The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 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 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 61mm. The Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS with a length of 60mm, is 1mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 66mm compared to the Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS's 60mm 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 ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 weighs 190g, 2% (5g) lighter than the Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS's weight of 195g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 has the Four Thirds 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 Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 is also available in Micro Four Thirds mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 14-45mm and
3.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
28-90mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 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.
