The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN and the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro 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. Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN is the longer of the two lenses at 236mm. The Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro with a length of 227mm, is 9mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN also has a larger diameter of 108mm compared to the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro's 93mm 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. Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro weighs 1270g, 6% (95g) lighter than the Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN's weight of 1365g.
Filter Threads
The Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro:
Lens Mounts
The Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN has the Sony E lens mount whereas the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro has the Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Sony FX5, Sony A7R VI and Sony A7 V for the Sony E Mount and OM System OM-3 Astro, OM System OM-5 II and OM System OM-3 for the Micro Four Thirds Mount.
Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN is also available in the Leica L mount.
Focal Range
Sigma 500mm f5.6 DG DN is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
750mm.
On the other hand, the Olympus 300mm F4 IS Pro 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.
