The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 300mm F2.8 G and the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II 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. Sony 300mm F2.8 G is the longer of the two lenses at 243mm. The Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II with a length of 136mm, is 107mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 300mm F2.8 G also has a larger diameter of 122mm compared to the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II's 83mm 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. Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II weighs 750g, 67% (1560g) lighter than the Sony 300mm F2.8 G's weight of 2310g.
Filter Threads
The Sony 300mm F2.8 G has a filter size of 42mm whereas the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 42mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony 300mm F2.8 G:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 300mm F2.8 G and the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II has the same Sony Alpha lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony Alpha lenses are Sony A99 II, Sony A68 and Sony A77 II.
Focal Range
Sony 300mm F2.8 G is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 300mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
450mm.
On the other hand, the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II 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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 450mm.
