The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 and the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 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. Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 90mm. The Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 with a length of 86mm, is 4mm shorter. On the other hand, the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 has a larger diameter of 64mm compared to the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS's 62mm 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 weighs 190g, which means it is 20g (9%) lighter than the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS which has a weight of 210g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS 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 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 and the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 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 ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 has a focal range of 40-150mm and
3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
80-300mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 45-175mm and 3.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 90-350mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.