Description

Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM Lens

The Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM is the reigning superzoom champion in terms of focal range and is impressively lightweight and compact for its reach. However, its mediocre maximum aperture does limit its usefulness in low-light performance. But, in good lighting conditions, it delivers sharp results throughout most of the zoom range, although 800mm sharpness drops off somewhat. The lens also features lightning-fast and accurate autofocus. While it’s an impressive lens, the price may be steep unless you truly need the extra reach.

Every so often, a new big superzoom telephoto lens pops up to grab everyone’s attention. Mostly it’s third-party lens makers like Sigma and Tamron, duking it out over different stratospheric focal lengths or huge apertures. It seemed like Canon was content to focus on sensible quality and let other companies make the headlines. But no longer! The Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM has arrived on the scene as a serious challenger to the superzoom throne.

In the realm of full-frame superzoom lenses, there are a few different priorities. There is simply the longest lens in terms of maximum reach, like the Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED, or there is the widest aperture superzoom like the battlefield-ready Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG, or there is the widest zoom range, like the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sport and its broad 540mm of reach.

The Canon RF 200-800mm offers a (currently) record snatching 600mm difference in focal length from wide to tele, for full-frame cameras anyway, and manages to achieve this in a body weighing just over 2kg and just 31cm long. There are, however, compromises to be made, with the maximum aperture being limited to f/6.3-9, which puts it considerably narrower than other rival lenses with slightly less ambitious focal lengths.