The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR and the Samyang 300mm f6.3 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 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 358mm. The Samyang 300mm f6.3 with a length of 74mm, is 284mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR also has a larger diameter of 160mm compared to the Samyang 300mm f6.3's 65mm 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. Samyang 300mm f6.3 weighs 260g, 93% (3540g) lighter than the Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR's weight of 3800g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR has a filter size of 41mm whereas the Samyang 300mm f6.3 has a 26mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 41mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR:
And these are the 26mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang 300mm f6.3:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Samyang 300mm f6.3 has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Samyang 300mm f6.3 is also available in Canon EF , Four Thirds and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Nikon 400mm f2.8E FL ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
600mm.
On the other hand, the Samyang 300mm f6.3 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
