The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8 and the Samyang 14mm F2.8 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. HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 100mm. The Samyang 14mm F2.8 with a length of 96mm, is 4mm shorter. Besides being longer, the HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8 also has a larger diameter of 90mm compared to the Samyang 14mm F2.8's 87mm 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 14mm F2.8 weighs 552g, 21% (152g) lighter than the HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8's weight of 704g.
Lens Mounts
The HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8 has the Pentax KAF3 lens mount whereas the Samyang 14mm F2.8 has the Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF3 Mount and Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF Mount.
Samyang 14mm F2.8 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Four Thirds, Sony Alpha, Sony E and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
HD Pentax-DA 11-18mm F2.8 has a focal range of 11-18mm and
1.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
16.5-27mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Samyang 14mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 14mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 21mm.
