The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 and the Samyang 20mm 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. Samyang 20mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 with a length of 72mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 20mm F1.8 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8's 62mm 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. ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 weighs 394g, which means it is 103g (20%) lighter than the Samyang 20mm F1.8 which has a weight of 497g.
Filter Threads
The ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Samyang 20mm F1.8 has a 77mm 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 ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang 20mm F1.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 and the Samyang 20mm F1.8 has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
ZEISS Loxia 21mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
31.5mm.
On the other hand, the 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 30mm.