The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ and the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS 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 ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ is the longer of the two lenses at 83mm. The Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS with a length of 64mm, is 19mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a larger diameter of 61mm compared to the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ's 57mm 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. Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS weighs 165g, 21% (46g) lighter than the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ's weight of 211g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Zoom Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ and the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ and the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS is also available in Micro Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ has a focal range of 12-50mm and
4.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-100mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 14-42mm and 3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28-84mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.