Canon RF 200-800 | Field Test and First Impressions
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ย. 2023
- Janine was invited to test the New Canon Rf 200-800 mm lens when she was in South Africa recently. She only had the camera for a few hours and in this comprehensive video she will share her thoughts on whether she thinks this lens should be considered for wildlife photography.
Many thanks to Roger Machin at Canon South Africa for making this possible. Janine filmed this in Rietvlei Nature Reserve in South Africa and we are hoping to test it further in the Chobe in December during our annual Canon Photo Festival.
Janine had a few hours with the lens in challenging light but managed to compare it to canons other lenses. the 800mm f11 and the larger 800mm f5.6. As you will see from her images she enjoyed the lens very much and in the review she will cover everything from the ergonomics and build to the image stabilisation and image quality..not bad for a few hours!!!
Timestamps:
01:50 The Canon Rf 200-800
2:23 Ergonomics and weight
5:05 Aperture limitations
8:31 Image quality
14:31 Pricing for the Canon Rf 200-800
17:18 Sample images from the day
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#wildlifephotography #naturephotography #Canon200-800
I really like that you mentioned the effect of distance and what it does to sharpness in images. Something I think a lot of people oversee or don't really understand.
would it be good with a canon r7
This was an excellent breakdown of why all of these lenses are designed and priced as they are. It is our job as photographers to figure out the right balance of price and performance. Kudos to Janine for making it clear for photographers of all levels to understand!
Thank you very much indeed.
absolutely in love with your video. super clear super on the ground for beginners. Thank you!!!
Another beautiful vlog Janine😘
wow this is a proper review! thanks for this! keep up the hard work on the comparison!
Always love your review and presentation. A lot of sharing. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
A fantastic review and even better to have the comparisons with the other lenses. Way better than any other review I've seen so far on announcement day. Great job and thank you, Janine 👍
Thank you so much Phil... I really appreciate it. It is only my first thoughts on the lens but I hope it helped 😊
Great video as usual. Many thanks Janine
Glad you enjoyed it!
all reviews should be this thorough! the side-by-sides and 100/200% zooms are wildly helpful when lens shopping. appreciate you guys doing reviews correctly for today's photographers, thanks so much!
A very precise analysis and review in a charming way. Thank so much for it.
Its a pleasure.
Thank you for sharing your expertise - especially concerning atmospheric distortion. Great review.
Terrific lens review and also a clinic on managing expectations and priorities
Wonderful review Janine!!! Thank you so much!!!
Our pleasure!
Having nosebleed listening for the whole video!!! Ur the best!!! ❤❤❤❤ from Philippines!!!
Thank you Janine for this great review.
You are so welcome!
The best informative summary I have seen for the Canon rf 200-800mm so far.
Thanks
Perfect video, thank you 😊
Thanks
Great honest review and comparison Janine. Appreciate you showing and explaining the differences in the lenses while photographing the same subject.
Glad it was helpful!
Good work as always Janine.
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you so much for this review. Job well done ; - )
Great summary of the strengths and tradeoffs of this lens! I think this one is a no-brainer for me, it's compact enough to fit in a camera bag, and it's inexpensive enough to risk taking it on my kayak without having a heart attack while still performing better than the 800/11.
Very good reasoning!
Yeah didn’t like the f11 got rid after couple a weeks lol 😂
Really well done initial review - the real world comparisons to other lenses in the Canon lineup were especially informative. Best info I have seen on this lens and its pros and cons so far.
Thanks so much Michaelle
Much appreciated!
This is one of the best lens comparisons I ever seen... Very objective and down to the earth/usability... Thank you so much... Love your High Key photos!!!
Wow, thank you!
Excellent review! Janine you have such a lovely, natural way about you. You put things across very clearly covering all aspects and considerations. I’m just an amateur who does photography for a hobby as I totally love it but I can understand much of this due to the wonderful way you explain it all. Wish you were here in England as I’d learn so much from a wildlife photo shoot with you. Amanda
Thanks....
Great review! I just pre ordered
Hope you enjoy it!
Really love your explanation and logic...wish to go to safari some day...❤
Please do!
