The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro 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 300mm F6.3 MF Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 66mm. The Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS with a length of 49mm, is 17mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS has a larger diameter of 56mm compared to the Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro's 55mm 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, 63% (188g) lighter than the Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro's weight of 298g.
Filter Threads
The Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro has a filter size of 55mm 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 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro and the Panasonic 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II OIS has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3.
Focal Range
Tokina 300mm F6.3 MF Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
600mm when used on a FourThirds 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.
