The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G and the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 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. Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G is the longer of the two lenses at 85mm. The Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 with a length of 36mm, is 49mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G also has a larger diameter of 74mm compared to the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8's 56mm 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. Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 weighs 70g, 81% (303g) lighter than the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G's weight of 373g.
Filter Threads
The Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 has a 41mm 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 Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G:
And these are the 41mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8:
Lens Mounts
The Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 has the Nikon 1 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR for the Sony E Mount and Nikon 1 J5, Nikon 1 S2 and Nikon 1 J4 for the Nikon 1 Mount.
Focal Range
Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G 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.
On the other hand, the Nikon 1 18.5mm f1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 19mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 51.3mm when used on a 1" format camera.