The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 and the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake 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. Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 112mm. The Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake with a length of 22mm, is 90mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 also has a larger diameter of 63mm compared to the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake's 62mm 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. Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake weighs 85g, 87% (575g) lighter than the Rokinon 35mm f1.4's weight of 660g.
Filter Threads
The Rokinon 35mm f1.4 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake has a 43mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Rokinon 35mm f1.4:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake:
Lens Mounts
Both the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 and the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake has the same Samsung NX lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Samsung NX lenses are Samsung NX500, Samsung NX1 and Samsung NX3000.
Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Four Thirds, Pentax KAF and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm.
On the other hand, the Samsung 30mm F2 Pancake is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 30mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 45mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.