The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR and the Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6G 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 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR is the longer of the two lenses at 144mm. The Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6G with a length of 117mm, is 27mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6G's 74mm 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 70-300mm f4-5.6G weighs 425g, 42% (320g) lighter than the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR's weight of 745g.
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 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR and the Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6G 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
Both lenses have the same focal range of 70-300mm but while Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has the fastest aperture of F4.5 - F5.6, the Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6G's widest aperture value is F4.0 - F5.6.