The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO and the Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA 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 7-14mm F2.8 PRO is the longer of the two lenses at 106mm. The Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA with a length of 83mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA's 72mm 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. Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA weighs 445g, 16% (89g) lighter than the Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO's weight of 534g.
Lens Mounts
The Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA has the Sony Alpha 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 Sony A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58 for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO has a focal range of 7-14mm and
2.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
14-28mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA has a focal range of 16-80mm and 5.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-120mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