Great review! This is one of the best lens reviews I have ever seen, especially covering the atmospheric conditions!! Thanks for this! I think for my air show stuff I'll stick with my RF 100-500 for now. But it does look intriguing!
Good to hear. Thanks.
Great review Janine. I think I am going to get it and see how it performs. Thanks! 🙏
You are so welcome!
Whoa! Awesome video! Thank you so much. I found this helpful, especially the point near the very end about using a full frame high performing sensor. That makes sense. Happy shooting!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Watching from Minnesota, great review and good price!
Thanks for watching!
Cheers for a great review. So cool to see that they take another step with focal length in the 'affordable' range of wildlife zoom lenses. And great to see the stonechat. Over here (The Netherlands) they moved south around a month or two ago.
We will send the back at the end of the summer!
@@PangolinWildlife counting on it!
Thanks, Janine! I LOVE that white-headed kite at 17:31. All the photos are awesome, but that one is my favorite. Excellent review.
You are so welcome!
Excellent review!
Thank you kindly!
Excellent, very comprehensive review and I really appreciate the way you cover the practical aspects of the lens in use versus pixel-peeping in studio conditions. Two weeks after you posted this the price is down to $1900 US from Canon USA with a delivery date in mid-December (three weeks hence). Thanks for helping me make the decision!
Muy bueno el video,,,felicitaciones!!!
Thanks so much 😊
Wonderful review.. very practicle and fun-billed.. really helped.. here from India
Wow, Janine is such a great presenter! Well done!
Thank you.
Wonderful images Janine! Just shows that it’s not just about the lens, but the person behind it
Thank you so so much !
What a great review. So complete and geared towards Safari shooter, I love it! My wife and I just came back a few weeks ago from Kruger and Sab where I was using my R5 with my trusty EF 100-400 II.
Maybe we will see you n The Chobe next time?
@@PangolinWildlife it's on the list
Wow.. 200-800mm what a great option to have. Thank you for detailed info and update! Way to go Canon!!! 🥰
Thank you.
Thank you Janine, i am definitely going to buy it🙏
Have fun with it 😊
Haven't seen a honest review like this for a while!
Speaking of distance sharpness. Speaking of heat in the air etc.... great!!
Thank you so much 😊
Excellent review of this new RF 200-800mm lens and comparing it to the other two 800 primes. Thank you. A very good point you made at the end, exactly what are we doing with the images and does it necessitate the expenditure. Photography is a great hobby.
Thanks for watching!
thank you soooooo much.....love to go along with you....
Great review Janine! I’ve been shooting the RF 100-500 on my R5 and just love it…..but now I have something to think about.
Hi Joe, definitely... however, I find the 100-500mm still has the better quality...! However not the extra reach... it is a trade off... cheers Janine
An excellent review that points out the problems associated with long distance photography. I was in Manitoba, Canada in early March and it was bitterly cold and windy. A flock of Gray Partridges were sunning themselves in a brush pile, a potentially very nice shot as they were all facing the camera. All of the photos I took were extremely blurry because of heat haze and the distance was only about 100 meters. I was using a Canon 600mm f4 and R5. Thanks Janine.
Thank you very much! Great review. With an emphasis on not exaggerating the cost of equipment! Very sensible and comforting! Unfortunately, my "safari" will be limited to Poland. I need a lens like this!
Hi, Poland has some great birdlife too. And the 800mm will be fantastic for that....cheers Janine
I love my 100-500, and used in conjunction with the 1.4 converter you can get 700mm F10, but then have the limitation of it becoming 420mm at the wide end. The thought of having 200mm all the way to 800mm without any of the fuss does seem rather welcome.
Indeed
The best wildlife reviewer for sure 💯
Wow, thanks!
Probably one of the most well-spoken human beings to ever exist. Very clear review.
Thanks
Looking good Janine! I think this is the first review of this lens on TH-cam 👏
Certainly one of the first!
Wooow. Amazing and convincing points. Regards from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thanks so much
Great review as always. I need one to pair with my R8. Thank you!
Great stuff!
