The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II and the Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM 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. Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II is the longer of the two lenses at 136mm. The Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM with a length of 85mm, is 51mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM's 72mm 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. Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM weighs 305g, 59% (445g) lighter than the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II's weight of 750g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Sony Alpha Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II and the Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM 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 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.
Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM has a focal range of 55-200mm and 3.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.