Peter Travers explains how to get the best out of Canon’s RF 200-800mm
Canon’s RF 200-800mm lens almost feels like a prototype by a mad scientist, yet thanks to hi-tech RF mounts and EOS R cameras with amazing AF and high ISO performance, Canon can make such lenses a reality. But there have to be compromises to make sure the lens isn’t super-enormous and super-expensive. This is why the RF 200-800mm lens has a variable maximum aperture that starts at a not-so-fast f/6.3 at the short end and goes to a not-fastat-all f/9 at the longer end.
These smaller apertures ensure this lens is a very manageable size and weight, which is impressive considering the huge focal length range. When retracted, it’s only 314mm long and it weighs just over 2kg. It’s relatively well priced, too, at £2299. It has a filter size of 95mm, the same as Sigma and Tamron’s 150-600mm lenses.
To test out this super-telephoto zoom in the field, we went to our local bird of prey centre. As you can see on the right, there’s a big difference between 200mm and zooming in at 600mm…
STEP BY STEP HOW TO USE CANON’S MEGA TELEPHOTO ZOOM
01 MIGHTY TELEPHOTO ZOOM
Canon’s RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM comes in the white L-series colour, but it’s not an L-series lens, so it doesn’t have full weather sealing. However, Canon says it’s “dust and moisture resistant”, so should withstand light rain and dusty conditions.
02 SMALL & LIGHT FOR HANDHELD
The lens felt light and easy to shoot with handheld, with no arm ache while we shot for an hour. Camera shake is more noticeable with very long lenses; IS offers 5.5 stops, or 7.5 stops with cameras with IBIS. This helps avoid shake at 800mm.
03 USE WITH NEWER EOS CAMERAS
We recommend you use one of the latest Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras with the RF 200-800mm lens, such as the fullframe R5 or R6 Mk II, as you will want the autofocus AI tech with Eye Detection for Animals for sharp shots of distant subjects.
04 WHEN APERTURE DECREASES
Aperture decreases as you zoom in, so it’s f/6.3 at 200mm, but even at just 300mm, it drops to f/7.1, then drops again to f/8 at 500mm, and you’re stuck with f/9 at anything over 600mm, up to 800mm, when the narrowest aperture is f/51!
05 SHUTTER SPEED TOO SLOW
Narrow apertures = slower shutter speeds, so be prepared to push your ISO for faster shutter speeds with the RF 200-800mm. We shot at 1/500 sec, f/9, ISO1600 here, but this wasn’t fast enough to freeze this kestrel’s flapping wings as it hovered.
06 EXPOSURES FOR WILDLIFE
Even in daylight on an overcast day, we had to resort to shooting at ISO3200 at f/9 to get a hi
