The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II and the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
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. Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II weighs 112g, which means it is 1438g (92%) lighter than the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS which has a weight of 1550g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II has a filter size of 37mm whereas the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS has a 86mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 37mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II:
And these are the 86mm filters that we recommend for the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS has the Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Focal Range
Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II 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.
On the other hand, the Hartblei 40mm F4 IF TS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 60mm.
