The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 and the Olympus ED 40-150mm 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. Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 is the longer of the two lenses at 172mm. The Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro with a length of 160mm, is 12mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro'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. Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro weighs 760g, 22% (225g) lighter than the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3's weight of 985g.
Filter Threads
Both the Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 and the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro 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 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 and the Olympus ED 40-150mm 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-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Focal Range
Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 has a focal range of 100-400mm and
4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
200-800mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has a focal range of 40-150mm and 3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 80-300mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.