The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS and the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS 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 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 126mm. The Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS with a length of 100mm, is 26mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS also has a larger diameter of 74mm compared to the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS's 67mm diameter.
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Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS and Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS 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 X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS weighs 357g, 31% (163g) lighter than the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS's weight of 520g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS and the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS 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 100-300mm F4-5.6 II OIS has a focal range of 100-300mm and
3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
200-600mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS has a focal range of 35-100mm and 2.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 70-200mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.