The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 237mm. The Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR with a length of 148mm is 89mm shorter. On the other hand, the Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR has a larger diameter of 89mm compared to Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR's 61mm diameter.
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. Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR weighs 750g, 48% (710g) lighter than the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR's weight of 1460g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR 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 AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 750mm.
Nikon 300mm f4E PF VR 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 an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 450mm.