The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 and the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM 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 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM is the longer of the two lenses at 200mm. The Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 with a length of 144mm, is 56mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM also has a larger diameter of 88mm compared to the Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6's 84mm 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 FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 weighs 854g, which means it is 626g (42%) lighter than the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM which has a weight of 1480g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 and the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7R V, Sony FX30 and Sony A7 IV.
Focal Range
Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 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 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM has a focal range of 70-200mm and 2.9X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 105 - 300mm.