The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR and the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF 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 600mm f4G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 445mm. The Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF with a length of 223mm, is 222mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 166mm compared to the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF's 90mm 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. Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF weighs 1440g, 71% (3620g) lighter than the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR's weight of 5060g.
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 the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR and the Nikon 300mm f4D ED-IF 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 600mm f4G ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 600mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 900mm.
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.