The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II 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. Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro is the longer of the two lenses at 60mm. The Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II with a length of 48mm, is 12mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro also has a larger diameter of 68mm compared to the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II's 64mm 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. Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro weighs 265g, which means it is 55g (17%) lighter than the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II which has a weight of 320g.
Filter Threads
The Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Monochrome, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Voigtlander 58mm F1.4 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 58mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 87mm.