The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro and the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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 ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro with a length of 70mm, is 29mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro's 63mm 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 ED 12-45mm F4 Pro weighs 254g, which means it is 321g (55%) lighter than the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD which has a weight of 575g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a 72mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has the Four Thirds 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 Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 12-45mm F4 Pro has a focal range of 12-45mm and
3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-90mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a focal range of 12-60mm and 5.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-120mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
