Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM
Today, 2.11.2023, Canon announced a new super-telephoto lens, the RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM, and I had the chance to try it out before the official launch.
The first thing many people will think of is a comparison with the very popular RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM. Have you noticed that although the new lens is white, it lacks the red ring and therefore the ´L´ in its name? Yes, there´s no L this time, which means the new lens is not as weather resistant and the white colour doesn´t have IR protection. The sunshade is now not in the same colour as the lens, it is black. Like the RF 100-500, the zoom is controlled by a large black ring. There is also another ring on the body that controls the rigidity of the zoom. The body also has two FN buttons, a stabiliser switch and a focus mode switch. There are a total of three options here, and in addition to AF and MF, there is a middle CONTROL option. Switching to this option changes the function of the third ring to your chosen function, such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, etc. There are also points on the body for attaching the supplied strap.
The lens has a simple and practical design and includes a tripod mount. It weighs 2050g and is 314mm long when folded. Mounted on a full-frame EOS R, you have a beautifully balanced combination. It has a single Nano USM motor for fast and accurate focusing, UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass to reduce chromatic aberration and a Super Spectra coating to minimise flares. The lens diameter for filter use is 95mm.
As with the RF 100-500, there will be a lot of discussion about speed of the lens, aka aperture. At 200m it is f/6.3, at maximum it is f/9. At 300-400mm we are at f7.1, at 500-600mm f/8. Yes, in the darker areas the ISO rises steeply or the shutter speed falls steeply. As this is an RF lens, it will be used on cameras that can handle higher ISOs without a drastic loss of quality. I´ve tested it with the EOS R5 and R3, and although I often reach previously unthinkable values, the photos are still more than usable. The stabilisation of the lens itself is 7.5 stops at 200mm and 5.5 stops, so you can go to lower values with the shutter speed. From my own experience, I´m not particularly bothered by the brightness of either lens. With the RF 100-500, I often use a 1.4x teleconverter to get to f/10 at the maximum focal length of 700mm. The RF 200-800 is better at 800m at f/9. At the shortest focal length it focuses from 0.8m, at the longest from 3.3m. Again, both the 1.4x and 2.0x RF converters can be used.
The size of the new lens is quite compact considering the zoom range, but I found myself pushing the limits of my camera bag and the fit was less than ideal. Every time I shot with the lens, the difference of about 500g compared to the RF 100-500 was noticeable, but the 800m is very nice and often put a smile on my face. When shooting close objects I sometimes couldn´t find them due to the high zoom. Focusing isn´t as fast as with the RF 100-500, but I didn´t notice any major problems. I put this down to the longer focal length. I also used the zoom more often, not always shooting at the maximum focal length.
Overall, I rate this lens as very good. I was as happy with the image quality as I was with the RF 100-500. I think it will be able to compete with its shorter sibling, not only because of its longer focal length, but also because of its price. It is priced at €2499 and should be available from the beginning of December.
