The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic S 40mm F2 and the Leica 18-56mm 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. Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 60mm. The Panasonic S 40mm F2 with a length of 41mm, is 19mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic S 40mm F2 has a larger diameter of 69mm compared to the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6's 63mm 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 S 40mm F2 weighs 144g, which means it is 112g (43%) lighter than the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 which has a weight of 256g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic S 40mm F2 has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 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 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic S 40mm F2:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic S 40mm F2 and the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 has the same Leica L lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica L lenses are Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE.
Focal Range
Panasonic S 40mm F2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm.
On the other hand, the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 18-56mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-84mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
