The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 and the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 61mm. The Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake with a length of 24mm, is 37mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 66mm compared to the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake's 64mm 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, 50% (95g) lighter than the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6's weight of 190g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake has a 43mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 and the Olympus 25mm f2.8 Pancake has the same Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Four Thirds lenses are Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620.
Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is also available in the Micro Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 14-42mm and
3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
28-84mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the 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.
