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Canon RF800/11 is STM(N)
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Canon |
Focal Length Description | 800 mm |
Lens Type | Telephoto |
Compatible Mountings | Canon RF |
Camera Lens Description | 11 |
About this item
- First Compact and Lightweight 800mm Super Telephoto RF Lens.
- Excellent Portability made Easier with an Extending / Retracting Locking Lens Barrel Design.
- Gapless double-layer Diffractive Optics (DO) reduce Chromatic Aberration for High Image Quality.
- High Image Quality at a fixed f/11 Aperture.
- Optical Image Stabilization with up to 4 Stops of Shake Correction.
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- Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM Super-Telephoto LensAmazon's Choicein SLR Camera Lenses
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Price | $999.00$999.00 | -11% $889.95$889.95 New Price: $999.00 | $1,599.00$1,599.00 | $16,999.00$16,999.00 | $799.00$799.00 | -25% $600.95$600.95 New Price: $799.00 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it May 15 - 17 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Picture quality | 4.3 | — | 5.0 | — | 4.0 | 4.8 |
Light weight | 4.8 | — | 5.0 | — | 5.0 | — |
Image stabilization | 4.7 | — | 4.8 | — | — | 5.0 |
Value for money | 4.5 | — | — | — | 4.4 | 5.0 |
Auto focus | 4.0 | — | 4.7 | — | 4.0 | — |
Sold By | Amazon.com | PhoenixPhoto | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Deals2Go (SN Recorded) |
lens type | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto |
compatible mountings | Canon RF | Canon RF | Canon RF | Canon RF | Canon RF | Canon RF |
lens design | Prime | Prime | Zoom | Prime | Prime | Prime |
focus type | Auto Focus | — | Auto Focus | Fixed Focus | Auto Focus | — |
fixed focal length | 800 millimeters | 800 millimeters | 200 millimeters | 800 millimeters | 600 millimeters | 600 millimeters |
model name | CNRF800F11 | rf800/11,rf800mm | CNRF70200F4 | rf800mm | rf600/11,rf600mm | rf600mm |
Product Description
The RF800mm F11 IS STM super-telephoto lens provides a long 800 millimeter focal length and is the first compact and lightweight 800mm super telephoto lens in the RF lineup. This lens is ideal for bird, wildlife, outdoor sports, and aviation photography or, when you just want to bring those subjects in the distance closer to you. The RF800mm F11 IS STM lens features an STM focusing system ideal for fast and quiet focusing when tracking elusive subjects out in nature. Additionally, an optical image stabilization system with up to 4 stops of shake correction makes it easy to use either hand-held or with a monopod. It will also accept an RF 1.4X or 2.0X teleconverter^ to increase your focal length to a staggering 1120mm or 1600mm respectively.
From the manufacturer
RF800mm F11 IS STM Super Telephoto Lens
The RF800mm F11 IS STM lens is the first compact, lightweight super telephoto 800mm lens in the RF lineup. Built-in image stabilization, smooth autofocusing and more features make it great for wildlife, sports, aviation and scenarios when you need to capture faraway subjects in high detail.
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Excellent Portability
An extending/retracting locking lens barrel design makes for easy storage when you're on-the-go.
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DO Technology
Gapless double-layer Diffractive Optics (DO) reduce chromatic aberration for high image quality.
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High Detail at a Distance
Clear, detailed images are delivered with minimal color fringing, even at a fixed aperture of F11.
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Clear, Steady Results
Built-in IS with up to 4 stops* of shake correction helps to significantly reduce camera shake.
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Lead Screw-type STM
A lead screw-type STM focus motor enables smooth, quiet autofocusing for both stills and video.
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Control Ring
A customizable control ring lets you easily change settings like shutter speed, aperture and ISO.
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12-pin Communication
A 12-pin connection between EOS R series cameras and the lens helps enable high-speed performance.
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Extender Options
Compatibility with the RF Extender 1.4x and RF Extender 2x allows even more close-distance capture.
