The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II and the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 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. Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II is the longer of the two lenses at 70mm. The Olympus M 17mm f1.8 with a length of 36mm, is 34mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II also has a larger diameter of 61mm compared to the Olympus M 17mm f1.8's 58mm 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 f1.8 weighs 120g, 72% (315g) lighter than the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II's weight of 435g.
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 Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus M 17mm f1.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II and the Olympus M 17mm f1.8 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-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Focal Range
Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 Type II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 25mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
50mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus M 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.