The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR and the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 268mm. The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG with a length of 122mm, is 146mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG's 77mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG weighs 550g, 76% (1750g) lighter than the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR's weight of 2300g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR and the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG 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 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha, Sigma SA, Canon EF, Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has a focal range of 200-500mm and 2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 300 - 750mm.
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.