The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 and the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 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. Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 117mm. The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 with a length of 71mm, is 46mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 also has a larger diameter of 91mm compared to the Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6's 66mm 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 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 weighs 210g, which means it is 830g (79%) lighter than the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 which has a weight of 1040g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 has a 67mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6:
And these are the 67mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 has the Pentax 645AF2 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Pentax 645Z, Pentax 645D and for the Pentax 645AF2 Mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 12-60mm and
5.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-120mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Pentax DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm.
