The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus ED 35-100mm 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 35-100mm f2.0 is the longer of the two lenses at 214mm. The Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 with a length of 72mm, is 142mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 also has a larger diameter of 97mm compared to the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6's 66mm 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 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 weighs 220g, which means it is 1430g (86%) lighter than the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 which has a weight of 1650g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 has a 77mm 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 40-150mm f4.0-5.6:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 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.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 has a focal range of 40-150mm and
3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
80-300mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 has a focal range of 35-100mm and 2.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 70-200mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.