Glad you’re liking the rf 200-800 more and great to see such good photos in low light P.s. love the bag, why waste money when a great solution is inexpensive
"setting a bad example" because you are showing people that they don't need to overspend on camera gear? Social media is a very toxic place that's for sure lol. Don't let a few negative comments change your approach. If people want to overspend and throw money away let them! Nothing wrong with using a plastic bag you have at home and saving a lot of money. That works just fine for most people. Love your content and your approach!
I’m am cool with plastic bag. One time it was pouring and I didn’t have my lens cover. But my wife found a plastic bag and it worked perfectly. Thanks for your hard work.
Nice images. I have been enjoying using this lens. Most of my photos are at 800mm on the R7. The performance is impressive for the price. I don’t mind you using a garbage bag. Seems like a good affordable solution.
Very nice, Phil. I’m still waiting for my 200-800 so now I am really looking forward to getting it on my R7. Keep your great clear videos coming. Happy new year 🎉
I bought my second Canon R6II. Have the R8 & R10. I am experimenting with the 100-400mm for the Nikon Z Z30, Z 50 & Zfc which I will be using the 1.4x & 2x teleconverters.
@@PhilThach So Wild Alaska got his 200-800mm and used it in the snow with his R7 and was impressed but the difficulty of shooting with the snow flakes messing with his focusing. His friend Cassie had the 400mm f/2.8 and that is the lens I want. I am cheating with the teleconverters to see if they are interesting to me beyond 400mm. I have Canon & all of the Nikon Z cameras but missing all the long glass lenses. I am retired now and waiting for Social Security installments before traveling. So Nikon is my main and Canon & Sony are backup. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing again Phil. I am exited to start using my combo of the R7 and my new RF200-800. It arrived the same day we flew away for Christmas vacation on a french chateau. So I brought my RF15-35 for photographing my sons castle in France. I have gotten a lot of good landscape and chateau photos here in southern France. I took great inspiration from some of your former videos and did a lot of focus bracketing. When I get back to my country Denmark I am going to enjoy birding with my new lens. Happy New Year to you Phil and to Heather. Your channel is my favourite photo channel currently. Greetings from Per, Denmark
I'd love this lens for the reach, but my love is shooting birds in flight, I'm not sure, even here in Australia with our bright sun that it would be fast enough to get 2500/s + with a sensible ISO. Time will tell with more reviews coming out as the lens gets more popular
Take a look at my video where I compared this lens with the 100-500 + 1.4x and the 800 F11. At the end, I made some shots with reasonable ISO’s at 1/1600 of a second with this lens and the tele converter wide-open at f/13. 1/1600 was plenty to freeze the action of the sandhill cranes I was photographing in flight.
Thanks Phil, nice to see you using your new gimbal. I bought one per your advise and it came in a little under $100. So for the price you can not go wrong. There have been a lot of favorable comments on the Canon RF 200-800 so far. Looking forward to receiving mine. Thanks again for your videos.
That is the reason why I don't like shooting with crop sensor camera which limits the higher iso. For r5 6400 iso is not big deal at all. I shoot 8000 iso on my r5
Hi, I've been birding for close to 3 years. I started by shooting at 1/800 and lowest at 1/500s. It was some good advise from experienced birders. However, I've been shooting so often that I have change the way I shoot. Now for perched birds, I try to shoot at the lowest ISO possible. Sometime shooting at 1/30s when there is very poor lighting. Yes I agree that lower ISO reduce so much hassle and also reduce the image loses associated with denoise. If its a skittish bird I might go up to 1/160s or 1/200s. However, I don't mind taking the risk of having only 20% keepers while the rest are soft, motion blur shots. I just need a few keepers. I would usually shot at continuous high frame rate to just get that few frames that are in focus.
Nice shots! I like the plastic bag. I have a storm jacket I received as a gift otherwise I would be in the plastic bag club. I will say the one advantage for the storm jacket is I have been out in some big rain storms shooting high school cross country meets and my camera & lens stayed completing dry.
You know what makes a cheap custom rain cover is the pant leg cut off of a cheap plastic rain suit from Wal Mart. Cut the leg to length depending on the size of the lens, then leave the outer side of the pants up to the waste, while cutting the inner side away from the waste to the crotch. Slide the leg over your lens and use the extra flap to cover your camera and head as you shoot. Since it fits around the lens you don't have to worry about it blowing away.
Phil you're not missing anything your plastic bag is just fine if you want to camouflage it maybe use a green bag As far as getting a Lens coat cover why don't you have that other guy , buy you one and then maybe he can send it to you .
Am surprised you haven't complained about the placement of the focus ring .. . I've only seen one person mention it.. ....every other review i've seen they strangely ignore mentioning it
I actually talk about it in my next 200-800 video which is due out January 6. I talk about it then because it's the first time I've needed to use it. Spoiler alert. It's not that bad.
