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 TS-E 17mm f4L 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 TS-E 17mm f4L is the longer of the two lenses at 107mm. The Samyang 20mm F1.8 with a length of 88mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L also has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to the Samyang 20mm F1.8's 83mm 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. Samyang 20mm F1.8 weighs 497g, which means it is 323g (39%) lighter than the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L which has a weight of 820g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Canon TS-E 17mm f4L 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 TS-E 17mm f4L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 27.2mm.