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If there’s something on this world that make me scratch my head, it’s Canon’s RF lenses that aren’t of their L sequence. With that stated, the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is an okay lens that might’ve been extra. Granted, it’s additionally solely $649. And for that value level, it’s providing a complete lot to photographers. On the similar time, you’re most likely going to search out it each irritating and liberating. Nevertheless, should you’ve used the Canon RF 100-500mm L lens, you gained’t need to return.
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Too Lengthy, Didn’t Learn
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is an efficient lens. However will probably be a way more strong performer on any digicam physique that has built-in fowl and animal detection. These digicam our bodies are likely to have climate sealing. Nevertheless, this lens doesn’t. Nonetheless, it’s extremely light-weight and solely $649.
Execs and Cons
Execs
Good picture high quality!Quick autofocusLightweightReally affordableImage stabilization is excellent and noticeable for positive. You may shoot an additional cease slower on the Canon EOS R5 than you possibly can on the Canon EOS R.
Cons
The smarts and topic recognition is nowhere pretty much as good as it’s with the 100-500mm RF L lens.Come on, Canon, no climate sealing? It’s a must to cease reserving that characteristic for simply your L-series lenses.Irritating to make use of on the Canon EOS R should you’re photographing birds or animals.
Gear Used
We examined the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM with the:
Tech Specs
Specs taken from the Lensrentals itemizing.
Aperture Blades
9, Rounded
Aspherical Parts
1
Autofocus
Autofocus
Model
Canon
Compatibility
Full Body
Diameter
3.1″
Further Low-Dispersion Parts
1
Filter Measurement
67.0mm
Focal Size
100.0-400.0
Teams/Parts
9/12
Hood Included
No
Picture Stabilization
Sure
Merchandise Sort
Lens
Size
6.5″
Lens Sort
Telephoto
Max Aperture
5.6
Most Magnification
0.41x
Mfr. Mannequin Quantity
5050C002
Minimal Aperture
22.0
Minimal Focusing Distance
2.9feet
Mount
Canon RF
Weight
1.4 lbs.
Improvements
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM isn’t an revolutionary lens. If something, it’s actually overshadowed by the Canon RF 100-500mm. Different manufacturers have lenses similar to this and people lenses do extra. However Canon’s is extremely inexpensive, and to make it inexpensive they eliminated the climate resistance. Arguably, I additionally suppose it doesn’t work as intelligently with Canon’s system because the 100-500mm lens does.
Ergonomics
The entrance of the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM has a 67mm filter thread. So general, it’s not that enormous. It’s far smaller than the L-variant. And naturally, it’s all black too!
This lens has three rings: focus, zoom, and programmable. On the EOS R, I’d set the programmable ring to aperture management in handbook capturing modes. In any other case, on the EOs R5, all the things could be finished by means of the digicam.
Zoomed all the way in which in, this lens will get bigger. And fortunately, there’s a swap that retains it compact when it’s in your digicam bag. And no, we didn’t get a lens hood with this lens when it got here in for evaluate.
Right here’s a fast take a look at that locking part. It solely works when the lens is absolutely collapsed.
Simply close to the mount, you possibly can spot the AF/M swap in addition to the picture stabilization swap.
Construct High quality
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM, sadly, lacks climate sealing. So proper off the bat, you’re not going to take this factor into inclement climate. And I’d additionally watch out about taking it on hikes in actually dusty areas.
However what can’t be denied is how light-weight this lens is. It feels good within the hand for positive. In case you’ve used Canon’s L lenses, they’re significantly better constructed, however they’re far heavier. If you would like a featherweight lens, that is the one to get.
Ease of Use
By all means, it is a commonplace lens. There’s a zoom ring, focusing ring, programmable ring, AF/MF swap, and a picture stabilization swap. In any other case, you connect it to the digicam, level, focus, and shoot! It’s fairly commonplace. However how the benefit of use performs out varies primarily based on the digicam you’re utilizing.
I’m penning this evaluate in late November 2021. Canon is presently pitching the EOS R as a finances digicam. And should you use the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM with the EOS R for stuff like birding or wildlife, prepare. It’s going to get annoying! You’ll must bodily choose the autofocus level, and even then the system won’t all the time seize the main target. In case you’re photographing a fowl by means of bushes, the Canon EOS R would possibly suppose you need to give attention to leaves as a substitute. It’s because the EOS R doesn’t have animal or fowl AF built-in. If it did, this may be a marvel of a digicam. And certainly, that is the combo that will take advantage of sense.
