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 OIS and the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 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 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 127mm. The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 OIS with a length of 126mm, is 1mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 OIS's 74mm 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 100-300mm F4-5.6 OIS weighs 520g, which means it is 100g (16%) lighter than the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 which has a weight of 620g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 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 OIS:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 OIS has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 has the Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 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 Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 140-600mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.