The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 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 400mm F4.5 VR S is the longer of the two lenses at 235mm. The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 with a length of 174mm, is 61mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S also has a larger diameter of 104mm compared to the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8's 88mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 Size and Weight 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.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has the Nikon Z lens mount whereas the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount . Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon ZR , Nikon Z5 II and RED Komodo-X 6K Z for the Nikon Z Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro , OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
600mm .
On the other hand, the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 400mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