Compare EOS RF Series Lenses
RF800mm | RF600mm | RF100-500mm | RF85mm USM | RF85mm STM | RF70-200mm USM | |
Customer Reviews
|
4.5 out of 5 stars
187
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
122
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4.7 out of 5 stars
386
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4.6 out of 5 stars
156
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4.6 out of 5 stars
518
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4.8 out of 5 stars
420
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Price
| $999.00$999.00 | $799.00$799.00 | $2,699.00$2,699.00 | $2,599.00$2,599.00 | $549.00$549.00 | $2,499.00$2,499.00 |
Focal Length
| 800mm | 600mm | 100-500mm | 85mm | 85mm | 70-200mm |
Maximum Aperture
| f/11 | f/11 | f/4.5-7.1 | f/1.2 | f/2 | f/2.8 |
Minimum Focusing Distance
| 19.69 ft. | 14.76 ft. | 2.95 ft. (at 100mm) | 2.79 ft. | 1.14 ft. | 2.3 ft. |
Maximum Magnification
| 0.14x | 0.14x | 0.12x (at 100mm) | 0.12x | 0.5x | 0.23x |
Optical Image Stabilization
| Up to 4 stops* | Up to 5 stops* | Up to 5 stops* | N/A | Up to 5 stops* | Up to 5 stops* |
Lens Construction
| 11 Elements in 8 groups | 11 Elements in 7 groups | 20 Elements in 14 groups | 13 Elements in 9 groups | 12 Elements in 11 groups | 17 Elements in 13 groups |
Aperture Blades
| None | None | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Weight
| Approx. 2.77 lbs. | Approx. 2.05 lbs. | Approx. 3.0 lbs. | Approx. 2.53 lbs. | Approx. 1.10 lbs. | Approx. 2.36 lbs. |
What's in the box
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 15.4 x 6.7 x 6.5 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 3.52 pounds |
ASIN | B08C73SG8N |
Item model number | 3987C002 |
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #463 in SLR Camera Lenses |
Date First Available | July 9, 2020 |
Manufacturer | Canon USA |
Warranty & Support
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sharpness, quality and value of the camera lens. They mention that it's a great wildlife lens, with good value for the cost. They are also satisfied with the weight. However, some customers have mixed opinions on image quality, light, and autofocus.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers appreciate the value of the lens. They say it's a great budget lens with incredible reach and usability for the price. Some mention that it'd be a good lens for beginners.
"Pros• Affordable ( Compared to most other wildlife lenses)• Extremely Light (Able to be handheld)• Great Image Quality•..." Read more
"...Still, as far as capability and usability for the price, as of this writing nothing else comes close. Highly recommended." Read more
"This lens really offers a lot for the cost. Is it perfect? No. It would be nice for it to focus closer. 20 feet is pretty far off...." Read more
"...The reach is incredible for the price. Having spent a morning with the lens, I have a better understanding on how to use it...." Read more
Customers like the weight of the camera lenses. They say it's very light, and can be handheld. Some mention that it'll be the most portable 800mm they'll find.
"As others have said in reviews, this is the most portable 800mm you're probably going to find...." Read more
"...This is due to its’ light weight and ease of use compared to the big Super Telephoto Primes...." Read more
"...It is tuned to work great with it, and it does.The lens is lightweight and VERY sharp...." Read more
"...Good AF• Compact (compared to others)• GREAT in sunny conditionsCons• F11 (Can sometimes be a pain)•..." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the lens. They mention that it is a great wildlife lens with good AF and excellent optics. They also say that the lens is light weight and perfect for wildlife.
"...The Canon R5 manages high ISOs quite well...." Read more
"...an F/11 non-adjustable lens, however the R series cameras are very good at high ISO's and to be truthful, unless you are shooting Birds in Flight,..." Read more
"...Insane 800MM Range ( for the price and in general)• Good AF• Compact (compared to others)• GREAT in sunny conditions..." Read more
"I use this for bird photography, and its light weight coupled with excellent optics makes this a winning choice...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the usability of the lens. They mention that the autofocus is a bit slow but works just fine, it gets very usable results, and is tuned to work great with their camera. The lens is lightweight and very sharp, and works excellently with the Canon EOS R5 even in low light. The AF works well and is easy enough to manual. It works great for quick shots but also on a tripod, and the F11 is no issue in the day.
