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 ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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 ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD with a length of 99mm, is 4mm shorter. On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS'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. Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS weighs 490g, which means it is 85g (14%) lighter than the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD which has a weight of 575g.
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 F2.8-3.5 OIS and the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD have the same Filter thread size of 72mm.
Below are links to the 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 OIS and the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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 ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a focal range of 12-60mm and 5.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-120mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
