The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS and the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 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 F2.8-3.5 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 103mm. The Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 with a length of 87mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5's 74mm 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 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 weighs 435g, 11% (55g) lighter than the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS's weight of 490g.
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 F2.8-3.5 OIS has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS and the Olympus 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 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 F2.8-3.5 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 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.
