Your advice on Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender: I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will...

sergio

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

An extender would reduce sharpness. Stay with the prime. Perhaps the behavior patterns could reveal when the birds would be closer to your position at varies times of the day or weather conditions.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

I have a partial answer for you. I have the Canon R6 with the RF 800 mm lens and the images are clear, sharp and autofocus works well. IF the bird is close enough animal detection/eye detection is amazing for locking on. The lens is light because it is made of plastic or plastic like material although the mount is metal. It is a long lens when extended but it can be locked in a shorter profile to carry. The Canon hood does not come with the lens and it has been unavailable for sometime now although there are 3rd party hoods available.
I have not used it with an extender although I ordered one for the 100-500 mm lens and it will be here today. I didn't plan to use it with the 800 mm lens but who knows. I'll add an attachment later so you can see my results.

I like the lens, it is handy when you need the focal length, price is good and weight is such that you can easily use it for long periods. I live in Az where f 11/or smaller aperture makes sense . Do you?

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

Sergio, I am not sure that it will work well at all, although the R5 has amazing auto focus capabilities at small apertures, f/11, when you add an extender to the lens you will be going down to f/16 or f/22 depending on which extender you are using, I think that will either cause you to lose auto focus completely or at best it will be very inconsistent and constantly searching. I would also check to make sure that the 800mm is compatible with the extender before making plans to purchase, not all of Canon's lenses are compatible with their tele-extenders.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

The question you have to have answered is this, will the Canon R5, auto focus with a lens at f11. Most digital camera's have a auto focus ceiling at f8, will the Canon R5 auto focus with a lens minimum of f11?
And, if it does, you can pretty much forget about shooting birds in flight before 8:30 to 9 AM.

mdoing

As stated by Suntouched, the R6 and R5 will focus wonderfully well with the RF800 f11, I have the 800 and R6 and love it for small birds at a long distance. The old DSLR days of "won't focus over f8" are gone. I have not yet gotten the extender. It takes very clear, crisp pictures. It has limitations, but it also has 800mm in a light easily hand holdable package which is unbelievable. I also have the RF100-500 which is a much more refined L lens and maybe takes better pictures, I'm not sure yet, the 800 is that good. I want to get the extender for use with the 100-500 and have heard that it works with the 800, but I don't think I would use it much with that one, again who knows?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

Per the reviews that is a tack sharp combination of the 800mm with the 1.4X.
Not sure what images you are looking at.
Look at this:
Rockwell states it is ultrasharp and failure to get sharp photos is user failure.
https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/eos-r/lenses/800mm.htm

Northrop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiB5QE0sp2U

They compared it to the Nikon 800mm and it held its own.

Bottom line it is a great lens and with the matched 1.4 TC still incredibly sharp.

bodo

Don't know why one needs the 1.4 extender as the R5 can crop to 1.6 in camera.

sergio

To Architect1776

Thank you! These responded to all my questions!
Excellent!

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

sergio wrote:

To Architect1776

Thank you! These responded to all my questions!
Excellent!

No problem. You are welcome.
That 800mm is on my dream list.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

I have a little more hands on info now for you. I tried the 800 mm lens w 1.4 extender and had mixed results although I think it was user inexperience. With the extender attached all user movement is exaggerated especially if there is wind and there was. Lens is lightweight and long so a little harder to control movement hand held. I got some nice sharp shots but keepers decreased overall. Lens becomes a fixed f 16 so you need plenty of light to keep your speed up or rely on high ISO. I’m glad to have the combination and with practice I expect to improve my technique. Using this on a R 6 camera

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

suntouched wrote:

I have a little more hands on info now for you. I ... (show quote)

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

sergio wrote:

To Architect1776

Thank you! These responded to all my questions!
Excellent!

DanielB just posted a superb RF800 shot.
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-691796-1.html#12130700

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

mdoing wrote:

As stated by Suntouched, the R6 and R5 will focus ... (show quote)

The Extender works very well with the 100-500 mm lens-except for the added weight I wouldn’t know I had it on. Images look the same with or without it to me. Lots of complaints about the physical limitations of the extender although it isn’t a problem for me as I carry and use the lens at full zoom almost all of the time.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

sergio wrote:

I am mostly interested in bird photography and I would like to know how the Canon R5 with RF800 lens and 1.4x Extender will work for birds. I frequently use 1/1000 sec. or shorter exposures. There are images at the 800mm lens site; they look good but not very good. I would much appreciate your hands-on opinion.

Ck out eagle shots posted by Regis from (Utah?) and then decide.