Well, we knew there was a big announcement coming from Canon today and we were pretty sure we knew what it might be. well, Canon has now made the announcement official, bringing us the Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM and Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM super-telephoto lenses. With price tags of $16,999 and $19,999 respectively, these lenses sure ain’t for the faint of heart (or wallet) and are absolute monsters designed for sports and wildlife.
Both lenses feature two focus presets with the ability to instantly swap between memorised focus distances. Very handy if you’re covering sports with a goal or wildlife with a nest. A circular nin-bladed aperture, Canon says, provides “exceptionally beautiful and soft blurred backgrounds and bokeh” and both offer the L series durability and weather sealing you’d expect from lenses at this price point.
Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM – $16,999
The Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM weighs in at a mere 6.9lbs, which is significantly lighter than the 9.9lb Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM that came before it. It has a minimum focus distance of only 2.6 metres, letting wildlife shooters fill the frame with small subjects from relatively close up as well as capturing larger ones at distance. It features up to 4.5 stops of image stabilisation with three IS operation modes.
| Focal Length | 800mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/5.6 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Format Compatibility | Full-Frame |
| Angle of View | 03° 05' |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 8.5' / 2.6m |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.34x |
| Optical Design | 26 elements in 18 groups |
| Aputure blades | 9, rounded |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Filter Size | 52 mm (drop-in) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 163.0mm x 432mm |
| Weight | 6.9lb / 3.14kg |
Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM – $19,999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNA1yo6HZ2A
Canon’s new RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM is the most powerful super-telephoto in the Canon RF lens lineup weighing only 7.4lb. And even at $20K and a stop slower, it’s much cheaper, lighter and will be much more readily available than Canon’s mythical Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L behemoth. It features up to 4 stops of image stabilisation with three IS modes and a minimum focus distance of 4.3 metres.
| Focal Length | 1200mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/8 |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF |
| Format Compatibility | Full-Frame |
| Angle of View | 02° 05' |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 14.1' / 4.3m |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.29x |
| Optical Design | 26 elements in 18 groups |
| Aputure blades | 9, rounded |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Filter Size | 52 mm (drop-in) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 168.0mm x 537mm |
| Weight | 7.4lb / 3.34kg |
The two new lenses add to last year’s RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM and 600mm f/4L IS USM lenses, offering wildlife and sports shooters the full range of super-telephoto lenses for their RF mount cameras. But, if you wanted to collect the whole set, you’re talking just shy of $62,000. Not a light investment by any stretch of the imagination! Once you add a couple of EOS R3 cameras into the mix… Well, then you’re talking close to $74K.
If your budget can’t stretch quite that high, don’t forget there’s still the Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM for only $999. Yes, there are compromises but hey, you get what you pay for when it comes to lenses of this focal length!
The Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM is available to pre-order now for $16,999 and the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM is available to pre-order now for $19,999. Both lenses are scheduled to start shipping in May.
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