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 Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Venus 17mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 51mm. The Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH with a length of 26mm, is 25mm shorter. On the other hand, the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH has a larger diameter of 63mm compared to the Venus 17mm F1.8's 55mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH weighs 100g, 41% (72g) 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 Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Venus 17mm F1.8 and the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH 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-5, Panasonic GH6 and OM System OM-1.
Focal Range
Venus 17mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 34mm when used on a FourThirds format camera. Panasonic 20mm F1.7 ASPH is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 40mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.