The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM and the Sony 28mm F2.8 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM is the longer of the two lenses at 52mm. The Sony 28mm F2.8 with a length of 43mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the Sony 28mm F2.8's 66mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM weighs 170g, which means it is 15g (8%) lighter than the Sony 28mm F2.8 which has a weight of 185g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM and the Sony 28mm F2.8 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.
Focal Range
Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 35mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 52.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera. 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.