The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake and the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 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 M 17mm f1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 36mm. The Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake with a length of 24mm, is 12mm shorter. On the other hand, the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake has a larger diameter of 64mm compared to the Olympus M 17mm f1.8's 58mm 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 25mm f2.8 Pancake weighs 95g, which means it is 25g (20%) lighter than the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 which has a weight of 120g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake has a filter size of 43mm whereas the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 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 43mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus M 17mm f1.8:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake has the Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount and OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
50mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 34mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.