The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS and the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ 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 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ is the longer of the two lenses at 83mm. The Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS with a length of 24mm, is 59mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ also has a larger diameter of 57mm compared to the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS'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. Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS weighs 70g, which means it is 141g (66%) lighter than the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ which has a weight of 211g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Zoom Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS has a filter size of 37mm whereas the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ 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 37mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS and the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ 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-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Focal Range
Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS has a focal range of 12-32mm and
2.7X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
24-64mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ has a focal range of 12-50mm and 4.2X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-100mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.