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 FA 31mm F1.8 L 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. Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L is the longer of the two lenses at 69mm. The Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 29mm, is 40mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L also has a larger diameter of 65mm 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. Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II weighs 205g, which means it is 140g (40%) lighter than the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L which has a weight of 345g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II and the Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax KF, Pentax K-3 III and Pentax K-1 II.
Voigtlander 20mm F3.5 SL II is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) 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.
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 31mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 46.5mm.