The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH and the Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye 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 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye with a length of 13mm, is 75mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye 's 56mm 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 9mm F8 Fish-Eye weighs 30g, 90% (285g) lighter than the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH's weight of 315g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH and the Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye 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 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has a focal range of 8-18mm and
2.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
16-36mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 9mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 18mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
