The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex and the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM 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 500mm F4 G SSM is the longer of the two lenses at 368mm. The Sony 500mm F8 Reflex with a length of 118mm, is 250mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM also has a larger diameter of 140mm compared to the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex's 89mm 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 500mm F8 Reflex weighs 665g, which means it is 2795g (80%) lighter than the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM which has a weight of 3460g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Mirror Prime Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Sony 500mm F8 Reflex has a filter size of 55mm whereas the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM has a 42mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 55mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex:
And these are the 42mm filters that we recommend for the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 500mm F8 Reflex and the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM 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
Both lenses have the same focal range of
500mm but while Sony 500mm F8 Reflex has the fastest aperture of
F8.0, the Sony 500mm F4 G SSM's widest aperture value is
F4.0.
