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 50mm f2.0 Macro 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 50mm f2.0 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 62mm. The Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS with a length of 60mm, is 2mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 50mm f2.0 Macro also has a larger diameter of 71mm 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. Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS weighs 195g, which means it is 105g (35%) lighter than the Olympus ED 50mm f2.0 Macro which has a weight of 300g.
Filter Threads
Both the Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Olympus ED 50mm f2.0 Macro have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 50mm f2.0 Macro 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.
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 50mm f2.0 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 100mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