Plastic bags are great! I don’t do much hide or set up photography. Most of my photography is walk around photography and I always, year round, carry a kitchen sized trash bag in my photo vest. You never know!
Thank you! The next video with this camera and lens combination is a walk around and drive around video. I used the 800 mm focal length much more in that one. Look for it around January 6.
The cover you have on your lens is just fine anybody that's going to complain about it have them go on buy you a cover . Now today you're using your R7 with the 200 to 500 lens please explain to me Phil how you get your R7 to work . I am so done with my R7 it just will not do anything no eye tracking , no sharp images , no nothing I'm going back to my 7D MkII .
Thank you! While I'll admit that the R7 autofocus system is not as good as the similar system in my R6 Mark II. What you are describing sounds like a defective camera.
This may be a crazy question, but here goes. Would you prefer to shoot the R7 or the R5 in crop mode. Using the RF100-500. Weight is an issue for me and I love the flexibility of my lens. If Canon comes out with other crop sensor cameras, that would be interesting, like an R7 ii. I keep thinking the lens is not the only way to get more reach! Thoughts?
The R5 in crop mode is much lower resolution than the R7. (it's around 17.3mp Vs the R7's 32.5mp) If I had an R5 I would shoot using the full sensor and crop in post as needed.
Thanks for the video Phil. I'm with you I don't really like using high ISO even with Topaz you are right the images just look too processed. Also I like your plastic bag idea very resourceful and inexpensive.
Thanks for the video. I have this same setup and I've been loving it so far. Any chance you could do a video on how you have your perches set up? I have plenty of birds coming to feeders in my yard, but no perches set up for photography.
Thank you! Most of the videos I have from the blind feature a quick view of the perches on the railing of the porch. I don't know why I didn't show them in this video. It's just sticks screwed on the railing. You could attach them some other way if you don't want to damage your railing.
Thanks Phil. I have this on backorder in New Zealand and I have Canon R7 and a Canon R6 so it is great to see what can be taken with this and the limitations of ISO and shutter speed. And also what shutter speeds and ISO work alright, even if some of them are compromises.
I don't find myself bringing a tripod with me when birding, so the 200-800 might be a bit much for me in terms of taking handheld shots. On the other side, the 100-500 is brutally priced far above the 200-800. Add a X1.4 teleconverter and it breaks the bank for me. Unless I can find a super deal on the 100-500 used, it looks like the 200-800 will have to be my next choice. Still waiting for Canon to allow Sigma to make RF lenses, but that can take another two years before they make a super-zoom for my R6 MkII. Either way, it looks like I'll be waiting a bit longer for the right deal. Thanks for the great video!
The 200-800 is heavier than the 100-500, but compared to other super telephoto zooms, its weight is actually pretty reasonable. I do use a tripod in the blind because I’m not moving around. For my next video with this lens I’m out walking around in the field and shooting from the car as well and it’s all handheld. It’s not bad. Look for that video January 6.
Great video Phil 👍 great shots 👍 I'm like you I use a polythene bag on all my lenses when it's raining, after all a lens rain coat is nothing more than an expensive bag ? Keep up the great videos mate. 👏👏
I've used the plastic bag before and it works great. Definitely beats spending a lot money on something that you might not use all that often. Of course, in Oregon they banned those bags and Wal-Mart doesn't provide any type of bags unless you want to spend a dollar or two. Not sure if you follow Wild Alaska or not. He recently posted his first run with the 200-800 and talks a bit about the weather sealing after having used it for about 3 hours in the snow.
Thank you! I saw Scott's video. I have to admit, I was cringing when he set his brand new just unboxed lens down in a pile of snow on his truck. I cringed when he did the same with the box! I don't baby my gear but I try to treat it better than that if at all possible. I'm sure I'll shoot with my 200-800 uncovered in the rain at some point. But, when I know it's going to rain and I'm in a somewhat controlled environment like the blind, why not take 2 minutes and attach a bag to the lens even if it were an L lens. I did appreciate his weather demonstration.
Phil I am still trying to find a 200 - 800 nobody has them in stock anywhere everybody tells me it's going to be at least December or maybe early January of 25 before they get them I'm kind of wondering if it really is worth waiting for this lens so tell me what you would think woiuld be the best second choice to this lens right fill as always keep up all the great videos you put out .
Thank you for your time and for your very honest review of the 200 - 800 mm. Have you encountered any problems with the manual focus rings? Some people say it's a little frustrating. What do you say about it?
Thank you! I actually talk about the manual focus ring in my next video about the lens which comes out on January 6. It’s really not that bad. In fact, it’s pretty good. It is a bummer that the lens uses the same ring for a control ring, and a manual focus ring but once you get past that drawback, it’s fine.
around 300mm this lens seems so much sharper than towards 800mm. Maybe that is ISO, maybe motion blur, but to me the eye of the chickadee looks hazy. Like with spherical aberration. This does not look like dedoised noise or motion blur.
