The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM 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. Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 113mm. The Samyang 20mm F1.8 with a length of 88mm, is 25mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 83mm.
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. Samyang 20mm F1.8 weighs 497g, which means it is 118g (19%) lighter than the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM which has a weight of 615g.
Filter Threads
Both the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is also available in Canon EF-M , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
32mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 16-35mm f4L IS USM has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 25.6 - 56mm.