The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS and the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power 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 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS is the longer of the two lenses at 314mm. The Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS with a length of 174mm, is 140mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS also has a larger diameter of 116mm compared to the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS's 88mm 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. Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS weighs 1245g, 32% (605g) lighter than the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS's weight of 1850g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS and the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 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-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Focal Range
Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS has a focal range of 150-400mm and
2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
300-800mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm F2.8 Power OIS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 400mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.