It was noise and a lack of light hurting the Chickadee image. I'm sure compromises had to be made with the lens but I think, overall it's very good. Also, check the 800mm squirrel image from this video in slightly better light and lower ISO.
From other reviewers the long end is actually better. Compared to the 100-500, at up to 500mm the 200-800 has more diffraction and isnt as sharp but at 600-800 it is noticably better than 100-500 with 1.4x tele converter. The 100-500mm has the benefit of having amazing iq at all its focal lengths. But the drawback of shorter range. In the end it comes down to if you want the longer focal range and sacrifice iq in the short ranges or more versatility with the 100-500mm, with which you can go down all the way to 100mm and still have great iq.
re the plastic bag cover, nothing wrong with doing that, the only purpose is to keep your lens dry, which a plastic bag will do, and you are also recycling 👍 nice video, thank you.
I just got into R mount mirrorless but still using my EF lenses.I got a Sigma 150-600mm,I wanted to buy the 200-800mm so bad but when I saw the price (which isn't so bad but too much for my budget),my bubble just blew off.
Great question! I never add the crop factor. I always use the actual focal length. In my next video with this lens, I talk a little bit about that after seeing some other TH-camrs use the crop factor as their focal length which is, in my opinion, incorrect.
It remains the same on a crop sensor. Depth of field might be more at a given aperture on a crop sensor camera, but the actual size of the aperture remains the same.
Thank you! That's a good point, but maybe after buying this gear, I don't want to spend any more money on a cover when I can make something that does that job for free. Still, your point is valid.
Phil, love the channel! One question. How are putting the Canon R7 logo and camera settings on your photos? Are you manually putting that in with Photoshop? I have seen this before and searched online for this but have found no info.
You're costing me a fortune! Your previous video comparing 1-5, 2-8 & 800, set the hook for me ordering (backordered) the 2-8. Do me a favor and don't field test the Canon RF1200.
I'm a member of Canon's CPS program. Possibly you are, too. Members can get loaners. I've not had the nerve to ask, but in your capacity as a TH-cam extraordinaire, you'd be a shoe in.
Hey Phil, the bokeh behind the woodpecker looks "600/4 expensive" but also your other cute little birds are nicely bokehfied ! I guess you can no longer complain about not getting enough reach with the recent Canon gear 👍 Yesterday I was out with my 420-700, and I noticed a huge difference in IQ between a kestrel which was 55m away, compared to another shot with same settings and same bird at same position but where I was still at least 10m more distant .. With the 200-800 I would guess one can take good images from a larger distance than with the 100-500, but getting as close as the bird allows you to (unless you're hidden of course), remains key to get the best IQ, right ? I understand you prefer rather safe than sorry, but have you seen Scott (Wild Alaska) doing his unboxing of the 200-800 in heavy snow ? Seems like he was proving the weather sealing of this lens is really near-L-level. Strangely, on Canon websites in German, Dutch and French they claim it does have L-level weather sealing .. while in English they don't make the same claim.
Thank you! I agree, there is nothing better for bird image quality than getting close. I saw Scott's video. I have to admit, I was cringing when he set his brand new just unboxed lens down in a pile of snow on his truck. I cringed when he did the same with the box! I don't baby my gear but I try to treat it better than that if at all possible. I'm sure I'll shoot with my 200-800 uncovered in the rain at some point. But, when I know it's going to rain and I'm in a somewhat controlled environment like the blind, why not take 2 minutes and attach a bag to the lens even if it were an L lens. I did appreciate his weather demonstration.
@@PhilThach I mostly cringed when he scooped a hand of snow with his lens hood ;-) And you're right, covering the gear when easy isn't stupid at all, and that habit may someday even serve as a reminder to extend the roof of the blind a tad more on the next iteration. Already a good thing the current roof no longer collects standing water ;-) I've actually had a huge weather sealing scare with my 100-500 this summer in Bali. It started raining so I put the lens in the original lens poach and then in my backpack (which wasn't really weather sealed so it was humid inside the pack but the gear wasn't swimming at all either.) The next day I started with my 24-105, and I did have to wipe off some condensation after getting out of the airco-ed room while outside it was above 30 deg C and still very humid. When I spotted a giant lizard, I wanted to use the 100-500 for some macro .. also wiped off some condensation .. but as soon as I zoomed a bit, the hot and humid air condensed on the inside of the relative cold lens🙈 It actually took me nearly 2 days (including forcing precious glass to sleep outside on the balcony) before I could again use it for something other than artistic foggy images 😞 Also in hindsight the neopreen of my lenscoat contributed to keep the lens cold and humid. A hairdryer could have sped recovery but we didn't have one around. At least it was back in shape before I spotted the critical endangered Bali Starling !
