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 Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 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. Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 101mm. The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 with a length of 71mm, is 30mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS also has a larger diameter of 70mm 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 207g (49%) lighter than the Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS which has a weight of 417g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS has a 52mm 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 52mm filters that we recommend for the Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS has the Samsung NX 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 Samsung NX1, Samsung NX3000 and Samsung NX30 for the Samsung NX 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 Samsung 50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 50-200mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 75-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.