The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II and the Canon 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. Canon 28mm f2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 43mm. The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 29mm, is 14mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 28mm f2.8 also has a larger diameter of 67mm compared to the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II's 63mm 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. Canon 28mm f2.8 weighs 185g, 9% (20g) lighter than the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II's weight of 205g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II and the Canon 28mm f2.8 has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 20mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 32mm.
Canon 28mm f2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 44.8mm.