The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS and the Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS is the longer of the two lenses at 206mm. The Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS with a length of 132mm, is 74mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS also has a larger diameter of 86mm compared to the Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS's 76mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS and Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS and the Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Size and Weight The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS weighs 655g, 41% (465g) lighter than the Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS's weight of 1120g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS and the Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS 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-5, Panasonic GH6 and OM System OM-1.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 200-800mm when used on a FourThirds format camera. Panasonic 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS has a focal range of 50-200mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 100-400mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.