Thanks Jan. I'm waiting for a comparison of R5+100-500+1.4x with R5+200-800 :)

@BinaryBrainbow

7 ай бұрын

Yasss!!!! I vote both the 1.4x and 2.0x! Didn’t buy a 2600 lens for nothing! Haha

@jimtipton8888

7 ай бұрын

Yessss!!!!!

@rainforestspirit

7 ай бұрын

Yes, Same!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Coming soon!

@BinaryBrainbow

7 ай бұрын

@@jan_wegener wooohooo! Can’t wait!

Thanks for all your efforts to bring a detailed honest review. Like always your content is the most professional and undoubtedly the best available on the web as regards bird photography. Keep it up👍 The lens surely looks promising but since I have the 100-500, I still am in two minds about getting the 200-800.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

@AnshumanSahasrabhojanee

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Mark, but the reach is exactly where I am left longing for while shooting birds.

Hi Jan, thanks for providing this key verdict I've been waiting for 👍 Sounds like this lens finally allows to combine APS-C level reach with FF level of quality, and it suddenly makes the R6, R6ii and R3 sensor resolution much more suitable for reach-hungry birding. I intended to wait until the reviews from you and Duade were in, but Duade's smile and body language on his review (which was the second video were I did see you using the 200-800's together) already triggered me to order it 😛 The 200-800 is clearly no replacement for the mighty 100-500, but I strongly consider using the 200-800 from the point were I'd put the extender on the 100-500, and reserve the RF1.4x usage only for those cases I'd want even more than 800mm ..

Thanks Jan... great practical observations on the brightness and throw stiffness... having the 100-500 + 1.4x on both of my R5 and R7, i was particularly pleased to hear this lens did well with the 1.4x. Yeah, this lens + 1.4x on the R7 would give me an insane reach for small bird head shots! I wholly agree, the combination of IQ, sharpness, reach and price makes this lens 2nd to none! Love Canon for giving us so many "2nd to none" lenses lately!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

yes, I love how they push the boundaries a bit, making the 100-500 500mm instead of 400and this 800 instead of 600

Jan, as always, your reviews are the best!! l love the fact that you honestly show the pro's and the con's!

Your reviews are just stellar, Jan. Just the facts with pictures and examples to back them up; forget the fluff!. What a great resource! Thanks so much. Catherine

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

You make the best gear reviews, and as always, this one is no exception. Great work and thanks for the review, Jan.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Great review. I believe you covered the pluses and minuses very well. This is my 6th day with the lens and I have really enjoyed it. Since it is nearly winter here in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, USA, I have had plenty of opportunity to test low light operation. We barely have 8 hours of sunlight, if it isn’t raining 😅. When we finally get bright days I will keep an eye out for the bleed you mentioned.

For 1899 I would get it. I feel like the 100-500mm can be limiting sometimes. But here it costs 3100... Almost as much as the 100-500mm. Also close to the incredible normal range primes, 85mm, 135mm and 28-70 f2. Its crazy to have this one in the same price range as these.

Great review 👍thank you. Will stay with the 100-500mm and a TC 1.4. But I'm waiting for your next video, with the comparison of both lenses 😀

@marktaylor9579

7 ай бұрын

Same here 🙂

Jan , nice review. I was one of the lucky ones that got one. I was thrilled how well you can blow out the backgrounds, yeah it's a keeper.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Awesome!

Mine arrived this morning and I just went through my photos from today. Had a lot of fun. Got some nice shots. No complaints!!

Thank you so much Jan for your verdict on this lens. Knowing how critical you can be, this verdict is as positive as it comes. After seeing yours and Duads video I immediately pro-orderd one copy.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks, Jan. I have found that even ISO 25600 is usable with the R7 if needed. Modern APSc cameras are very capable. In respect of the R7 AF I have found it helps if you reduce the burst speed and disable the IBIS if using fast shutter speeds using 1st curtain electronic shutter. The lens looks great for the price. I’ll start saving up, now

I'm a hiking bird and butterfly photographer and in the field I usually go a distance of 3 miles or more. I'm bummed that the tripod mount - dumb decision, Canon - cannot be removed to bring down the weight and comfort. As it is, 4.5 pounds is just going to be too much for me to haul around for long distances so I'll stick with the 100-500mm L for the time being and hope that Canon allows Sigma or Tamron (or both) to release a telephoto zoom in the 600-800mm range with less weight and a tripod collar that can be removed.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

For butterflies the 100-500 would allow you to go much closer

While I'm not planning to purchase the lens, mainly because I primarily shoot during blue-golden hour to maybe 2-hrs after sunrise - my other reason is I can put the 1.4 ext on my 600 F/4 and have 840mm at F/5.6 - now I know there's a weight issue - but 99% of the time I'm shooting that with my R5 handheld as well. yes, it's heavy but the IQ is worth the trade-off in my OP.

