The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4 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 25mm F1.4 with a length of 55mm, is 29mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4's 63mm 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 25mm F1.4 weighs 200g, which means it is 182g (47%) lighter than the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO which has a weight of 382g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4 has a filter size of 46mm 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 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4 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.
Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4 is also available in the Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic Leica 25mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
50mm 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.