En cuanto al asunto de las fundas bonitas y elegantes, hay marcas que te piden una pasta por ellas. Que hay de malo confeccionar con bolsas de plástico que tenemos a mano una funda para cámara y objetivo. Yo me las fabrico con unos costes bajísimos y son tan eficientes como las de marca. Un saludo
U r Right. but aperture f9 in 1/4000 shatter Les light hit the sensor this is issue. & F9 on apsc R7 f9 x 1.6 = f14.4 hammm! shatter 1/4000 and high iso is big issue This lens is not a pro lens just for casual photography that's it.
@@djack4125 depends on what your trying to shoot. I shoot in low light often, with my 800 F11, and it's rare that I'm able to go higher than 1/320th. But I have taken thousands of tack sharp shots down to 1/30th. I almost always get a few good sharp ones at 1/160th, if I'm able to take a few bursts.
@@Chris_Wolfgram u take few Sharp images the few called is an issue dear. We want from canon allow to tharid party lenses than tharid party well make a proper profational lens at half price....
So the camera sells for $1400 today and the lens is $1900. So with tax it’s about $3500 plus. Photography is a rich man’s hobby. Let’s see what you can do with $1000. Used gear is fine.
This is entry level gear. You won’t see me using a new $13,000 600mm f/4. That said, a genuinely poor person would struggle to pay for a $1,000 used kit. I do occasionally shoot with my old Nikon D500 and 200-500. Unfortunately, that is still probably over $1,000 used.
@@Chris_Wolfgram I like the 800 f/11 quite a bit. I like its low weight and compact size when in storage position. The 200-800 is a little sharper at 800mm and I prefer its 2/3 stop faster aperture and much better minimum focus distance. If the 200-800 was an option at the time, I probably would not have bought the 800 f/11 or the 100-500.
Depending on what you shoot, this lens might not be a good choice for you. But I always have to ask, what do you think about the 800 F11 ??? It has been a fantastic lens "for my purposes". You can see a lot of my work on my photo page.... Link on my channel. Now, you might not be into small, perched birds, and that's fine. But I don't think you will look at my stuff, and feel like its terrible image quality, and its all because of my cheap, slow lens :) lol I'm kind of glad I'm not into BIF that much. Those Big White lenses are SO expensive, and SO heavy. I'd buy, and lug one around if I had to, but lucky for me, I don't need one for my purposes :)
@@Chris_Wolfgram I have had success with the 800 f/11 lens for both perched birds and birds in flight. I like it a lot but I think the new lens is better in every way except price, weight, and storage size.
Thank you so much for this review.
I'll keep following you because you give such useful information.
All the best! 💚
Thank you!
Glad you’re liking the rf 200-800 more and great to see such good photos in low light
P.s. love the bag, why waste money when a great solution is inexpensive
Thank you!
You're not setting a "bad" example. You're setting a BAG example. You're welcome. Cheers! Thanks for the content.
🤣😂🤣 Thank you!
"setting a bad example" because you are showing people that they don't need to overspend on camera gear? Social media is a very toxic place that's for sure lol. Don't let a few negative comments change your approach. If people want to overspend and throw money away let them! Nothing wrong with using a plastic bag you have at home and saving a lot of money. That works just fine for most people. Love your content and your approach!
Thank you!
I’m am cool with plastic bag. One time it was pouring and I didn’t have my lens cover. But my wife found a plastic bag and it worked perfectly. Thanks for your hard work.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always Phil 👍🤗
Thank you!
You can’t make any affiliate money selling empty plastic bags. 🤣🤣🤣. I’m with you. If the plastic bag works, use it!
Thank you, Tim!
Nice images.
I have been enjoying using this lens. Most of my photos are at 800mm on the R7. The performance is impressive for the price.
I don’t mind you using a garbage bag. Seems like a good affordable solution.
Thank you! In my next R7 200-800 video, I find myself at 800mm much more often. It should come out on January 6.
That's good to hear. ALL my shots will be with the R7, as that's all I have. Two of them in fact :) And most will be at 800mm as well.
Very nice, Phil.
I’m still waiting for my 200-800 so now I am really looking forward to getting it on my R7.
Keep your great clear videos coming.
Happy new year 🎉
Thank you! My next video with this lens should be out on January 6.
Great video Phil, the cardinal shots are perfect. That is probably my favorite bird. The 200-800 seems like a nice lense.
Thank you!
I really enjoy your videos. Practical and down to earth. I am still debating which lens to get for my R7 and your reviews are most useful.
Thank you very much!
I use Walmart bags as temporary waterproof boots. So big thumbs up from me for your invention.
Thank you! They certainly do the job.
Nice work Phil. A lot of good shots in there. Great having that hide near your house
Thank you, Adrian!
Wishing you a happy New Year!!
Thank you! Happy new year to you as well!
I bought my second Canon R6II. Have the R8 & R10. I am experimenting with the 100-400mm for the Nikon Z Z30, Z 50 & Zfc which I will be using the 1.4x & 2x teleconverters.
