The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the OM System 17mm F1.8 II and the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II 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. OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II is the longer of the two lenses at 84mm. The OM System 17mm F1.8 II with a length of 36mm, is 48mm shorter. Besides being longer, the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the OM System 17mm F1.8 II's 58mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of OM System 17mm F1.8 II and OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the OM System 17mm F1.8 II and the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II Size and Weight 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. OM System 17mm F1.8 II weighs 112g, which means it is 270g (70%) lighter than the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II which has a weight of 382g.
Filter Threads
The OM System 17mm F1.8 II has a filter size of 46mm whereas the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the OM System 17mm F1.8 II:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II:
Lens Mounts
Both the OM System 17mm F1.8 II and the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II 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-3 Astro , OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 .
Focal Range
OM System 17mm F1.8 II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
34mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II has a focal range of 12-40mm and 3.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-80mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
