The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ and the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II 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. Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ is the longer of the two lenses at 71mm. The Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II with a length of 50mm, is 21mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ also has a larger diameter of 64mm compared to the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II's 57mm 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 M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II weighs 112g, 60% (169g) lighter than the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ's weight of 281g.
Filter Threads
The Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II has a 37mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ:
And these are the 37mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II:
Lens Mounts
The Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR for the Sony E Mount and OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
82.5mm.
On the other hand, the Olympus M 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II 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.