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 Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM 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. Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 289mm. The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S with a length of 235mm, is 54mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM also has a larger diameter of 114mm compared to the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S's 104mm 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 400mm F4.5 VR S weighs 1245g, which means it is 1705g (57%) lighter than the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM which has a weight of 2950g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has a 105mm 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 105mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has the Nikon Z lens mount whereas the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has the Nikon F (FX) 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 Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is also available in Canon EF 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 Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM has a focal range of 120-300mm and 2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 180 - 450mm.
