The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II and the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS 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. Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II is the longer of the two lenses at 126mm. The Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM with a length of 100mm, is 26mm shorter. On the other hand, the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM has a larger diameter of 82mm compared to the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II's 74mm 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 100-300mm F4-5.6 II weighs 520g, which means it is 200g (27%) lighter than the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM which has a weight of 720g.
Filter Threads
The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM has a 58mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II:
And these are the 58mm filters that we recommend for the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM:
Lens Mounts
The Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 II has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount whereas the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS 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 100-300mm F4-5.6 II has a focal range of 100-300mm and
3.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
200-600mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 112 - 480mm.