Otherwise, I love the work you are doing. Thank you. I'm am Collins Joshua Kaboggoza from Uganda 🇺🇬 . I love Mother Nature😊
Great review Janine! I think a lot of people think a higher magnification lens will allow them to reach out there at long distances to get tack sharp images. Your comments on atmospheric noise is right on point. I got back from S Africa in August where I had my R5 and 100-500 RF lens. I had quite a few shots at animals that were at longer distances which I thought I was getting sharp images. NOT! I was really disappointed after getting back and going through them on my computer. Very disappointing and it was all due to the atmospheric noise you talked about.
Love my set up and will not be buying this lens as there is no substitute for getting closer to your subject!
Thanks for a great review of this lens.
Thank you for the fine review, Janine. There's a good possibility that I'll be adding it to my 100-500 & 600 f/4 lineup. (Just subscribed!)
Thank you for subscribing!
Thanks for F/6.3-9 200-800 mm canon lens video. I love my R5 with F/4.5-6.3, however there is some struggle for shooting under rain forest.
Nice review 👍
Thanks! 👍
Love your videos! Just got the R5 and am impressed with the quality in proper lighting. For low light I will still use my 90D.
I have had my R5 for about 2 years now. I started off with the 90D and now only use it for video recording. The R5 is a phenomenal piece of equipment.
Aviation lens delight!
Yep
Great and helpful stuff here, and superb images. Thanks for posting! After 2 decades of being a happy DSLR user, I finally decided to add a mirrorless to my kit (R6 Mk II). I bought the 800mm f/11 along with it, because I figured that it was a fairly inexpensive way to get that extra reach. I've had it for a couple of weeks and it has returned good results, including with the recent full moon. However, I've decided that the 200-800 is going to be a bit more versatile, so I'll be trading the 800mm in and picking the 200-800 in the near future. Looking forward to it already.
now that's one spectacular lens
Indeed!
£2299 In the UK. This sounds like a great lens but it's only great if you will use it for what it is. I had the 100-500 and loved it but could get just as good results from my RF 70-200 F2.8 so I sold it.
I think lenses like these that try to be jack of all trades look attractive on 1st look, so attract a lot of buyers but eventually the novelty wears off.
Good video Janine!
Thank you.
I am very tempted by this lens, although I already have the 100-500 RF lens (which I find to be indispensable). But that extra reach would be nice on those days where I'm specifically looking for birbs or other zoom necessary things! I'll probably wait till a few copies end up on the used market, though. Great video!
Masterpiece Janine! I would love to see you testing this equipment in a different environment,in natural habitat! Amazonas-Brazil,if you have any plan to go there,let me know I'm native and I know the places!!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Thanks so much... we will definitely get there at some point... cheers Janine
Janine, what a great review, I am in the process to replace my 60-600, and was thinking about the 100-500RFA, but this lens is fantastic ..
Certainly food for thought!
Hi, I think the 100-500mm is the better lens.... however, the 200-800mm doesn't lack in quality compared to the 60-600mm.... and it is definitely a ton lighter.
I use the RF 800 find it to be a great lens for the money i wouldnt hesitate to buy this....great review
I have found the RF 800mm at f/11 to be very manageable in low light situations. I suspect this lens will be a very versatile replacement for the 800mm, especially at $1899 US.
I think so.
Not using Canon equipment, but always look forward to your videos as I always learn something new.
Hope to get back to Southern Africa soon to sign up for a Pangolin trip. Great review (as usual)!
We look forward to having you visit.
Absolutely stunning review from you like always!
I really find that the brave new lens options by modern mirrorless camera systems, especially Canon, are showing a great trend for the future - great reach, reasonable price and still excellent quality.
Totally agree!
I enjoyed a lot witth you review. Very practical and didactic.I'm considering to buy it for motorsport. it seems a good candidate.
Go for it!
I think that this should be the gold standard of lens reviews.. You 100 % nailed it, discussing what the purpose of image is and sensor size and heat haze as well as shooting at extreme distance! also cost vs usage case...Brilliant. All important points covered.
I see so many people getting excited about reach on a Crop sensor. on comments sections.
