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 Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II is the longer of the two lenses at 268mm. The Samyang 300mm f6.3 with a length of 74mm, is 194mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II also has a larger diameter of 124mm compared to the Samyang 300mm f6.3's 65mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Samyang 300mm f6.3 weighs 260g, which means it is 2640g (91%) lighter than the Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II which has a weight of 2900g.
Lens Mounts
The Samyang 300mm f6.3 has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Samyang 300mm f6.3 is also available in Canon EF , Four Thirds and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of 300mm but while Samyang 300mm f6.3 has the fastest aperture of F6.3, the Nikon 300mm f2.8G ED VR II's widest aperture value is F2.8.