The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro and the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM 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. Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 249mm. The Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro with a length of 227mm, is 22mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM also has a larger diameter of 128mm compared to the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro's 93mm 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. Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro weighs 1270g, which means it is 1130g (47%) lighter than the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM which has a weight of 2400g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM 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 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM:
Lens Mounts
The Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of
300mm but while Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro has the fastest aperture of
F4.0, the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM's widest aperture value is
F2.8.