I don’t have the 100 to 400 Nikon but I love the 180 to 600! I’m sure the 100 to 400 is outstanding. Thanks for watching, Randall!
@@PhilThach So Wild Alaska got his 200-800mm and used it in the snow with his R7 and was impressed but the difficulty of shooting with the snow flakes messing with his focusing. His friend Cassie had the 400mm f/2.8 and that is the lens I want. I am cheating with the teleconverters to see if they are interesting to me beyond 400mm. I have Canon & all of the Nikon Z cameras but missing all the long glass lenses. I am retired now and waiting for Social Security installments before traveling. So Nikon is my main and Canon & Sony are backup. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing again Phil. I am exited to start using my combo of the R7 and my new RF200-800. It arrived the same day we flew away for Christmas vacation on a french chateau. So I brought my RF15-35 for photographing my sons castle in France. I have gotten a lot of good landscape and chateau photos here in southern France. I took great inspiration from some of your former videos and did a lot of focus bracketing. When I get back to my country Denmark I am going to enjoy birding with my new lens. Happy New Year to you Phil and to Heather. Your channel is my favourite photo channel currently. Greetings from Per, Denmark
Thank you! I hope you enjoy your new lens.
I'd love this lens for the reach, but my love is shooting birds in flight, I'm not sure, even here in Australia with our bright sun that it would be fast enough to get 2500/s + with a sensible ISO. Time will tell with more reviews coming out as the lens gets more popular
Take a look at my video where I compared this lens with the 100-500 + 1.4x and the 800 F11. At the end, I made some shots with reasonable ISO’s at 1/1600 of a second with this lens and the tele converter wide-open at f/13. 1/1600 was plenty to freeze the action of the sandhill cranes I was photographing in flight.
Great Thank you for the clip Phil
Thank you!
Great show Phil!
Thank you!
Thanks for your video Phil 👍
Thank you!
Thanks Phil, nice to see you using your new gimbal. I bought one per your advise and it came in a little under $100. So for the price you can not go wrong. There have been a lot of favorable comments on the Canon RF 200-800 so far. Looking forward to receiving mine. Thanks again for your videos.
Thank you! I have been enjoying the gimbal and I continue to use it and be happy with it.
That is the reason why I don't like shooting with crop sensor camera which limits the higher iso. For r5 6400 iso is not big deal at all. I shoot 8000 iso on my r5
I have the R6 Mark II, it can handle higher ISO better than my R7, but I still try to keep it down as much as possible.
Another nice video, thank you.
Thank you!
Hi, I've been birding for close to 3 years. I started by shooting at 1/800 and lowest at 1/500s. It was some good advise from experienced birders. However, I've been shooting so often that I have change the way I shoot. Now for perched birds, I try to shoot at the lowest ISO possible. Sometime shooting at 1/30s when there is very poor lighting. Yes I agree that lower ISO reduce so much hassle and also reduce the image loses associated with denoise. If its a skittish bird I might go up to 1/160s or 1/200s. However, I don't mind taking the risk of having only 20% keepers while the rest are soft, motion blur shots. I just need a few keepers. I would usually shot at continuous high frame rate to just get that few frames that are in focus.
I agree with your philosophy! Thank you!
Nice shots! I like the plastic bag. I have a storm jacket I received as a gift otherwise I would be in the plastic bag club. I will say the one advantage for the storm jacket is I have been out in some big rain storms shooting high school cross country meets and my camera & lens stayed completing dry.
Thank you, Stephen! I don’t know why I have never purchased one, maybe I will one day, but probably not. 🤣
If saving $50+ on a lens coat is setting a bad example, God help us all!
Agreed! :)
Why is it a bad example, why spend $50/100 on a lens cover when you can customise a plastic bag to suit better for free? What am l missing?
You know what makes a cheap custom rain cover is the pant leg cut off of a cheap plastic rain suit from Wal Mart. Cut the leg to length depending on the size of the lens, then leave the outer side of the pants up to the waste, while cutting the inner side away from the waste to the crotch. Slide the leg over your lens and use the extra flap to cover your camera and head as you shoot. Since it fits around the lens you don't have to worry about it blowing away.
Phil you're not missing anything your plastic bag is just fine if you want to camouflage it maybe use a green bag As far as getting a Lens coat cover why don't you have that other guy , buy you one and then maybe he can send it to you .
Am surprised you haven't complained about the placement of the focus ring .. .
I've only seen one person mention it.. ....every other review i've seen they strangely ignore mentioning it
I actually talk about it in my next 200-800 video which is due out January 6. I talk about it then because it's the first time I've needed to use it. Spoiler alert. It's not that bad.
Suggested new name for your channel: “Bag Lady Photography” 😂. Love the female cardinal as well. An unsung beauty.
LOL! :) Thank you!
