The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Olympus M 25mm F1.8 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. Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 64mm. The Olympus M 25mm F1.8 with a length of 41mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS also has a larger diameter of 61mm compared to the Olympus M 25mm F1.8's 56mm 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. Olympus M 25mm F1.8 weighs 136g, 17% (29g) lighter than the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS's weight of 165g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Olympus M 25mm F1.8 has a 46mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus M 25mm F1.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Olympus M 25mm F1.8 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-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3.
Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS is also available in the Micro Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 14-42mm and
3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
28-84mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus M 25mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 50mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