"...the obvious limitations and are able to work within them, this is a very useful and unique product." Read more
"...noise filter, I can shoot at very high ISO's (up to 25K) and get very usable results. It sounds to good to be true, but it's not...." Read more
"...The viewfinder or back screen on my R5 is NOT DARK, the lens AF works WELL and is easy enough to manual focus if your having doubts.. Would have..." Read more
"Being F11 the photo is a little soft but still very usable. Minimum focusing distance is very long making it not versatile lens...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the sharpness of the camera lens. They mention that it's super sharp, but autofocus is flawed on EOS R.
"...The photos fell into groups. Individual ducks at rest were quite sharp except that some ducts around 50 ft distant had portions of the duck blurry...." Read more
"...The lens is lightweight and VERY sharp. I'm not going to say $12K sharp, but you get the idea. It is very good...." Read more
"...Very light to carry, and it's compact when collapsed. Sharpness is very good, but falls just a bit short of great, but IS does help at slower..." Read more
"...Amazingly sharp for a lens costing under $1K. Retracting barrel and light weight make it comfortable to carry." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the image quality of the lens. Some find the quality nice and sharp, while others say that the photos are unacceptably blurry, soft, and inaccurate.
"...Extremely Light (Able to be handheld)• Great Image Quality• Insane 800MM Range ( for the price and in general)• Good AF•..." Read more
"...Nearly all of the photos were unacceptably blurry where I did not want any blur. The photos fell into groups...." Read more
"I love this lens. Canon has managed to fit 800mm of reach, very good image quality, relatively light weight, relatively small size, and a reasonable..." Read more
"...-Decent image quality. My first outing was an overcast morning and I was hand-holding...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the autofocus of the lens. Some mention that it's reasonably fast focusing, with an amazing reach and reasonable size, weight, and image quality. However, others say that it has a limited autofocus area, doesn't focus before 20 feet, and has mediocre image quality with a long reach.
"...Great Image Quality• Insane 800MM Range ( for the price and in general)• Good AF• Compact (compared to others)•..." Read more
"...Autofocus is limited to the central region of the frame, but is responsive and accurate within that space...." Read more
"...However, the lens usually focuses very quickly and is silent. The advantage is that the lens is relatively light and therefore suitable for hiking...." Read more
"...Is it perfect? No. It would be nice for it to focus closer. 20 feet is pretty far off. It would be nice if it wasn't f11...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the light. Some mention that it's light for a few shots, but pleased on the low light shots. It's great in sunny conditions, but some say that it likes a lot of light.
"...Good AF• Compact (compared to others)• GREAT in sunny conditionsCons• F11 (Can sometimes be a pain)•..." Read more
"...At fast shutter speeds (bird photography), the lens is much too dark, so high ISO values are necessary for all photos...." Read more
"...But, still have been pleased on the low light shots. For the price, you can't beat it...." Read more
"This lens likes a lot of light, but what telephoto doesn't? This is a great lens for the money. IMO . It doesn't focus before 20 feet...." Read more
Reviews with images
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In this review I will not go into all the technical details of the new Canon RF 800mm F/11 Prime Lens. You can get that in many places. This Lens really is a game changer. What I will discuss are some limitations of this lens that should not be a surprise to anyone, but which I overlooked when I first started to shoot with it. While the RF 800mm F/11 is a great Lens you need to understand the differences and limitations between the new 800mm and the 400mm that most of you may have used in the past as your go-to long Lens. But first some background.
I have had a passion for photography since age 8 when I got my first camera. This was a large rectangular box camera handed down within the family, that was 62 years ago. Along the way I have used a large collection of film and digital cameras and their lenses, including Minolta, Sony, Nikon, and Canon. For the last 16 years I have been solidly a Canon user and have owned every EOS 5D camera made. Along the way I had harbored a deep desire to own a Canon prime super-telephoto lens to get greater reach and presumed superior image quality as I do a lot of nature and bird photography. A few years back I did buy the EF-500mm f4L IS II prime lens. Even though I had read all the specs and reviews many times, when I first opened the box I was shocked by how big and heavy it was. I tested the 500mm lens image quality against my EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 L IS II using both lenses on two different cameras (5D Mk III and a 5DsR) mounted on a heavy tripod with a delayed shutter release. After shooting nearly a thousand photos at all apertures and viewing the 500mm images at 100% and the 400mm lens images at 125% side by side I found the 500mm Prime lens really had no advantage over the 100-400mm Zoom in image quality. I sent the 500mm Prime back.