Plastic bags are great! I don’t do much hide or set up photography. Most of my photography is walk around photography and I always, year round, carry a kitchen sized trash bag in my photo vest. You never know!
Thank you! The next video with this camera and lens combination is a walk around and drive around video. I used the 800 mm focal length much more in that one. Look for it around January 6.
Thank you Phil 🙂 Looks very promising to me. Still waiting on my rental....
Thank you! I hope you get it soon!
The cover you have on your lens is just fine anybody that's going to complain about it have them go on buy you a cover .
Now today you're using your R7 with the 200 to 500 lens please explain to me Phil how you get your R7 to work .
I am so done with my R7 it just will not do anything no eye tracking , no sharp images , no nothing I'm going back to my 7D MkII .
Thank you! While I'll admit that the R7 autofocus system is not as good as the similar system in my R6 Mark II. What you are describing sounds like a defective camera.
Thanks for this!
You are very welcome, thank you!
This may be a crazy question, but here goes. Would you prefer to shoot the R7 or the R5 in crop mode. Using the RF100-500. Weight is an issue for me and I love the flexibility of my lens. If Canon comes out with other crop sensor cameras, that would be interesting, like an R7 ii. I keep thinking the lens is not the only way to get more reach! Thoughts?
The R5 in crop mode is much lower resolution than the R7. (it's around 17.3mp Vs the R7's 32.5mp) If I had an R5 I would shoot using the full sensor and crop in post as needed.
such good shots!
Thank you!
Great photo’s ❤👍
Thank you!
Thanks for the video Phil. I'm with you I don't really like using high ISO even with Topaz you are right the images just look too processed. Also I like your plastic bag idea very resourceful and inexpensive.
Thank you!
Thanks.
Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I have this same setup and I've been loving it so far.
Any chance you could do a video on how you have your perches set up?
I have plenty of birds coming to feeders in my yard, but no perches set up for photography.
Thank you! Most of the videos I have from the blind feature a quick view of the perches on the railing of the porch. I don't know why I didn't show them in this video. It's just sticks screwed on the railing. You could attach them some other way if you don't want to damage your railing.
Thanks Phil. I have this on backorder in New Zealand and I have Canon R7 and a Canon R6 so it is great to see what can be taken with this and the limitations of ISO and shutter speed. And also what shutter speeds and ISO work alright, even if some of them are compromises.
Thank you! It seems like everything with photography is a compromise of some sort.
I don't find myself bringing a tripod with me when birding, so the 200-800 might be a bit much for me in terms of taking handheld shots. On the other side, the 100-500 is brutally priced far above the 200-800. Add a X1.4 teleconverter and it breaks the bank for me. Unless I can find a super deal on the 100-500 used, it looks like the 200-800 will have to be my next choice. Still waiting for Canon to allow Sigma to make RF lenses, but that can take another two years before they make a super-zoom for my R6 MkII. Either way, it looks like I'll be waiting a bit longer for the right deal. Thanks for the great video!
The 200-800 is heavier than the 100-500, but compared to other super telephoto zooms, its weight is actually pretty reasonable. I do use a tripod in the blind because I’m not moving around. For my next video with this lens I’m out walking around in the field and shooting from the car as well and it’s all handheld. It’s not bad. Look for that video January 6.
Great video Phil 👍 great shots 👍 I'm like you I use a polythene bag on all my lenses when it's raining, after all a lens rain coat is nothing more than an expensive bag ? Keep up the great videos mate. 👏👏
Thank you!
I've used the plastic bag before and it works great. Definitely beats spending a lot money on something that you might not use all that often. Of course, in Oregon they banned those bags and Wal-Mart doesn't provide any type of bags unless you want to spend a dollar or two.
Not sure if you follow Wild Alaska or not. He recently posted his first run with the 200-800 and talks a bit about the weather sealing after having used it for about 3 hours in the snow.
Thank you! I saw Scott's video. I have to admit, I was cringing when he set his brand new just unboxed lens down in a pile of snow on his truck. I cringed when he did the same with the box! I don't baby my gear but I try to treat it better than that if at all possible. I'm sure I'll shoot with my 200-800 uncovered in the rain at some point. But, when I know it's going to rain and I'm in a somewhat controlled environment like the blind, why not take 2 minutes and attach a bag to the lens even if it were an L lens. I did appreciate his weather demonstration.
I was definitely cringing at that too. Not sure why he didn't do the unboxing in the truck.
Phil I am still trying to find a 200 - 800 nobody has them in stock anywhere everybody tells me it's going to be at least December or maybe early January of 25 before they get them I'm kind of wondering if it really is worth waiting for this lens so tell me what you would think woiuld be the best second choice to this lens right fill as always keep up all the great videos you put out .
If you have an R7, I would get a 100-500 over the 200-800 even if the 200-800 is available.
