The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 and the Canon 400mm 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 400mm f2.8L IS II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 343mm. The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 with a length of 174mm, is 169mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 400mm f2.8L IS II USM also has a larger diameter of 163mm compared to the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8's 88mm 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. Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 weighs 1245g, which means it is 2605g (67%) lighter than the Canon 400mm f2.8L IS II USM which has a weight of 3850g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 has a filter size of 77mm whereas the Canon 400mm 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 Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 400mm f2.8L IS II USM:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Canon 400mm 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
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.
On the other hand, the Canon 400mm f2.8L IS II USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 640mm.
