The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 17mm F1.8 and the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake 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. Venus 17mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 51mm. The Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake with a length of 22mm, is 29mm shorter. On the other hand, the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake has a larger diameter of 57mm compared to the Venus 17mm F1.8'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. Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake weighs 71g, 58% (101g) lighter than the Venus 17mm F1.8's weight of 172g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Venus 17mm F1.8 has a filter size of 46mm whereas the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake 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 46mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Venus 17mm F1.8:
And these are the 37mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake:
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 17mm F1.8 and the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake 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
Both lenses have the same focal range of
17mm but while Venus 17mm F1.8 has the fastest aperture of
F1.8, the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake's widest aperture value is
F2.8.
