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 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II 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 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II with a length of 89mm, is 4mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 75mm.
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. Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS weighs 434g, which means it is 6g (1%) lighter than the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II which has a weight of 440g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Zoom Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS and the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II have the same Filter thread size of 67mm.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS and the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II 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
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 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 II has a focal range of 14-54mm and 3.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28-108mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
