The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 28mm F2.8 and the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 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. Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 112mm. The Sony 28mm F2.8 with a length of 43mm, is 69mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sony 28mm F2.8 has a larger diameter of 66mm compared to the Rokinon 35mm f1.4's 63mm 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 28mm F2.8 weighs 185g, which means it is 475g (71%) lighter than the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 which has a weight of 660g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Sony 28mm F2.8 has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 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 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony 28mm F2.8:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Rokinon 35mm f1.4:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 28mm F2.8 and the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 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.
Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Four Thirds, Pentax KAF and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
Sony 28mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
42mm.
On the other hand, the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 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.