dbrugger25 wrote:
I have a Canon RF 100-500 telephoto lens. My question regards which is better? I could buy a 1.4X or 2X RF extender. Or, I could buy the Canon RF 800mm f:11.
Can any members tell me which is the better option? I am interested is sharp photos with minimal distortion for bird and wildlife photography.
My Canon camera is an EOS R5. By the way, I just downloaded and installed the firmware update 1.5.1.
Thank you.
The RF 800mm f/11 is slightly smaller, slightly lighter and a lot less expensive. But it also is more plasticky, has a FIXED aperture (f/11 only), has slightly slower STM focus drive, is not nearly as versatile as the zoom and is NOT AS SHARP (see link below).
At $1000 the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM is a bargain! As a non-L Canon lens, the lens hood is sold separately, for an additional $55.
However the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is better built (after all, it's an L-series, which includes the hood), gives you both an adjustable aperture and a whole range of focal lengths to work with all the way from 100mm to 700mm, assuming you get a 1.4X to use with it. At 500mm with a 1.4X added it "becomes" a 700mm f/10 combo... a little less "reach" than the 800mm, but a wee bit brighter.
The 100-500mm has a typical tripod mounting ring that allows the camera and lens to be rotated from landscape to portrait orientation. The 800mm has a tripod mount, but it is fixed and any change in orientation will need to be done with the tripod head instead.
Note that the full range of the 100-500mm cannot be used when a teleconverter is installed. If I recall correctly, only the 300mm to 500mm range can be used (making for a 420-700mm combo). Of course, that's where you need the 1.4X anyway.
The RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM ain't no bargain at $2900. And an RF 1.4X teleconverter to use with it adds another $500. That's more than triple the cost of the 800mm and it's lens hood.
Compare image sharpness for yourself:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=1510&Camera=1508&Sample=0&FLI=5&API=4&LensComp=1513&CameraComp=1508&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0There's not much difference in optical vignetting:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Vignetting-Test-Results.aspx?Lens=1510&Camera=1508&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0&LensComp=1513&CameraComp=1508&FLI=4&API=0Not surprising for telephotos, neither lens has significant distortion:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Distortion.aspx?Lens=1510&Camera=1508&FLIComp=0&LensComp=1513&CameraComp=1508&FLI=4You can compare the two lenses' specifications at the above website, too. Probably the most notable things there are that the 100-500mm is MUCH closer focusing, to just over 3 feet. The closest the 800mm can focus is around 20 feet! The 100-500mm can render up to 0.33X magnification.... while the 800mm at best does 0.14X. Also of note, the 100-500mm uses fairly commonly available 77mm filters, while the 800mm uses larger 95mm that are a bit harder to find.
Bryan's full reviews are interesting...
- RF 100-500mm:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-RF-100-500mm-F4.5-7.1-L-IS-USM-Lens.aspx- RF 800mm:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-RF-800mm-F11-IS-STM-Lens.aspxI don't have either lens personally, but have seriously considered both and will end up with one or the other eventually. The 800mm is a very innovative piece of work from Canon. It's some real "out of the box" thinking! It's sort of like a modern take of the "mirror lens" craze of the 1980s and 1990s... a reasonably compact lens for the masses who drive cars that cost less than the super telephoto alternatives. For its versatility I lean toward the 100-500mm personally, especially if Canon meets my expectations with an APS-C R-series camera. (Make a "mirrorless 7D Mark II" and I'll buy two!)