The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus 300mm 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. Olympus 300mm f2.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 281mm. The Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 with a length of 127mm, is 154mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 300mm f2.8 also has a larger diameter of 129mm compared to the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6's 80mm 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 ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 weighs 620g, which means it is 2670g (81%) lighter than the Olympus 300mm f2.8 which has a weight of 3290g.
Filter Threads
The Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Olympus 300mm f2.8 has a 43mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 300mm f2.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 and the Olympus 300mm f2.8 has the same Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Four Thirds lenses are Olympus E-5, Olympus E-600 and Olympus E-620.
Focal Range
Olympus ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
140-600mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Olympus 300mm f2.8 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 600mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
