The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH and the Olympus ED 12mm f2 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 12mm f2 is the longer of the two lenses at 43mm. The Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH with a length of 26mm, is 17mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH has a larger diameter of 63mm compared to the Olympus ED 12mm f2'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. Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH weighs 87g, which means it is 43g (33%) lighter than the Olympus ED 12mm f2 which has a weight of 130g.
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
Filter Threads
Both the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH and the Olympus ED 12mm f2 have the same Filter thread size of 46mm.
Below are links to the 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II ASPH and the Olympus ED 12mm f2 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 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.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12mm f2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
