The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF and the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE 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. Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF is the longer of the two lenses at 69mm. The Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE with a length of 61mm, is 8mm shorter. On the other hand, the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE has a larger diameter of 64mm compared to the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF's 62mm 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. Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE weighs 145g, 70% (345g) lighter than the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF's weight of 490g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF and the Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF is also available in Sony E mount.
Focal Range
Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF 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 Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 18mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 27mm.