The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Venus 17mm F1.8 and the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 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 14mm f2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 96mm. The Venus 17mm F1.8 with a length of 51mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 also has a larger diameter of 87mm compared to the Venus 17mm F1.8's 55mm 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. Venus 17mm F1.8 weighs 172g, which means it is 380g (68%) lighter than the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 which has a weight of 552g.
Lens Mounts
The Venus 17mm F1.8 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 has the Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620 for the Four Thirds Mount.
Rokinon 14mm f2.8 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
Venus 17mm F1.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 17mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
34mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 14mm.
