The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD and the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 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. Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 is the longer of the two lenses at 258mm. The Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD with a length of 99mm, is 159mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 also has a larger diameter of 106mm compared to the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD's 80mm 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 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD weighs 575g, which means it is 1435g (71%) lighter than the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 which has a weight of 2010g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 has a 95mm 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 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD:
And these are the 95mm filters that we recommend for the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has the Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 has the Sony Alpha 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 Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II for the Sony Alpha Mount.
Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Canon EF mounts.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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.
On the other hand, the Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 has a focal range of 150-600mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 225 - 900mm.