Thank you for your time and for your very honest review of the 200 - 800 mm. Have you encountered any problems with the manual focus rings? Some people say it's a little frustrating. What do you say about it?
Thank you! I actually talk about the manual focus ring in my next video about the lens which comes out on January 6. It’s really not that bad. In fact, it’s pretty good. It is a bummer that the lens uses the same ring for a control ring, and a manual focus ring but once you get past that drawback, it’s fine.
around 300mm this lens seems so much sharper than towards 800mm. Maybe that is ISO, maybe motion blur, but to me the eye of the chickadee looks hazy. Like with spherical aberration. This does not look like dedoised noise or motion blur.
It was noise and a lack of light hurting the Chickadee image. I'm sure compromises had to be made with the lens but I think, overall it's very good. Also, check the 800mm squirrel image from this video in slightly better light and lower ISO.
From other reviewers the long end is actually better. Compared to the 100-500, at up to 500mm the 200-800 has more diffraction and isnt as sharp but at 600-800 it is noticably better than 100-500 with 1.4x tele converter. The 100-500mm has the benefit of having amazing iq at all its focal lengths. But the drawback of shorter range.
In the end it comes down to if you want the longer focal range and sacrifice iq in the short ranges or more versatility with the 100-500mm, with which you can go down all the way to 100mm and still have great iq.
re the plastic bag cover, nothing wrong with doing that, the only purpose is to keep your lens dry, which a plastic bag will do, and you are also recycling 👍 nice video, thank you.
Thank you!
I just got into R mount mirrorless but still using my EF lenses.I got a Sigma 150-600mm,I wanted to buy the 200-800mm so bad but when I saw the price (which isn't so bad but too much for my budget),my bubble just blew off.
That’s a bummer. Worth saving for I’d say.
@@PhilThach I'm sure it is,but in my situation,I won't be able to get one.
1/100 shatter is for the still object.
Are the focal lengths for each photo the actual focal length on the lens or are you adding the crop factor?
Great question! I never add the crop factor. I always use the actual focal length. In my next video with this lens, I talk a little bit about that after seeing some other TH-camrs use the crop factor as their focal length which is, in my opinion, incorrect.
How does the f value get affected with the crop sensor? in this case what will be the f/6.3-9 with crop sensor?
It remains the same on a crop sensor. Depth of field might be more at a given aperture on a crop sensor camera, but the actual size of the aperture remains the same.
Thanks.! This helps a lot @@PhilThach
Good info, thank you. Really though if you have the money to get all this gear, a legit lens cover is pennies. But we all have our quirks 🙂
Thank you! That's a good point, but maybe after buying this gear, I don't want to spend any more money on a cover when I can make something that does that job for free. Still, your point is valid.
Weird comment about the bag. How dare you save money:P. I use a $3 elastic shower cap to keep dust off my 500mm:).
Thank you! I like the shower cap idea!
Phil, love the channel! One question. How are putting the Canon R7 logo and camera settings on your photos? Are you manually putting that in with Photoshop? I have seen this before and searched online for this but have found no info.
Thank you! Yes, I type the settings in manually for each image using photoshop.
@@PhilThachThanks!
You're costing me a fortune! Your previous video comparing 1-5, 2-8 & 800, set the hook for me ordering (backordered) the 2-8. Do me a favor and don't field test the Canon RF1200.
Unless Cannon gives me one, I have no chance of testing that one! Lol thanks Bill!
I'm a member of Canon's CPS program. Possibly you are, too. Members can get loaners. I've not had the nerve to ask, but in your capacity as a TH-cam extraordinaire, you'd be a shoe in.
Hey Phil, the bokeh behind the woodpecker looks "600/4 expensive" but also your other cute little birds are nicely bokehfied !
I guess you can no longer complain about not getting enough reach with the recent Canon gear 👍
Yesterday I was out with my 420-700, and I noticed a huge difference in IQ between a kestrel which was 55m away, compared to another shot with same settings and same bird at same position but where I was still at least 10m more distant ..
With the 200-800 I would guess one can take good images from a larger distance than with the 100-500, but getting as close as the bird allows you to (unless you're hidden of course), remains key to get the best IQ, right ?
I understand you prefer rather safe than sorry, but have you seen Scott (Wild Alaska) doing his unboxing of the 200-800 in heavy snow ? Seems like he was proving the weather sealing of this lens is really near-L-level. Strangely, on Canon websites in German, Dutch and French they claim it does have L-level weather sealing .. while in English they don't make the same claim.
Thank you! I agree, there is nothing better for bird image quality than getting close. I saw Scott's video. I have to admit, I was cringing when he set his brand new just unboxed lens down in a pile of snow on his truck. I cringed when he did the same with the box! I don't baby my gear but I try to treat it better than that if at all possible. I'm sure I'll shoot with my 200-800 uncovered in the rain at some point. But, when I know it's going to rain and I'm in a somewhat controlled environment like the blind, why not take 2 minutes and attach a bag to the lens even if it were an L lens. I did appreciate his weather demonstration.