The new lens blur function on LR and PS can make any lens aF2.8 😂😂 these days anyway ... for 99% of users and usage cases
Hi Janine - great review! Apart from the RF 200 -800 having the extra 300mm reach, how does it compare to the RF 100 - 500 mm with and without extenders? If you had the opportunity of one of the 2 which would you reach for first? I would love to see a comparison video 🙂
I bought the Canon 90D when it came out 4 years ago and watched many of your videos and really enjoyed them. I recently bought a R7 and heard about the 200-800 that was coming out. I thought I would see if you had a video on it and was happy to see you did. I will be interested in it when it comes out. By the way the new hair color looks great !
Great Review, agree with your point on the "not a long distance lens" however on the ISO, today with post processing software it is not such a major issue any longer.
Thats very true!
Great overview thank you. I love that you discuss the real usability for wildlife rather than just specs. I’ve just had a fantastic week with Pangolin on the Chobe. This lens would be great there I suspect, but not so great for my local area with its poor light. Perhaps I need to buy it and come back… or just come back anyway… 😆
I think that coming back is a splendid idea!
Thank you for making this timely introductory video. Your videos are always so informative and well-organized. This is a unique focal range among competing brands. It appears that among current mirrorless lenses maximum apertures of 6.3 are becoming more common. I understand that modern mirrorless cameras can autofocus and track at smaller maximum apertures than DSLR’s. What is your experience with image quality using the higher ISO’s required to maintain fast shutter speeds?
Hi... that truly depends on your sensor performance. So it difference from camera to camera a lot
Good job
Thanks so much
Nice review - you're lucky to have the job that you do. I shoot sports, mostly outdoor like cricket and Aussie Rules on big ovals. I have a 100-400 Mk II and add 1.4 or 2.0 extenders for extra reach when needed. I find they work quite well. I would love some big prime lenses but the combo I mentioned gives me great bang for the buck and versatility. A 70-200 f2.8 would be a nice addition for indoor sport scenarios - one day I'll get it.
thank you for a great review putting them side by side is great in the real world not some lab
It is really important to note that the example at 12:42 is not an IQ issue of the 200-800. That image is back-focused on the grasses behind, likely a cause of atmospheric effects throwing off the focus.
The most consistent tests are when the subject is close and there are less variables. In those tests you can see how similarly the lenses perform
Hi, it was consistently less sharp on long distances... so that was not simply back-focusing I fear. - cheers Janine
Interesting. To me it appears that example is a good example of back focusing, the grasses behind are sharper than the subject. The focus accuracy on the prime may be behaving more consistently in this scenario@@janinekrayer2499 I'm sure generally speaking the prime is sharper than the zoom at those distances! Just this specific example appears back-focused
As always! you've done it again Janine! Well done Ms Beautiful of Africa!
Thank you.
Thanks , solid review. I really like my 100-500mm USM …if I need extra focal length he 1.4x is perfect and still gives you a half decent f/stop.
Thanks for sharing
All the latest editing equipment we have a new D noise in light than the new blue background. I don’t think Lens choice is a problem. If the Lens doesn’t does it the software will. Thanks for sharing Janine, always a pleasure.❤
Totally agree
Thanks for share and Hope test this len with R7
We will try and get to that
@@janinekrayer2499😊 Thank you
Thanks Janine for your discussion of atmospheric limitations in high focal length lenses. I saw everyone's eyes glaze over when it became clear that this lens would work with the teleconverters. Immediately folks are calling for testing with a 2x TC on an R7! I can't imagine what a mess those images would be. I tell folks all the time - use these like a magnifying glass, not a telescope. This looks like a great lens but I don't think I'll trade it for my RF100-500/1.4x anytime soon. If this option had been available when I bought the 100-500, I probably would have went with it instead.
"Immediately folks are calling for testing with a 2x TC on an R7!" Nice idea!
I agree that with 2x TC it gets into heavy diffraction territory, not to mention the darkness and that 2x TC isn't that great compared to 1.4. This lens is great that you can use it without teleconverter or attach the 1.4 while zoom out and use the whole range. Main downside of the 100-500, which I have too, is the cumbersome use with TC, you can use only last third of the zoom range and it won't fit in my bag extended at those 300mm. So I will be getting this one, it's still cheaper than the 100-500 and I can always crop further on my R5.
