The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM and the Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II 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. Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 252mm. The Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II with a length of 79mm, is 173mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 128mm compared to the Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II's 69mm 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. Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II weighs 250g, 90% (2300g) lighter than the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM's weight of 2550g.
Filter Threads
Both the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM and the Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM and the Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Focal Range
Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
480mm.
On the other hand, the Canon 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II has a focal range of 80-200mm and 2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 128 - 320mm.