Fast forward to 2020 and the release of the Canon EOS R5. Along with the EOS R5 I bought the RF 800mm F/11 IS. Being absolutely giddy to finally have an 800mm lens I skipped the at-home research and testing and headed straight for my favorite duck pond. I shot a few hundred photos of individual ducks, and groups of ducks, at distances between 50 ft and 150 ft as I always did at this pond. I shot hand-held, and on a sturdy monopod. I shot in Flexible Mode at 1/200 sec (mistake 1) with auto ISO. I had always shot at 1/200 Sec. for non-flight shots and they had come out great. Of course, the aperture is always F/11 and I assumed that this aperture would provide plenty of Depth-of-Field (Mistake 2). All photos looked fine on the camera-back display so I headed home to view them on a large computer screen. Nearly all of the photos were unacceptably blurry where I did not want any blur. The photos fell into groups. Individual ducks at rest were quite sharp except that some ducts around 50 ft distant had portions of the duck blurry. Individual ducks that were swimming were all generally blurry. In groups of ducks, the duck at the focus point was mostly sharp, if at rest, but ducks only a foot or two feet away were quite blurry. None of the photos appeared to be blurry due to camera shake, even the hand-held ones. This is when the light bulb came on that I had skipped the step of understanding the substantial limitations of this lens at relatively short range compared to the 400mm Lens I had normally used for this purpose. You need to understand these limitations in order to successfully use this lens at ranges of 25 to 200 ft. This is what I found.
Fist lets look at why the shutter speed of 1/200 did not stop the motion of a swimming duck. The 400mm lens had an Angle of View of 5.15 degrees providing a Horizontal Field of View of 9 ft. at 100 ft distance. The 800mm Lens has an Angle of View of 2.58 degrees providing a Horizontal Field of View at 100 ft of only 4.5 ft. This means the swimming duck will move across the camera’s focal plane in half the time. If 1/200 sec always worked well with the 400mm Lens, then I would need to use 1/400 sec to get consistently crisp photos of swimming ducks using the 800mm Lens. As for the F/11 fixed aperture much has been written concerning limitations in low light, but little has been said about the lack of flexibility in Dept of Field (actually, no flexibility). Since this lens has a fixed aperture the Depth of Field is strictly a function of distance to your subject. At 100 ft the Depth of Field at F/11 using the 400mm Lens is 12 feet. At 100 ft using the 800mm Lens the Depth of Field is reduced to only 3 ft. This is 1.5 ft in front of your subject and 1.5 ft beyond the subject. At 75 ft range the Dept of Field for the 800mm Lens is reduced to 20 inches, or 10 inches in front of, and 10 inches beyond your focus point. At the minimal focus range of the 800mm Lens (about 25 ft) the Dept of Field is 1 inch. I suggest you download or build your own Depth of Field table for an 800mm Lens at F/11 aperture and keep it handy until you have pretty much committed it to memory. Armed with this new knowledge I went back to the pond and selectively picked my shots factoring in the DOF limitations of the 800mm Lens and was rewarded with a much greater % of great keepers. However, it was clear that I would always need to also take my EF100-400 zoom along, probably mounted on a second camera, so as not have to pass up some great shots not attainable with the 800mm.
This new 800mm really is a great Lens. There are hundreds of reviews out there that will tell you that. It is lighter than my EF100-400 zoom by 7 ounces, can easily be used hand-held, and is very near as sharp as my 100-400mm zoom, which is an exceptional Lens. However, making the best use of this Lens will involve a much greater awareness of the Lens DOF limitations under 200 ft, or even further, depending on the subject. I will go out on a limb and predict that at least 90% of all photos taken with this 800mm Lens will be at ranges of 300 ft and less for nature photography. This is due to its’ light weight and ease of use compared to the big Super Telephoto Primes. I would consider this new Lens to be a walk-around Lens at least from an ease of use standpoint. By the way, at 300 ft the Depth of Field for this lens is decent 27 ft. Hyperfocal distance is 6580 ft which would be great for bringing the mountains up close over the water. If you have invested in the EOS R5, get yourself a Canon RF 800mm F/11 Prime Lens to go with it. If used properly, you will not be disappointed.
