The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 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. Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is the longer of the two lenses at 84mm. The Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 OIS with a length of 77mm, is 7mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 OIS has a larger diameter of 74mm 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, 10% (43g) lighter than the Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 OIS's weight of 425g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 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 42.5mm F1.2 OIS:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 OIS and the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3.
Focal Range
Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 OIS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 43mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
86mm 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.
