The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 and the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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. Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 is the longer of the two lenses at 252mm. The Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD with a length of 99mm, is 153mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 also has a larger diameter of 95mm compared to the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD's 80mm 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 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD weighs 575g, 67% (1205g) lighter than the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3's weight of 1780g.
Filter Threads
The Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 has a filter size of 86mm whereas the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD 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 86mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD:
Lens Mounts
The Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 has the Pentax KAF3 lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has the Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF3 Mount and Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 is also available in the Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 has a focal range of 150-500mm and
3.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
225 - 750mm.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD has a focal range of 12-60mm and 5.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-120mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
