The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A and the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX 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. Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A is the longer of the two lenses at 130mm. The Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX with a length of 78mm, is 52mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A also has a larger diameter of 91mm compared to the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX's 84mm 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. Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX weighs 610g, 35% (340g) lighter than the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A's weight of 950g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A and the Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX 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.
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A is also available in Nikon F (FX) , Sigma SA and Leica L mounts.
Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX is also available in Nikon F (DX) mount.
Focal Range
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A 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 Tokina 16.5-135mm f3.5-5.6 DX has a focal range of 17-135mm and 7.9X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27.2-216mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.