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 Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF 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 20mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF with a length of 69mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 20mm F1.8 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF'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. Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF weighs 490g, 1% (7g) 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 Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Samyang 20mm F1.8 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF has a 62mm 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 Samyang 20mm F1.8:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha mounts.
Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF is also available in Sony E mount.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of
20mm but while Samyang 20mm F1.8 has the fastest aperture of
F1.8, the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF's widest aperture value is
F2.