The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 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 8-25mm F4 Pro is the longer of the two lenses at 89mm. The Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 with a length of 86mm, is 3mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0's 68mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 Size and Weight 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 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 weighs 320g, 22% (91g) lighter than the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro's weight of 411g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 has a 62mm 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 8-25mm F4 Pro:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 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-3 Astro , OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 .
Focal Range
Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro has a focal range of 8-25mm and
3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
16-50mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 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.