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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 with a length of 61mm, is 32mm 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6'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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 weighs 190g, 56% (244g) lighter than the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS's weight of 434g.
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
The Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 has a 58mm 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 58mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 OIS and the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is also available in 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 14-42mm and 3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 28-84mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
