long push-pull-out

If I would possibly buy the newer version, but also remains significantly fainter than the Panasonic and is at best fair-weather capable - in the long telephoto range! Despite usable ISO 1600 is at the telephoto end at f: 5,6 simply a sensible limit, even fainter often entails significant disadvantages.
I work mostly with otherwise f: 2.8 and f: 4.0 at 400 - 600 mm in - since moving subjects simply enforce shortest times and high sensor sensitivity is no single solution.