The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR and the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM 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. Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 432mm. The Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM with a length of 350mm, is 82mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR also has a larger diameter of 166mm compared to the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM's 123mm 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. Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM weighs 3150g, 17% (660g) lighter than the Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR's weight of 3810g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR has a filter size of 40mm whereas the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM 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 40mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR and the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon 600mm F4E FL ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 600mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
900mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 750mm.