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 D FA 645 25mm F4 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 D FA 645 25mm F4 is the longer of the two lenses at 140mm. The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 with a length of 71mm, is 69mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax D FA 645 25mm F4 also has a larger diameter of 90mm 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 860g (80%) lighter than the Pentax D FA 645 25mm F4 which has a weight of 1070g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Pentax D FA 645 25mm F4 has a 41mm 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 41mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax D FA 645 25mm F4:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Pentax D FA 645 25mm F4 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 D FA 645 25mm F4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm.
