The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS and the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO 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. Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 93mm. The Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO with a length of 84mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS also has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO's 70mm 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 12-40mm f2.8 PRO weighs 382g, 11% (52g) lighter than the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS's weight of 434g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO 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 Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS has the Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has the Micro Four Thirds 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 OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 14-50mm and
3.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
28-100mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has a focal range of 12-40mm and 3.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-80mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
