The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM 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 DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM with a length of 45mm, is 67mm shorter. On the other hand, the Sony DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM has a larger diameter of 70mm 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 DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM weighs 150g, which means it is 510g (77%) lighter than the Rokinon 35mm f1.4 which has a weight of 660g.
Filter Threads
The Sony DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM 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 DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Rokinon 35mm f1.4:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM 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 A68, Sony A77 II and Sony A58.
Rokinon 35mm f1.4 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Four Thirds, Pentax KAF and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
Sony DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 30mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
45mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
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.