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 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM 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 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II is the longer of the two lenses at 136mm. The Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM with a length of 117mm, is 19mm 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 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM's 77mm 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 DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM weighs 460g, 38% (290g) lighter than the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II's weight of 750g.
Filter Threads
Both the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II and the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM have the same Filter thread size of 62mm.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II and the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 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.
On the other hand, the Sony DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM has a focal range of 55-300mm and 5.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.