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 Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF 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. Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF is the longer of the two lenses at 90mm. The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 29mm, is 61mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II'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. Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II weighs 205g, which means it is 280g (57%) lighter than the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF which has a weight of 485g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF 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 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF:
Lens Mounts
The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is also available in the Canon EF 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 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
30mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 12-24mm f4G ED-IF has a focal range of 12-24mm and 2.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 18-36mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
