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 Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega 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. Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS is the longer of the two lenses at 27mm. The Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS with a length of 24mm, is 3mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS also has a larger diameter of 61mm 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, 26% (25g) lighter than the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS's weight of 95g.
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
Both the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS have the same Filter thread size of 37mm.
Below are links to the 37mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and the Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS 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 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.