I shoot with a M50 on a swarovski digiscope, equivalent to about 2600mm and even on miserable UK days atmospherics usually get in the way, its also a lot of weight to lug and to get set up and focused takes an age and the bird has flown, forget about shots on the wing. My wife uses a cheap bridge camera with 1200mm equivalent onto a phone size sensor, good enough for identification but not good when they've been cropped. I'd love to see this on an R7 as that would be 1200 onto a much larger sensor though then the comparison might be with a 600mm bridge with a 1 inch sensor. I think it's white for marketing, if your lens isn't white and very long you can't possibly be a serious twitcher.
Exactly my thinking. Jeepers when I read your comment I honestly thought I wrote it and had forgotten that I had already replied!
@@SurreyAlanI have the same experience with a Svarowski telescope and a Sony APS-C: While the scope is really great for watching even over great distances, the photos coming out of the combo in most situations are good for determination and evidence, but not beautiful.
great
Pretty awesome lens that I just couldn’t find a practical use for personally, as I do not live in the Savannah. Thanks for the good review.
Haha, if you don't like bird photography there is probably not much use for you... cheers Janine
Excellent overview, certainly very welcome addition into RF lineup, however I'll aim for used EF 100-400mm L II, as I imagine second-hand market will be flooded with that EF lens soon.
There are some real bargains to be had out there!
Thank you so much for this comparison! I bought the 800/11 and have been able to get some shots of small animals I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, simply because I would not have been able to carry an 800 mm lens or my 600/4 with me on a multiday hike. I'm 100% sure I'll buy this one after your review!
Thats great to hear,. Glad it was helpful.
An excellent and methodical review, thank you. I am wondering if Canon's philosophy in this lens of this "modest" but still practical aperture range is concomitant with the impending new generation of stacked sensor cameras where there is an advantage of high shutter speeds (and the attendant high ISO settings) with less noise and more efficiency at higher resolutions.
Absolutely. I have this combination. Discussed to death in the forums!
haha.... yep!
Will you be considering this lens? Is the price point right for what you get? Let us know your thoughts!
Hi Janine , many thanks for a very informative review while it answers some questions it raises a few more I believe you said its aims at the full sensor cameras, but quite a few wildlife photographers use the R7 (like myself). How would it fare with those camera bodies? and does it give you more adaptability with the crop factor? I've only recently gone mirrorless and am still using my EF lenses with the adaptor and am looking at possible lens options many thanks again for a very informative review
Hi, it can definitely be used for a Crop Sensor as well... I just wanted to give the camera the best possible performance chances which is why I tested it on a R3 during good light... It wouldn't necessarily give it more adaptability... you would just get an even further reach. Things closer might become too close as it starts only at 200mm... cheers Janine
What a great comparison !!! Thanks Janine for your wonderful English, so easy to understand. I‘m so sad, that I have Nikon equipment 😅. I prefer my new Z4.5/400 to the toooo Heavy 4/600VR2. One handhold, the other on a gimbal…. Love Peter
Going to be road-testing one of these vs my Sigma 150-600 that I’ve had for about 7 years now. Subject separation is not such an issue these days now that Adobe have incorporated “fake” lens blur tools into Lightroom and ACR. Coupled with their excellent noise reduction which means you can use very high ISO without issues, this could be a worthy replacement (although significantly more expensive than the Sigma here in the UK).
I would say it is definitely as good as the sigma from a quality perspective... especially if subject separation is not an issue for you
@@janinekrayer2499 “as good as” doesn’t really cut it at 2.5x the price though.
Thanks for the real world review. For a real check of the image quality, it would be nice to have a download link to the raws for checking them at home on the screen. Video compression of YT is not good for checking image quality ☺. Many other channels offering that already 😉
Good idea. Will consider for the next one certainly.
Very good review. The US price turned out to be $1899 so I preordered one.
Where I live I can get away with longer distances on most days since we don’t let a lot of heat shimmer. But, not everyone lives in the Pacific Northwest. However, I like a long lens to make a small subject big in the frame so I rarely shoot at a distance anyway.
I am really looking forward to getting my copy.
Hope it arrives soon.