The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH 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. Samyang 14mm F2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 96mm. The Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH with a length of 88mm, is 8mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 14mm F2.8 also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH's 73mm 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. Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH weighs 315g, which means it is 237g (42%) lighter than the Samyang 14mm F2.8 which has a weight of 552g.
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Samyang 14mm F2.8 has the Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Samyang 14mm F2.8 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha, Sony E and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH has a focal range of 8-18mm and
2.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
16-36mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Samyang 14mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 14mm.
