The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 12mm f2.0 and the Samsung 20mm F2.8 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. Samyang 12mm f2.0 is the longer of the two lenses at 59mm. The Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake with a length of 25mm, is 34mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 12mm f2.0 also has a larger diameter of 73mm 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, 65% (171g) lighter than the Samyang 12mm f2.0's weight of 260g.
Filter Threads
The Samyang 12mm f2.0 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Samsung 20mm F2.8 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 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Samyang 12mm f2.0:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 12mm f2.0 and the Samsung 20mm F2.8 Pancake 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 12mm f2.0 is also available in the Canon EF-M , Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 12mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 12mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
18mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the 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.
