The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS and the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro 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 40-150mm F2.8 Pro is the longer of the two lenses at 160mm. The Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS with a length of 148mm, is 12mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro's 79mm 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. Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro weighs 760g, 3% (30g) lighter than the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS's weight of 790g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has a 72mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has the Leica L lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Leica SL3, Panasonic S5 II and Panasonic S5 II X for the Leica L Mount and OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Panasonic S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 OIS has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio .
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro has a focal range of 40-150mm and 3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 80-300mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.