The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 85mm f1.8G and the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G 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 85mm f1.8G with a length of 73mm, is 71mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 80mm.
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 85mm f1.8G weighs 350g, which means it is 395g (53%) lighter than the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR which has a weight of 745g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 85mm f1.8G and the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR have the same Filter thread size of 67mm.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 85mm f1.8G and the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G 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 85mm f1.8G is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
127.5mm.
On the other hand, the 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.
