The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II and the Canon 50mm f1.8 II 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 50mm f1.8 II is the longer of the two lenses at 41mm. The Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II with a length of 25mm, is 16mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 50mm f1.8 II also has a larger diameter of 68mm compared to the Voigtlander 40mm F2 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 50mm f1.8 II weighs 130g, 35% (70g) lighter than the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II's weight of 200g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II and the Canon 50mm f1.8 II 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 40mm F2 SL II is also available in Nikon F (FX) and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 64mm.
Canon 50mm f1.8 II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 80mm.