The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX and the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS 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. Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX is the longer of the two lenses at 90mm. The Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS with a length of 49mm, is 41mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX also has a larger diameter of 84mm compared to the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS's 56mm 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 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS weighs 110g, 79% (420g) lighter than the Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX's weight of 530g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS has a 46mm 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 Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS:
Lens Mounts
The Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has the Canon EF lens mount whereas the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3 for the Canon EF Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX is also available in the Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Tokina 12-28mm f4 Pro DX has a focal range of 12-28mm and
2.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
19.2-44.8mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS 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.
