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If you're in the market for a Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM and you can order from teh Canon USA store, now is a good time to consider it. It's quite possible that refurbished prices will also increase eventually if things continue down the same path.
It may sound absurd, but $8500 is a steal for this lens. As always, all refurbished gear comes with a full 1-year Canon USA warranty and free standard shipping.
Purchase Options
- Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM $8549 (Reg $9499)
Overview
Zoom Evolution
Building on the legacy of the popular EF 300mm f/2.8 prime lenses, this RF 100-300mm f/2.8 maintains the quality and speed 300mm f/2.8 shooters are looking for while adding the versatility of a zoom that widens up to 100mm.
- The 100-300mm zoom design offers more versatility for tracking moving subjects, recording candid moments from a distance, and backing off from scenes a bit for a wider frame for more context.
- Despite switching to a zoom design, this lens retains the a bright and constant f/2.8 maximum aperture that excels in available lighting conditions and helps to achieve a shallow depth of field to isolate subjects against a blurred background.
- Wholly new optical design includes fluorite elements and ultra-low dispersion glass, plus one aspherical element, to achieve a higher degree of clarity and sharpness with virtually no distortion.
- Canon's Air Sphere Coating (ASC) and Super Spectra Coating (SSC) minimizes ghosting and flare to better enable working in backlit conditions or when facing strong lighting situations.
Autofocus and Image Stabilization
As a lens designed for sports, events, and other moving subjects, AF and IS functions have been optimized for quick and precise performance along with the ability to work with the lens handheld or from a monopod if desired.
- Dual Nano USM system uses both a ring type USM and an STM mechanism to realize quick and accurate focusing. The smooth and nearly silent focusing suits both photography and video applications and there is full-time manual focus control available.
- Two separate focusing groups are independently actuated for greater maintained sharpness throughout the zoom range and at different focus positions.
- Focus range limiter can be set to the full focusing range, from 5.9′ to infinity, or from a 19.7′ to infinity range for quicker performance if working exclusively with distant subjects.
- Optical image stabilization compensates for up to 5.5 stops of camera shake; if paired with an EOS R camera featuring in-body image stabilization, this lens also supports Coordinated IS that offers up to 6 stops of shake correction.
L Series Design and Handling
The first lens of its kind designed specifically for mirrorless EOS R cameras, this RF 100-300mm f/2.8 zoom features the durability, weather sealing, and intuitive design professionals expect from an L Series lens.
- Weather-sealed design enables working in harsh environments and prevents dust and moisture from reaching the interior of the lens. Also, there is a front fluorine coating that prevents water, oils, and other residue types from sticking to lens, making it easier to clean.
- Impressively lightweight for its speed and zoom range, this lens weighs 5.8 lb and measures 12.7″ long.
- Internal focusing and zooming design maintains the overall length of the lens during operations and promotes quicker operations and more robust weather sealing.
- Built-in rotating tripod mount suits working with the lens atop a monopod or tripod and enables quick switching between vertical and horizontal shooting orientations.
- For intuitive handling and focus control, there is a Focus Preset button near the rear of the lens, which can be triggered with your right hand during use. This function allows pre-focusing on a spot, storing this focus distance, and being able to instantly return to the memorized position at the push of this button. Alternatively, a side switch enables utilizing this buttons as an secondary Lens Function (L-Fn) button instead.
- Four L-Fn buttons surround the front of the lens and these can be programmed to control a variety of lens or camera functions.
- Programmable Control Ring can be used for lens-based adjustment of various exposure or camera settings and comes with a click-stop operation by default for tactile feedback.
- Compatible with optional Extender RF 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for further extending the effective reach of this lens.
Purchase Options
- Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM $8549 (Reg $9499)
I’m not a studio portrait photographer but wouldn’t the shutter noise help models with poses?
While I fully appreciate that this will come eventually, personally I'm not quite there yet on things like rolling shutter and the protection that the mechanical shutter provides when changing lenses.
I know at least one Nikon shooter that moved to the R5mkii over the Z8/9 due to a combination of mechanical shutter and the lure of the RF100-500.
I really hope the R7 Mkii finally delivers a worthy successor to the 7Dmkii and allows me to retire mine.
Readout speed won't be an issue with Canon going forward. It's even easier to do than with full-frame cameras. Less heat and all that.
I recently needed a mechanical shutter. There were weird halogen lights at a venue.... 4 or 5 of the lights were flickering at different rates. I had to switch to mechanical.
Is there a way to solve that annoyance? I don't know.
For wildlife.... there won't be an issue, not even with wing beats of birds.
I don't mean things like sensor protection when one changes lenses, but photographic benefits.
And I got my first full-day >500 shots with the R7 ruined because of shutter-shock.