The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD and the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 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 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD is the longer of the two lenses at 157mm. The Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 with a length of 85mm, is 72mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3's 78mm 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 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 weighs 435g, 56% (560g) lighter than the Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD's weight of 995g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD and the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 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 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD has a focal range of 50-200mm and
4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
100-400mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3 has a focal range of 18-180mm and 10.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 36-360mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.