The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Zeiss Batis 18mm 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 Batis 18mm F2.8 with a length of 80mm, is 8mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 20mm F1.8 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Zeiss Batis 18mm F2.8's 78mm 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 Batis 18mm F2.8 weighs 330g, which means it is 167g (33%) lighter than the Samyang 20mm F1.8 which has a weight of 497g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Zeiss Batis 18mm F2.8 and the Samyang 20mm F1.8 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 Zeiss Batis 18mm 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 Batis 18mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
27mm.
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.