The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR and the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH 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. Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 104mm. The Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH with a length of 88mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH's 73mm 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 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH weighs 315g, 55% (395g) lighter than the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR's weight of 710g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR has a focal range of 24-120mm and
5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
36 - 180mm.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has a focal range of 8-18mm and 2.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 16-36mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
