The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Leica SL 100mm F2.8 and the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 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. Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 148mm. The Leica SL 100mm F2.8 with a length of 137mm, is 11mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Leica SL 100mm F2.8's 77mm 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 S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS weighs 790g, 1% (11g) lighter than the Leica SL 100mm F2.8's weight of 801g.
Filter Threads
The Leica SL 100mm F2.8 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Leica SL 100mm F2.8:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Leica SL 100mm F2.8 and the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has the same Leica L lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica L lenses are Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE.
Focal Range
Leica SL 100mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 100mm.
On the other hand, the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.