Before I get into the pros and cons, I will start by saying that I would recommend this lens as long as you understand what you are getting yourself into. It isn't as well built nor does it produce the image quality of an L lens but it costs 1/3 of what my 100-400 cost. It is also infinitely less expensive than a prime L.
Pros:
-Reasonably fast focusing. I was able to attempt some birds in flight photos. I was able to track and take pictures but there was not enough light for higher shutter speeds that are necessary for clear images.
-Lighter than an L lens since there is not as much glass nor is there much metal. The only noticeable metal is the mounting ring.
-800mm for an incredibly reasonable cost. I was able to take some image that I would not have even attempted with my 100-400 w/1.4x costing much more.
-Decent image quality. My first outing was an overcast morning and I was hand-holding. Though I got some reasonable images, there was some obvious camera shake. Based on the Grebe chick image I included that was taken with some sunlight, hand held shots are possible. A monopod is recommended.
Cons:
-Center focus area. This isn't an issue for distant subjects. It does become an issue if the subject is a little closer. I am used to the edge-to-edge focusing on my R5. There were some situations where I could not get eye focus if I wanted to frame my subject properly. I could have swapped out for my other lens but that is at the risk of missing a shot.
-f/11 aperture. Having stated that, it isn't really an issue in my case nor would it be an issue if you own an R6 as well. You can really push the ISO on the R5 and R6 before noise becomes a problem. The Cinnamon Teal was at 2500 ISO. Anything below 8000 is fine on my R5. On this overcast day, the highest ISO reached was 6400 and that was because my shutter speed was at 1250 for 'action' shots. Lowest ISO was 800 at 1/320 shutter speed. I could have gone slower but would have likely encountered worse camera shake.
-Not as well built as an L. It doesn't seem 'cheap' as I have seen it described but the jury is out on how long this lens will last. More important, it is not weather proofed. I can also see potential issues with the slide mechanism used to put the lens in shooting mode. Sand or dirt could cause problems.
-Lens hood and tripod ring/mount not included. Though cheaper than an L mount lens that will come with a both, Canon could have at least included a hood.
Again, I am happy with my purchase and would recommend for those that own an R5 or R6. The reach is incredible for the price. Having spent a morning with the lens, I have a better understanding on how to use it. As for whether a 2x extender is a better option, it could be if you already own a good 400mm lens. You would still experience aperture and center focus issues like you do with the RF 800mm. There are also some EF lenses not compatible with the 2x.
ADDENDUM: I was able to take the lens out on a sunny day. The higher shutter speed on bright days makes it easier to hand hold the lens. For reference, the Killdeer image is taken at 1/1000 with an ISO of 1000 due to the dark background. The eagle 30 feet up in a tree is cropped taken at 1/1000 and 1600 ISO. Though not tack sharp like an L, it is still pretty good. Subjects with a light background will drop the ISO with the lowest I saw was at 500 with a 1/640 shutter speed.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2021
Before I get into the pros and cons, I will start by saying that I would recommend this lens as long as you understand what you are getting yourself into. It isn't as well built nor does it produce the image quality of an L lens but it costs 1/3 of what my 100-400 cost. It is also infinitely less expensive than a prime L.
Pros:
-Reasonably fast focusing. I was able to attempt some birds in flight photos. I was able to track and take pictures but there was not enough light for higher shutter speeds that are necessary for clear images.
-Lighter than an L lens since there is not as much glass nor is there much metal. The only noticeable metal is the mounting ring.
-800mm for an incredibly reasonable cost. I was able to take some image that I would not have even attempted with my 100-400 w/1.4x costing much more.
-Decent image quality. My first outing was an overcast morning and I was hand-holding. Though I got some reasonable images, there was some obvious camera shake. Based on the Grebe chick image I included that was taken with some sunlight, hand held shots are possible. A monopod is recommended.
