The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 and the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 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. Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 72mm. The Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 with a length of 43mm, is 29mm shorter. On the other hand, the Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6's 66mm 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 ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 weighs 220g, 4% (10g) lighter than the Voigtlander 12mm F5.6's weight of 230g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander 12mm F5.6:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6:
Lens Mounts
The Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 has the Leica M lens mount whereas the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 has the Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Leica M EV1, Leica M11-D and Pixii Max for the Leica M Mount and Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 12mm F5.6 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm.
On the other hand, the Olympus ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 has a focal range of 40-150mm and 3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 80-300mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
