The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG and the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG is the longer of the two lenses at 726mm. The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG with a length of 122mm is 604mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG also has a larger diameter of 237mm compared to Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG's 77mm diameter.
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. Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG weighs 550g, 96% (15150g) lighter than the Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG's weight of 15700g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG and Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG is also available in Sigma SA and Canon EF mounts.
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG is also available in Canon EF , Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha, Sigma SA, Canon EF, Pentax KAF, Sony Alpha and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Sigma 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG has a focal range of 200-500mm and 2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 300 - 750mm.
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG has a focal range of 70-300mm and 4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.