The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED and the Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR 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. Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 125mm. The Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED with a length of 81mm, is 44mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 83mm.
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. Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED weighs 355g, which means it is 330g (48%) lighter than the Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR which has a weight of 685g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED and the Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR 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
The Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 20mm f1.8G ED 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.
On the other hand, the Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.