Cons:
-Center focus area. This isn't an issue for distant subjects. It does become an issue if the subject is a little closer. I am used to the edge-to-edge focusing on my R5. There were some situations where I could not get eye focus if I wanted to frame my subject properly. I could have swapped out for my other lens but that is at the risk of missing a shot.
-f/11 aperture. Having stated that, it isn't really an issue in my case nor would it be an issue if you own an R6 as well. You can really push the ISO on the R5 and R6 before noise becomes a problem. The Cinnamon Teal was at 2500 ISO. Anything below 8000 is fine on my R5. On this overcast day, the highest ISO reached was 6400 and that was because my shutter speed was at 1250 for 'action' shots. Lowest ISO was 800 at 1/320 shutter speed. I could have gone slower but would have likely encountered worse camera shake.
-Not as well built as an L. It doesn't seem 'cheap' as I have seen it described but the jury is out on how long this lens will last. More important, it is not weather proofed. I can also see potential issues with the slide mechanism used to put the lens in shooting mode. Sand or dirt could cause problems.
-Lens hood and tripod ring/mount not included. Though cheaper than an L mount lens that will come with a both, Canon could have at least included a hood.
Again, I am happy with my purchase and would recommend for those that own an R5 or R6. The reach is incredible for the price. Having spent a morning with the lens, I have a better understanding on how to use it. As for whether a 2x extender is a better option, it could be if you already own a good 400mm lens. You would still experience aperture and center focus issues like you do with the RF 800mm. There are also some EF lenses not compatible with the 2x.
ADDENDUM: I was able to take the lens out on a sunny day. The higher shutter speed on bright days makes it easier to hand hold the lens. For reference, the Killdeer image is taken at 1/1000 with an ISO of 1000 due to the dark background. The eagle 30 feet up in a tree is cropped taken at 1/1000 and 1600 ISO. Though not tack sharp like an L, it is still pretty good. Subjects with a light background will drop the ISO with the lowest I saw was at 500 with a 1/640 shutter speed.
Top reviews from other countries
I was expecting very less vignetting of this lens but I was so wrong. Heavy vignetting with blue or lighter color sky as background. Since F11 is all we got. Cannot stop down anyways. There's no way to avoid it. See the equalizer image of the attached P-51. What the heck with those dark corners! You gotta put your target right in the middle and crop it out. or take some time to fix it in Lr or Ps.
Lens Image Stabilization works well with Canon body iS. but you still need 1-2 sec to get it stabilize with flying aircraft or birds.
Is this lens for you? If your main purpose is to shoot some birds in the local park where those birds are not afraid of people and you can get close to them. Meh! its minimum focus distance is long 6m. My Canon 100-400 II allows me to stay closer and the birds are bigger in the photos. For the great outdoors where you can't get close to the wild animals, YES!
My main purpose of this lens is aircraft spotting LOL. Just watch out the vignetting. If you Jetphotos, you know what i meant. Somewhat slow shutter is possible with this lens. The image B-25J was done with 1/200 sec. and 1/320 sec for the white Yak-18T(with red maple leaves). You can practice with the moving cars on the road.
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2023
I was expecting very less vignetting of this lens but I was so wrong. Heavy vignetting with blue or lighter color sky as background. Since F11 is all we got. Cannot stop down anyways. There's no way to avoid it. See the equalizer image of the attached P-51. What the heck with those dark corners! You gotta put your target right in the middle and crop it out. or take some time to fix it in Lr or Ps.
Lens Image Stabilization works well with Canon body iS. but you still need 1-2 sec to get it stabilize with flying aircraft or birds.
Is this lens for you? If your main purpose is to shoot some birds in the local park where those birds are not afraid of people and you can get close to them. Meh! its minimum focus distance is long 6m. My Canon 100-400 II allows me to stay closer and the birds are bigger in the photos. For the great outdoors where you can't get close to the wild animals, YES!
My main purpose of this lens is aircraft spotting LOL. Just watch out the vignetting. If you Jetphotos, you know what i meant. Somewhat slow shutter is possible with this lens. The image B-25J was done with 1/200 sec. and 1/320 sec for the white Yak-18T(with red maple leaves). You can practice with the moving cars on the road.