The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 85mm F1.4 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 Samyang 85mm F1.4 with a length of 75mm, is 206mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 300mm f2.8 also has a larger diameter of 129mm compared to the Samyang 85mm F1.4's 78mm 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. Samyang 85mm F1.4 weighs 539g, which means it is 2751g (83%) lighter than the Olympus 300mm f2.8 which has a weight of 3290g.
Filter Threads
The Samyang 85mm F1.4 has a filter size of 72mm 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 72mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Samyang 85mm F1.4:
And these are the 43mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 300mm f2.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Samyang 85mm F1.4 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.
Samyang 85mm F1.4 is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha, Sony E and Samsung NX mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 85mm F1.4 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm.
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.