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 Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 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. Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 is the longer of the two lenses at 205mm. The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 with a length of 174mm, is 31mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 also has a larger diameter of 94mm compared to the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8's 88mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 and Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 and the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 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. Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 weighs 1245g, which means it is 150g (10%) lighter than the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 which has a weight of 1395g.
Filter Threads
Both the Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 and the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 have the same Filter thread size of 77mm .
Below are links to the 77mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic DG 200mm F2.8 has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 has the Sony E 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 Sony FX5 , Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E 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 Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150 - 600mm .
