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 Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 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 17mm F1.8 II is the longer of the two lenses at 36mm. The Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 with a length of 21mm, is 15mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the OM System 17mm F1.8 II's 58mm 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 12.5mm / F12 weighs 45g, 59% (67g) lighter than the OM System 17mm F1.8 II's weight of 112g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the OM System 17mm F1.8 II and the Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 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 Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 13mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 26mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
