The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR and the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 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. Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 137mm. The PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR with a length of 89mm, is 48mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 79mm compared to the PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR's 77mm 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 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR weighs 471g, which means it is 549g (53%) lighter than the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 which has a weight of 1020g.
Filter Threads
The PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a 72mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR:
And these are the 72mm filters that we recommend for the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
The PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR has the Pentax KAF3 lens mount whereas the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III for the Pentax KAF3 Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is also available in Nikon F (FX) mount.
Focal Range
PENTAX 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED WR has a focal range of 55-300mm and
5.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Tokina 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 80-400mm and 5.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 128 - 640mm.
