Patent: Canon RF 100-400mm f/5-7.1 IS USM

[privatebydesign]

100-400 is a good focal range, but how about a 200-600 f/4.5-f/6.3 non-L. This is what so many of my birding and wildlife clients talk about. The IQ from the 800 f/11 and 600 f/11 is very good, so I have a lot of confidence Canon could produce a non-L 200-600 at a great price that would produce really great images.

Here is an interesting comparison between the RF100-500 and the Sony 200-600. I have time stamped a very interesting aspect they noticed in their real world use.

 

[InchMetric]

The main question I have is will it be available to purchase once it becomes "available." Given what has happened with the RF 100-500 and even the 800 f/11, I wonder about the real world availability of this and other lenses on the roadmap. I know folks who have been waiting for the 100-500 for a long time and there is no stock in site for this lens. I keep asking and everyone I talk to at various camera shops say they have no idea when more 100-500s will be in stock.

Why not just order the moment it’s announced and be certain of getting it the first day? That works every time for me.

 

[koenkooi]

Why not just order the moment it’s announced and be certain of getting it the first day? That works every time for me.

Didn’t work for the R5 and the RF100mm for me, it did work for the 100-500mm.

 

[InchMetric]

Didn’t work for the R5 and the RF100mm for me, it did work for the 100-500mm.

Are you ordering somewhere other than Adorama or BH? First minutes of announcement?

 

[unfocused]

Here is an interesting comparison between the RF100-500 and the Sony 200-600. I have time stamped a very interesting aspect they noticed in their real world use.

Living in the central U.S. I had a hard time getting past the birds he has landing in his backyard.

 

[rbielefeld]

Why not just order the moment it’s announced and be certain of getting it the first day? That works every time for me.

I did, and I got a copy of the 100-500. However, it is not conceivable for everyone to order the very first minute it is available for order. If this happened there is no way Canon could fill all those orders within a few days, or weeks, resulting in "everyone" having the lens right away. I have many clients still trying to get this lens many many months after it first became available, and some of them have been waiting that many many months. It is not a good situation and thus I am hoping this will not be the case with much of the other equipment Canon will be announcing in the near future.

 

[rbielefeld]

Here is an interesting comparison between the RF100-500 and the Sony 200-600. I have time stamped a very interesting aspect they noticed in their real world use.

Very interesting. There are other aspects of the 200-600 that come into play for me. One of these is where the zoom ring is located on the 200-600 and how short the throw is to go the entire 200 to 600mm. On the 200-600 I can basically operate the ring with just my left thumb and go from 200-600 smoothly without having to reposition my hand; very little effort involved. This is a great benefit when shooting fast birds in flight that are coming at you. The 100-500mm it simply is harder to preform this movement. Again, just one example of why I wish Canon could offer something similar with the same IQ and relatively low price point.

 

[entoman]

It will probably cost "only" $2000.

No way.
Canon are developing 2 well differentiated lines of lenses for the RF system.

The L glass is now very high end exotica, weather-sealed and built to last forever, with a matching price tag.

The non-L range is much cheaper, using plastics rather than metal for the barrels, limited weather-sealing, and without lens hoods or rotating tripod collars.

Compare e.g. the 85mm F2 macro with the 100mm F2.8L macro which is almost double the price.

My guess is that the "budget" RF 100-400mm will be about half the price of the EF 100-400mm L.

 

[entoman]

100-400 is a good focal range, but how about a 200-600 f/4.5-f/6.3 non-L. This is what so many of my birding and wildlife clients talk about. The IQ from the 800 f/11 and 600 f/11 is very good, so I have a lot of confidence Canon could produce a non-L 200-600 at a great price that would produce really great images.

Yes I agree that the IQ from the 600mm F11 and 800mm F11 is very good - quite amazing in fact, considering the price. But I really do wish that Canon had given us a one-stop wider aperture, and charged 50% more.

I own the 800mm F11 and it's really only usable in quite bright lighting conditions unless I jump up to 3200-6400 ISO which is too noisy for my taste. An 800mm F8 or even F9.5 would be far more usable, especially if it had a rotating tripod foot, and they could probably bang them out for under $2000.

Even stranger is the 600mm F11 - a nice lens but to my mind it would have made more sense to have a 600mm F8. It would probably be no larger physically than the 800mm F11, but would be far more usable for its intended users (primarily amateur birders on a modest budget). A 600mm F8 for say $1500?

 

[InchMetric]

I did, and I got a copy of the 100-500. However, it is not conceivable for everyone to order the very first minute it is available for order. If this happened there is no way Canon could fill all those orders within a few days, or weeks, resulting in "everyone" having the lens right away. I have many clients still trying to get this lens many many months after it first became available, and some of them have been waiting that many many months. It is not a good situation and thus I am hoping this will not be the case with much of the other equipment Canon will be announcing in the near future.

“Everyone” introduces an absurd hypothetical. I’m talking about the online complainers who have an easy way to get every single in demand item.

 

[Chig]

Be cool if Canon make a proper super zoom RF 200-600 DO f/4-5.6 with their freznell DO elements and internal zooming and weather sealing.
This would be fairly short and light for hand holding but still pretty bright aperture.
Perhaps with a builtin switchable 1.4x T.C ?