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 Samyang 16mm f2.0 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. Samyang 16mm f2.0 is the longer of the two lenses at 89mm. The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 29mm, is 60mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 16mm f2.0 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 378g (64%) lighter than the Samyang 16mm f2.0 which has a weight of 583g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Samyang 16mm f2.0 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 Samyang 16mm f2.0:
Lens Mounts
The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Samyang 16mm f2.0 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 Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Samyang 16mm f2.0 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Four Thirds, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha, Sony E and Samsung NX 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 Samyang 16mm f2.0 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 16mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.