The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF and the Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D 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. Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF is the longer of the two lenses at 223mm. The Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED with a length of 187mm, is 36mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF also has a larger diameter of 90mm compared to the Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED's 87mm 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. Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED weighs 1300g, 9% (140g) lighter than the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF's weight of 1440g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF and the Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED have the same Filter thread size of 77mm.
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF and the Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED 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.
Focal Range
Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
450mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon AF 80-200mm f2.8D ED has a focal range of 80-200mm 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 120 - 300mm.
