The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 and the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM 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. Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 is the longer of the two lenses at 100mm. The Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM with a length of 56mm, is 44mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM's 53mm 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. Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM weighs 210g, 53% (245g) lighter than the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3's weight of 455g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM has a 46mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM has the Leica M 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 Leica M EV1, Leica M11-D and Pixii Max for the Leica M Mount.
Focal Range
Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 has a focal range of 12-200mm and
16.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-400mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss C Biogon T4,5/21 ZM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm.
