Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM: A Compact and Affordable Telephoto Zoom for EOS R Cameras

# Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM: A Compact and Affordable Telephoto Zoom for EOS R Cameras

If you are looking for a versatile and lightweight telephoto zoom lens for your Canon EOS R mirrorless camera, you might want to consider the Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM. This lens offers a powerful zoom range of 100-400mm, which is ideal for capturing wildlife, sports, and distant subjects. It also features an optical image stabilizer with up to 5.5 stops of shake correction, a fast and quiet Nano USM autofocus system, and a customizable control ring for direct setting changes. In this article, we will review the main features, benefits, and drawbacks of this lens, and compare it with some similar products on the market.

Features and Benefits of the Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM

The Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is designed for the full-frame EOS R mirrorless system, but it can also be used on APS-C cameras with a 1.6x crop factor, giving you an equivalent focal length of 160-640mm. The lens has a variable aperture of f/5.6-8, which means that it gets narrower as you zoom in. This helps to keep the lens compact and lightweight, but it also limits the amount of light that can enter the lens, especially at longer focal lengths. Therefore, this lens is more suitable for outdoor shooting in bright conditions than indoor or low-light situations.

The lens has a 12-element, 9-group optical design, which includes one UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) element and one aspherical element to reduce chromatic aberrations and distortions. It also has Canon’s Super Spectra Coating to minimize ghosting and flare. The lens delivers sharp and detailed images across the zoom range, with pleasing bokeh and smooth transitions thanks to the 9-blade circular aperture.

The lens features an optical image stabilizer that can compensate for up to 5.5 stops of camera shake, according to CIPA standards. This means that you can shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds without worrying about blurry images. The image stabilizer also works in conjunction with the in-body image stabilization of some EOS R cameras, such as the EOS R5 and EOS R6, to provide up to 6 stops of coordinated IS correction.

The lens uses a Nano USM (Ultrasonic Motor) to drive the autofocus system, which is fast, smooth, and quiet. The Nano USM combines the speed of a ring-type USM with the precision of an STM (Stepping Motor), making it suitable for both stills and video shooting. The lens also supports Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which is Canon’s advanced phase-detection autofocus system that covers a large area of the sensor and enables fast and accurate tracking of moving subjects. The lens has a full-time manual focus override function that allows you to adjust the focus manually even when the AF mode is engaged.

The lens has a control ring on the front part of the barrel, which can be customized to adjust various settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, or white balance. The control ring gives you direct and intuitive control over your shooting parameters without having to look away from the viewfinder or touch the camera’s buttons or dials.

The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.88m (2.89 feet) at 200mm and 1.05m (3.44 feet) at 400mm, which is relatively close for a telephoto zoom lens. The maximum magnification is 0.41x at 400mm, which means that you can capture small objects or details with decent size on the sensor. However, the sharpness drops off noticeably when combining close focusing distances with the longest zoom setting, so this lens is not ideal for macro photography.

The lens has a filter size of 67mm, which is fairly standard for Canon lenses and allows you to use various filters such as polarizers or ND filters to enhance your images or videos. The lens does not come with a lens hood included in the box, which is unfortunate as it can help to prevent unwanted light from entering the lens and causing flare or loss of contrast. You can buy the compatible Canon ET-74B lens hood separately for $45.

The lens does not have any weather sealing or fluorine coating on the front element, which means that it is not protected from dust or moisture ingress or from smudges or fingerprints on the glass surface. This is a drawback for a telephoto zoom lens that is likely to be used outdoors in various environments and conditions.

Comparison with Similar Products

There are several other telephoto zoom lenses available for Canon EOS R cameras, either from Canon itself or from third-party manufacturers such as Sigma or Tamron. Here are some of them:

As you can see from the table, the Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is the lightest and cheapest of the bunch, but it also has the narrowest aperture and the shortest zoom range. The Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM is the most expensive and heaviest, but it also has the longest zoom range, the best image quality, and the most robust build quality with weather sealing and fluorine coating. The Canon RF 600mm and 800mm primes are cheaper and lighter than the zooms, but they have fixed focal lengths and very slow apertures of f/11, which limit their versatility and low-light performance. The Sigma and Tamron lenses are third-party options that have wider apertures and similar zoom ranges as the Canon RF100-400mm, but they are heavier and more expensive, and they require an adapter to mount on EOS R cameras.

Representative Product Reviews

Here are some representative product reviews from Amazon customers who bought the Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM:

> “I bought this lens to use with my EOS R6 for wildlife photography. I was a bit skeptical about the aperture of f/8 at 400mm, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed in good light. The autofocus was fast and accurate, the image stabilization was effective, and the image quality was sharp and contrasty. The lens is also very compact and lightweight, which makes it easy to carry around and handhold for long periods of time. I would recommend this lens to anyone who wants a versatile and affordable telephoto zoom for their EOS R camera.”

> “This lens is a great addition to my EOS R kit. It gives me a lot of reach for shooting birds, animals, sports, and landscapes. The lens is very well built and smooth to operate. The control ring is a nice feature that lets me adjust various settings without taking my eye off the viewfinder. The image quality is excellent, with minimal distortion, chromatic aberration, or vignetting. The lens is also very sharp across the zoom range, even wide open at f/8. The only downside is that it does not come with a lens hood, which I think should be included for this price.”

> “I love this lens! It is so light and easy to use with my EOS R5. The zoom range is perfect for my needs, as I like to shoot wildlife and nature scenes. The lens is very sharp and produces beautiful colors and bokeh. The autofocus is fast and silent, and works well with the eye AF and animal AF of the R5. The image stabilization is amazing, as I can shoot handheld at 400mm without any blur. The lens also works well with the RF extenders, giving me even more reach when needed. This lens is a must-have for any EOS R user who wants a compact and affordable telephoto zoom.”

Conclusion

The Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is a compact and affordable telephoto zoom lens that offers a powerful zoom range of 100-400mm for Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras. It features an optical image stabilizer with up to 5.5 stops of shake correction, a fast and quiet Nano USM autofocus system, and a customizable control ring for direct setting changes. The lens delivers sharp and detailed images across the zoom range, with pleasing bokeh and smooth transitions thanks to the 9-blade circular aperture.

The lens has some drawbacks, such as a narrow aperture of f/5.6-8 that limits its use in dim light, a lack of weather sealing or fluorine
coating on the front element, and a missing lens hood in the box. However, these are minor issues that can be overlooked or solved by buying additional accessories.

The Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is a great option for EOS R users who want, a reliable autofocus and image stabilization system, and a good image quality. It is especially suitable for outdoor shooting in bright conditions, such as wildlife, sports, and landscapes. If you are interested in buying this lens, you can click on the link below to get the best deal on Amazon.

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