The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS and the Olympus 45mm F1.2 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 45mm F1.2 Pro is the longer of the two lenses at 85mm. The Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS with a length of 50mm, is 35mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS's 55mm diameter.
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Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS and Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
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 42.5mm F1.7 OIS weighs 130g, which means it is 280g (68%) lighter than the Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro which has a weight of 410g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS has a filter size of 37mm whereas the Olympus 45mm F1.2 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 37mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 OIS and the Olympus 45mm F1.2 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 42.5mm F1.7 OIS is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 43mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
86mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 45mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 90mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.