What’s extra, the EOS R doesn’t have a joystick. In case you’re photographing folks or landscapes, this lens is okay. The EOS R can also be simply effective for these topics. However I wouldn’t purchase the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM for photographing folks; I’d purchase it to shoot my nephew enjoying sports activities or to {photograph} birds. However even then, I’d most likely shell out extra for the Canon RF 100-500mm and grumble in regards to the weight.
Canon shooters for years although have purchased cheaper cameras and costlier lenses till they may afford the costlier cameras. Oddly sufficient, the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM does effectively on the Canon EOS R5. It acquires and locks on to the main target in a scene as essential. It additionally gives round one full cease additional of picture stabilization. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t purchase a high-end digicam and put an affordable lens on it, not less than not with Canon. That’s higher and extra possible with Sony, Nikon, Leica, and Panasonic as a result of they provide inexpensive weather-sealed choices. However this lens isn’t climate sealed, and that’s a tad irritating.
In fact, there’s additionally the f8 aperture on the longer finish. Simply crank up the ISO. Ideally, the EOS R6 could be the most effective digicam to make use of with this lens.
Autofocus
Right here’s the place issues grow to be actually, actually bizarre. On the Canon EOS R5, I didn’t suppose that the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM actually utilized all of the smarts the digicam has. After I reviewed the 100-500mm L lens, it might discover the attention on a fowl whereas they had been tremendous far-off and really tiny within the scene. However with the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM, that’s not the case. Can it discover birds? Positive it could actually. Can it do it in addition to the L-lens? In no way. I assume this could be Canon’s manner of creating it stand out. In any other case, the lens is tremendous quick to focus and we are able to’t complain in that division.
Alternatively, on the Canon EOS R, this lens remains to be quick to focus however not so nice at monitoring. Once more, that is due to the Canon EOS R being what it’s. In case you’re photographing birds and animals, you’re going to have a really powerful time. For the most effective outcomes, you must use the autofocus space growth. In case you’re photographing folks, there’s no hassle. Once more, bushes could make issues sophisticated when photographing animals and birds.
General, the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is able to performing some nice issues. Nevertheless it all is determined by the digicam. Even so, the efficiency between it and its pricier L-variants is evident. Even should you’re utilizing Servo autofocus and selecting a focusing profile, the L-lens is significantly better.
Picture High quality
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is a wonderful lens in the case of picture high quality. It’s straightforward for anybody to be glad with the picture high quality for positive. This lens has good bokeh, no main points with conventional lens flaws, and sharpness all through the vary. On the similar time, I didn’t suppose it had any kind of lens character, nevertheless it didn’t really feel as soulless as competing lenses.
Bokeh
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM has 9 aperture blades. And the bokeh may be very creamy. Coupled with the sharpness and good lighting, you need to use the bokeh to make your topic actually pop from the scene. All this regardless of being an f8 lens on the longer finish. In case you handle to get a fowl in focus, you’ll actually take pleasure in what this lens can do.
Coloration Rendition
The colours from this lens are good. They’re not spectacular, they usually’re nothing like what I’ve felt I’ve gotten with L-lenses. So you could be doing extra in post-production or in-camera with white steadiness to get the colours to a extra pleasing spot.
Lens Character
General, I couldn’t discover something that bothered me so far as conventional lens flaws. Chroma points, distortion, and fringing all had been managed effectively sufficient. To that finish, the pictures from this lens completely don’t really feel L-lens high quality.
Sharpness
Usually, we take a look at sharpness by utilizing a flash in a scene. Nevertheless it’s nonsensical right here. Is the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM a pointy lens? You wager it’s! We’re in a position to see a lot of particulars with the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon EOS R each.
Further Picture Samples
From day one, the Phoblographer has been enormous on transparency with our viewers. Nothing from this evaluate is sponsored. Additional, a lot of people will put up opinions and present a lot of modifying within the images. The issue then turns into that anybody and everybody can do the identical factor. You’re not displaying what the lens can do. So we’ve a complete part in our Further Picture Samples space to indicate off edited and unedited images. From this, you may make a choice for your self.
Edited
Unedited
Conclusions
Likes
LightweightImage qualityCost
Dislikes
Doesn’t appear to behave as intelligently with older camerasNot climate sealed
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is a really succesful lens on the fitting digicam. On the similar time, if I purchased a higher-end Canon digicam, I don’t suppose I’d purchase the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM. I’d really feel it’s a waste. Why would I shell out a lot cash for a climate sealed digicam and never care any bit in regards to the lens being sealed? That’s simply odd. All of Canon’s RF cameras have climate sealing as of this second. And the extra inexpensive ones can’t use the options that you just’d want with a lens like this. So once more, it’s in a really bizarre place.
The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM receives three out of 5 stars. Need one? Verify them out on Amazon.
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