The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake and the Samyang 16mm f2.0 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 16mm f2.0 is the longer of the two lenses at 89mm. The Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake with a length of 25mm, is 64mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 16mm f2.0 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Samsung 20mm F2.8 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 20mm F2.8 Pancake weighs 89g, which means it is 494g (84%) lighter than the Samyang 16mm f2.0 which has a weight of 583g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Samsung NX Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Samsung NX Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake has a filter size of 43mm whereas the Samyang 16mm f2.0 has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 43mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang 16mm f2.0:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake and the Samyang 16mm f2.0 has the same Samsung NX lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Samsung NX lenses are Samsung NX1, Samsung NX3000 and Samsung NX30.
Samyang 16mm f2.0 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Nikon F (DX), Four Thirds, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
30mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Samyang 16mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 16mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.