The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 600mm F4L and the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED 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 RF 600mm F4L is the longer of the two lenses at 472mm. The Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED with a length of 134mm, is 338mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 600mm F4L also has a larger diameter of 168mm compared to the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED's 83mm 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. Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED weighs 825g, 73% (2265g) lighter than the Canon RF 600mm F4L's weight of 3090g.
Filter Threads
The Canon RF 600mm F4L has a filter size of 52mm whereas the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED has a 77mm 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 Canon RF 600mm F4L:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED:
Lens Mounts
The Canon RF 600mm F4L has the Canon RF lens mount whereas the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED has the Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Canon R6 V, Canon R6 III and Canon C50 for the Canon RF Mount and Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF Mount.
Focal Range
Canon RF 600mm F4L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 600mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
960mm.
On the other hand, the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
