The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Nikon 35mm f2D for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Samyang 20mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Nikon 35mm f2D with a length of 45mm, is 43mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 20mm F1.8 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Nikon 35mm f2D's 65mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Nikon 35mm f2D weighs 205g, 58% (292g) lighter than the Samyang 20mm F1.8's weight of 497g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Nikon 35mm f2D has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax KAF, Samsung NX, Sony Alpha and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 30mm.
Nikon 35mm f2D is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 52.5mm.