The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 and the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH 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 20mm F1.7 II ASPH is the longer of the two lenses at 26mm. The Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 with a length of 21mm, is 5mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH'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 12.5mm / F12 weighs 45g, which means it is 42g (48%) lighter than the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH which has a weight of 87g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 12.5mm / F12 and the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH 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 12.5mm / F12 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 13mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
26mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 40mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.