Compare lenses

Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED vs Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary

The Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED if you want a brighter f/4.5 (0.3 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds and a wider view (from 70mm equivalent). Pick the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary if you want more reach (to 400mm equivalent) and a fit on more cameras (39 against 17 in this guide).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED	Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary
Maker	Nikon	Sigma
Focal length	70-300mm (zoom)	100-400mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	70-300mm	100-400mm
Maximum aperture	f/4.5-5.6brighter	f/5-6.3
Made for	Full frame	Full frame
Mounts	Nikon F	Canon EF, Nikon F
Stabilised	yes	yes
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	4.3×	4.0×
Cameras it fits	17 in this guide	39 in this guidefits more cameras

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED: 70-300mm.

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary: 100-400mm.

Aperture

Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED: f/4.5 wide open.

Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary: f/5 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

17 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body. In all, the Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED fits 17 and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary 39.