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 Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS 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 Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS with a length of 84mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 also has a larger diameter of 78mm compared to the Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS's 70mm 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. Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 weighs 455g, which means it is 5g (1%) lighter than the Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS which has a weight of 460g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 and the Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 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-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
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 Panasonic 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS has a focal range of 14-140mm and 10.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28-280mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.