The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro and the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R 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 40-150mm F2.8 Pro is the longer of the two lenses at 160mm. The Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R with a length of 86mm, is 74mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R's 64mm 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 40-150mm f4-5.6 R weighs 190g, 75% (570g) lighter than the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro's weight of 760g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R has a 58mm 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 ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro and the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R 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
Both lenses have the same focal range of
40-150mm but while Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has the fastest aperture of
F2.8, the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R's widest aperture value is
F4.0 - F5.6.