Close Menu

    A look at the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM MTF

    By Updated:207 Comments Canon Lens News 3 Mins Read

    Canon has announced the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM, the first super telephoto zoom that reaches 800mm. Canon also kept the price to a surprisingly low $1900. In this article, as much as I’d love to compare the MTFs against other notables from the other camps, the methods used for MTFs for Sony, Nikon et all are all different and you should never really use them for comparison. So for this lens, I’m going to go the practical way and compare this lens to the Canon RF 100-500L + extender.

    First of all, after looking at the MTFs.. the first thing that grabbed my attention was, why didn’t this lens have a red ring? Its performance is excellent on the telephoto end. The Canon 200-800mm has slightly higher contrast and resolution than the Canon RF 100-500 F4.5-7.1L IS USM with the RF1.4x extender. This is with the cost being nearly $1000 lower if you include the price of the extender. If you are reach limited, the 200-800 becomes really a no-brainer, as a matter of fact, I see a lot of used sales of the 100-500L occurring after the RF 200-800mm lens hits the market.

    Now to be fair the 100-500L is a little more balanced, and better in the corners than the 200-800 on the wide end, but I’d argue that no one buys either of these lenses to be shooting much at 100 or 200mm respectively. The 100-500L is also a more demanding lens to make as it’s a 5x zoom, which is always hard to maintain optical quality throughout the zoom range as 3-4x zoom seems to be the sweet spot.

    Of course, the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM kicks both to the curb, but we are talking about the difference between $1,900 and $17,000 and a weight difference of 2050g versus 3140g.

    This lens is one of the three that Canon released today, and like the others, it simply hits it out of the park for its target market. It’s hard to complain about a lens that is just as optically good, without a weight compromise, and actually far cheaper than the lens it’s competing with.

    This is another lens that I’d strongly suggest preordering quickly if you really want it, I suspect this lens will have a high demand and be stuck on backorder for a while. I’m expecting a “preorders were greater than we anticipated” press announcement in a few weeks or less.

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

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works.

    Go to discussion...

    207 comments

    3. Manual aperture ring on the 24-105 is cool. It's listed as "for video use", but I wonder if it could also be used for photography?

      And the silver ring on the 200-800, instead of the red ring, is cool. I wonder how many more of these we might see in the future?

      Not sure I see this getting into my kit bag - I'm happy with my 24-70 f2.8L, especially the size. But, I'm glad so many people are happy to see this lens. Looks like a fantastic option.
    6. This is about to be the most hater thing I\'ve ever posted on this website, but . . . Is it just me, or is the 24-105/2.8 just a touch ugly looking? Like, what is going on with the wide spacing of the marks on the focus ring? It looks like the EF 200/2.8 L II, released in 1996.
    7. And the silver ring on the 200-800, instead of the red ring, is cool. I wonder how many more of these we might see in the future?
      We’ve seen them in the past. Canon said this about the EF 75-300 III (cheap, low-IQ Rebel kit telezoom): “The front part of the zoom ring now sports a silver ring for a luxury touch.” :rolleyes:
    8. Like, what is going on with the wide spacing of the marks on the focus ring? It looks like the EF 200/2.8 L II, released in 1996.

      Focus Ring with Tactile Feedback​

      As you rotate the focus ring in either direction you'll feel soft click-stops that give you a sense of how much you're adjusting.
    9. The times, they are a-changin’. White, non-L lenses with weather sealing? Hoods included with inexpensive, non-L lenses? Yes and yes.
      Separate case for the 200-800 available which probably makes sense. I wonder how many users of white lenses actually use the case that came with it
      - at least for the smaller ones.
    12. Manual aperture ring on the 24-105 is cool. It's listed as "for video use", but I wonder if it could also be used for photography?
      The aperture ring will work for photos but not on the current RF bodies. The press release I read on DPReview stated it’ll work with upcoming bodies released in 2024 and beyond.

    13. Focus Ring with Tactile Feedback​

      As you rotate the focus ring in either direction you'll feel soft click-stops that give you a sense of how much you're adjusting.

      "Don't knock it 'til you try it," as they say, but I don't imagine I would enjoy this even for video work (the intended use case).

    14. So far the most extensive first take.
      Hopefully, later bodies will fix the distortion correction when fast zooming.
      The centre of the frame drifts a bit when zooming.
      And the power zoom adapter could have been better designed for the price.
      Looks great otherwise, even sharper than the 24-70/2.8
    17. I must be the oddbird here, but I'm most interested in the new rf-s 10-18mm, the other two are out of my (justified) price range right now. 200-800 is still something to look after, and might be added to my collection some day.
      Personally not interested in 24-105 F2.8.
      Now I have to wait the reviews of the wonderfully compact, light and small rf-s 10-18mm. And I think it is really going to be very satisfying lens for me. Must be as good as ef-m 11-22, or better, right? And with a hood!! Wow!
    19. Regarding the 24-105, the amount of cheers I'm seeing on YouTube video and social media posts are really quite impressive.
      The early comments on DPR are remarkably good - must still be bedtime for most of their trolls. 3 very impressive looking lenses - although as always the detailed reviews will tell the real story.

    Leave a comment