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 Samyang 12mm f2.0 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 Samyang 12mm f2.0 with a length of 59mm, is 30mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Samyang 12mm f2.0's 73mm 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. Samyang 12mm f2.0 weighs 260g, 36% (151g) 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 Samyang 12mm f2.0 has a 67mm 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 67mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang 12mm f2.0:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and the Samyang 12mm f2.0 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.
Samyang 12mm f2.0 is also available in Canon EF-M , Fujifilm X, Sony E and Samsung NX mounts.
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 Samyang 12mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 18mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
