The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2 and the Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
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. Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 weighs 135g, 34% (70g) lighter than the Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2's weight of 205g.
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2 has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 has a 46mm 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 SEPTON 40mm f2:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2 and the Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 has the same Nikon Z lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Z lenses are Nikon ZR, Nikon Z5 II and RED Komodo-X 6K Z.
Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2 is also available in the Sony E mount.
Focal Range
Voigtlander SEPTON 40mm f2 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 40mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
60mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Z 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 has a focal range of 16-50mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 24-75mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.