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 Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR 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 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR is the longer of the two lenses at 144mm. The Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR with a length of 99mm, is 45mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR's 73mm 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 Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR weighs 355g, 52% (390g) lighter than the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR's weight of 745g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR has a 52mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR 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.
Focal Range
Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
105 - 450mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Micro-85mm f3.5G ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 127.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
