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 Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L 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. Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is the longer of the two lenses at 29mm. The Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L with a length of 25mm, is 4mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 63mm.
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. Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L weighs 140g, 31% (65g) lighter than the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II's weight of 205g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has a 49mm 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 49mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II and the Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Monochrome, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is also available in Pentax KAF mount.
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 Pentax 21mm F3.2 AL L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 31.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.