The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 20mm F2.8 and the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II 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 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II is the longer of the two lenses at 114mm. The Sony 20mm F2.8 with a length of 54mm, is 60mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Sony 20mm F2.8's 78mm 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. Sony 20mm F2.8 weighs 285g, which means it is 587g (67%) lighter than the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II which has a weight of 872g.
Filter Threads
The Sony 20mm F2.8 has a filter size of 72mm whereas the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony 20mm F2.8:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 20mm F2.8 and the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Focal Range
Sony 20mm F2.8 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.
On the other hand, the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II has a focal range of 16-35mm and 2.2X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 24 - 52.5mm.
