The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Samyang 300mm f6.3 and the Canon 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 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 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 II USM is the longer of the two lenses at 97mm. The Samyang 300mm f6.3 with a length of 74mm, is 23mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 II USM also has a larger diameter of 70mm compared to the Samyang 300mm f6.3's 65mm 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. Canon 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 II USM weighs 310g, 2% (8g) lighter than the Samyang 300mm f6.3's weight of 318g.
Lens Mounts
The Samyang 300mm f6.3 has the Canon EF-M lens mount whereas the Canon 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 II USM has the Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are , and for the Canon EF-M Mount and Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K for the Canon EF Mount.
Samyang 300mm f6.3 is also available in the Fujifilm X , Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts.
Focal Range
Samyang 300mm f6.3 is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of
450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
On the other hand, the Canon 55-200mm f4.5-5.6 II USM has a focal range of 55-200mm and 3.6X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 88 - 320mm.
