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We have been talking ad nauseam about an RF 300-600mm lens for a long time now, and information about what's exactly coming has evolved. What we have been told is that such a lens will have a variable aperture, which isn't a bad thing if size, weight and cost dazzle us.
Canon RF 300-600mm f/4-5.6L IS USM
We have been told that an RF 300-600mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is in the wild going through final testing and is expected to be announced before the end of 2025. As with all announcements, they tend to be a moving target.
We have been told that the lens will be F4 between 300-400mm and F5.6 from 400-600mm.
With some of the other information we received, we think the lens could cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $6499-$6999 USD, but we'd love to see it come in sub $6000.
Will it take teleconverters? We don't know. If it played nice with the 1.4x, you'd have a decent 840mm f/8 for the small birds in your world.
There have been some patent applications showcasing supertelephoto RF lenses with variable apertures, but nothing that is an exact match.
It's rare to see the exact patent application of an optical design for an L lens ahead of the product being announced.
Bring it Already
This lens has been in development for quite some time; we were told more than a year ago that what was coming would “cannibalize” sales of the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM.
There is a big gap between the two price points, but a lot of people would probably save their pennies a little while longer and go with the faster Canon RF 300-600mm f/4-5.6L IS USM.
There will be some people that don't like variable apertures, but if the lens has the size and weight that has been suggested, that may prove to make it worthwhile to some of those people.
This would be an “autobuy” for me, pairing it with the RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM would be quite the kit. A life without teleconverters!
Do We Believe?
This bit of information and how it came to us puts it in the top tier as far as rumor likelihood goes.
I get the feeling that we won't have long to wait and that there will be a flurry of Canon announcements in the next couple of months. Starting next week with the Cinema EOS C50.
We hope there's more to come, even if for selfish reasons. I want this!
300/2.8 and 600/5.6 require the same front element size. 300-600 will be physically larger. And of course this is Canon we're talking about here, and this is a big white L super tele. Price is likely to be very close to the 100-300/2.8L IS.
😉
I sold my 2x TC because it was painful on the 100-500, even in good light.
I used one recently, sharpness is just fine if your goal is to bring something full in the frame. A lot of what I have seen is people trying to bring smaller things into the frame but are still too far away.
There have been 3 patents on the design, and here we are. I have some thoughts, but I don't want them to become some kind of fact. There are two products coming next year that would make it a perfect time.
Well, if you want a tight mammal or a headshot, it does the job extremely well. I'll post a lynx shot in the gallery taken with the 100-300/2x. A photo fine for the photo frame, it won't make it to paper.
I'm not sure how to explain it. This set up is to bring you closer, not to bring the subject closer. I can't articulate that any better. Maybe someone with a brain like mine gets it. 😛
Update: Here
That's a good way to put it. That could have been shot at 300 2.8, achieved a blur, but with an environmental composition.
The kingfishers tend to be a bird that has to come to you. Josh Holko uses bacon to bring a Kookaburra into his backyard.