The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 and the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH is the longer of the two lenses at 102mm. The Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 with a length of 82mm, is 20mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 has a larger diameter of 74mm compared to the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH's 73mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 and Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 and the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH Size and Weight The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 weighs 300g, which means it is 440g (59%) lighter than the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH which has a weight of 740g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Leica L Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Prime Lenses in Leica L Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 and the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH has the same Leica L lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica L lenses are Panasonic S5 II, Panasonic S5 II X and Sigma fp L.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of 50mm but while Panasonic S 50mm F1.8 has the fastest aperture of F1.8, the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH's widest aperture value is F2.