The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye 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 8mm f3.5 Fisheye is the longer of the two lenses at 77mm. The Olympus ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 with a length of 73mm, is 4mm shorter. On the other hand, the Olympus ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Olympus ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye's 79mm 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 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 weighs 280g, which means it is 205g (42%) lighter than the Olympus ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye which has a weight of 485g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye 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 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 is also available in the Micro Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 has a focal range of 9-18mm and
2.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
18-36mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 8mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 16mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