@@PhilThach I mostly cringed when he scooped a hand of snow with his lens hood ;-)
And you're right, covering the gear when easy isn't stupid at all, and that habit may someday even serve as a reminder to extend the roof of the blind a tad more on the next iteration. Already a good thing the current roof no longer collects standing water ;-)
I've actually had a huge weather sealing scare with my 100-500 this summer in Bali. It started raining so I put the lens in the original lens poach and then in my backpack (which wasn't really weather sealed so it was humid inside the pack but the gear wasn't swimming at all either.)
The next day I started with my 24-105, and I did have to wipe off some condensation after getting out of the airco-ed room while outside it was above 30 deg C and still very humid. When I spotted a giant lizard, I wanted to use the 100-500 for some macro .. also wiped off some condensation .. but as soon as I zoomed a bit, the hot and humid air condensed on the inside of the relative cold lens🙈 It actually took me nearly 2 days (including forcing precious glass to sleep outside on the balcony) before I could again use it for something other than artistic foggy images 😞 Also in hindsight the neopreen of my lenscoat contributed to keep the lens cold and humid. A hairdryer could have sped recovery but we didn't have one around.
At least it was back in shape before I spotted the critical endangered Bali Starling !
BTW... Lots of shots 500mm and below. I wonder if in such scenario you wouldn'e be better off with R6II...
Might have been. Wanted to try it with the R7. I used the R6 Mark II last time in the blind.
En cuanto al asunto de las fundas bonitas y elegantes, hay marcas que te piden una pasta por ellas. Que hay de malo confeccionar con bolsas de plástico que tenemos a mano una funda para cámara y objetivo. Yo me las fabrico con unos costes bajísimos y son tan eficientes como las de marca. Un saludo
¡Estoy de acuerdo! ¡Gracias y gracias por mirar!
Que tal r7+ 1.4x + 200-800?
th-cam.com/video/5EklNUsqKos/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RcEJyKqXmrC58O-h
F9 is big problem in high shatter speed
I think for the barid photography shatter speed maximum 1/1000
I think for braid photography shatter speed maximum 1/4000
U r Right. but aperture f9 in
1/4000 shatter Les light hit the sensor this is issue. & F9 on apsc R7 f9 x 1.6 = f14.4 hammm!
shatter 1/4000 and high iso is big issue
This lens is not a pro lens just for casual photography that's it.
@@djack4125 depends on what your trying to shoot. I shoot in low light often, with my 800 F11, and it's rare that I'm able to go higher than 1/320th. But I have taken thousands of tack sharp shots down to 1/30th. I almost always get a few good sharp ones at 1/160th, if I'm able to take a few bursts.
@@Chris_Wolfgram u take few Sharp images the few called is an issue dear. We want from canon allow to tharid party lenses than tharid party well make a proper profational lens at half price....
We are talking "shatter" speed for "braid" photography. lol@@Chris_Wolfgram
I want to get rid of my RF 200-800. Any buyers?
I’m surprised you haven’t gotten offers with it being backordered everywhere.
@@PhilThach i know. Maybe i come from small province in canada, that why? Lol but if i dont get any takers than i will just keep it to myself.
So the camera sells for $1400 today and the lens is $1900. So with tax it’s about $3500 plus. Photography is a rich man’s hobby. Let’s see what you can do with $1000. Used gear is fine.
This is entry level gear. You won’t see me using a new $13,000 600mm f/4. That said, a genuinely poor person would struggle to pay for a $1,000 used kit. I do occasionally shoot with my old Nikon D500 and 200-500. Unfortunately, that is still probably over $1,000 used.
Glad i skipped this lens
me as well -
I'm glad you didn't skip the video! :)
@@Chris_Wolfgram I like the 800 f/11 quite a bit. I like its low weight and compact size when in storage position. The 200-800 is a little sharper at 800mm and I prefer its 2/3 stop faster aperture and much better minimum focus distance. If the 200-800 was an option at the time, I probably would not have bought the 800 f/11 or the 100-500.
Depending on what you shoot, this lens might not be a good choice for you. But I always have to ask, what do you think about the 800 F11 ??? It has been a fantastic lens "for my purposes". You can see a lot of my work on my photo page.... Link on my channel. Now, you might not be into small, perched birds, and that's fine. But I don't think you will look at my stuff, and feel like its terrible image quality, and its all because of my cheap, slow lens :) lol I'm kind of glad I'm not into BIF that much. Those Big White lenses are SO expensive, and SO heavy. I'd buy, and lug one around if I had to, but lucky for me, I don't need one for my purposes :)
@@Chris_Wolfgram I have had success with the 800 f/11 lens for both perched birds and birds in flight. I like it a lot but I think the new lens is better in every way except price, weight, and storage size.