@_systemd

7 ай бұрын

I feel you. my wife uses 400 2.8 w extenders, my son has the 600 f4 and I prefer the 1200 f5.6 cuz my biceps real big. having said that , I also watch a lot of reviews of amateur lenses and tend to summarize in the comment section why they aren't the right choice for me, just to let others know.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

that's the best reason yet I have read why to own the 1200/5.6 :D

I'm with you on the Arca swiss thing!. I always went for the Tamron 150-600 G2 on my Nikon bodies simply because it had the Swiss Arca compatible foot, thankfully it was a decent lens as well. The Sony version of the Sigma 150-600 has a Swiss Arca foot as well so they've taken notice!. Surely it would be easy to make the foot itself removable and replaceable even if they don't want you taking off the collar.

Wonderful video mate and covers the lens perfectly, it was great to catch up and I had a lot of fun. Cheers, Duade

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Totally 😀 hopefully again soon

Yours, Duade's and Whistling Wing's reviews have helped me a newbie towards the R5 and 200-800 combination, but my dream would be the Z8+600 f/6.3 vr s + 1.4 to keep the weight+length down even further! A lifelong birding hobby is reaching a new watershed: watch flying bird vs gear to capture it (flying bird challenge negates digiscoping or restricts it to non-airborne iPhone+atx85mm!)

Excellent pictures and review, Jan!! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Awesome!

It reminds me of my Nikkor 200-500. Just as a more modern iteration of it. External zoom, relatively long throw, slightly inconvenient in some regards but with great image quality.

@planetfun85

7 ай бұрын

200-500 has constant f5.6.

@MattisProbably

7 ай бұрын

​@@planetfun85 Yes but that's not my point. It's the same "kind" of lens, just a more modern variant of it.

Top drawer video thank you Jan, you and Duade are pumping out great videos and helpful information. The pink robin is just beautiful.

Zaterdag ga ik mijn 200-800 ophalen Voor de R7 . Ik fotografeerde met canon ef 100-400 mk ll en de extender 1.4 mk lll . Op de R7. Zal mij benieuwen , de filmpjes hebben enorm geholpen 👍👍 Bedankt Jan

Thank you. I pre-ordered on Nov 2nd with local Canon dealer when Canon announced it. It was supposed to arrive on Dec 14th but I was told that there is some supply chain issue and also this lens got more orders than Canon anticipated. It could take weeks or months per dealer. Paid the full price though.

I've been using mine, and was wondering why it was so shaky... I had accidentally turned off the stabilization. 😂😅. Since then I've been absolutely loving it. Big upgrade coming from the 100-400mm I was using before.

I always learn something new watching your channel. I had an ah ha moment today. Don’t use the TC to try and photograph subjects far away!! Use it to do better close ups of birds closer to you. I’ve been using it to reach ducks in my local wetland that tend to feed on the very far shores with low keeper rates. The TC makes my 100-500 an F10 and I loose the 100 due to the design flaw, so I don’t use it much. I will try it on closer subjects with a monopod. The new 200-800 is close in weight to the 100-500 with the TC. So it’s not on my radar at the moment. I just love the portability and flexibility of the 100-500. I’m holding out for a better crop camera!

Thanks Jan, I don’t think I will be changing my RF800 + my EF 100-400mm L series for this Lens, but I do think it is a great option for those looking for longer focal length.

As a 100-400 and 800f13 user with a preordered 200-800 about to arrive, dreams do come true. With your balanced review I am pretty comfortable I will not be disappointed. Thanks

Thanks heaps Jan, I really liked your review on this lens, I have the 100-500 but depending what I'm shooting the 200-800 just looked better for small birds so your feedback most welcome. Really love your videos!

@jan_wegener

3 ай бұрын

I made a video about the two side by side

Thank you so much for your efforts for all of us and providing this wonderful evaluation of this lens. Much appreciated Jan.

Superb video, thanks! ... I look forward to hearing you views when comparing the the 200-800 with the 100-500 + 1.4tc

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Coming soon!

Thanks Jan i have ordered this after watching your your excellent review

A great review covering a decent lens. (I love Australian birdlife) Thanks Jan!

I'm using the 200 800 for a first time trip to colombia! I managed to get one on Ebay! wanted a decent 800!

The handheld video at 1/50 with and without 2xTC really showcases the power of focal length to overcome a lot of sins. I was skeptical of an F9 lens, but those results are hard to argue with. I’m a Nikon shooter, but the principles of the trade offs when shooting for detail in low light at long distance affect us too. So this is informative in considering the trade offs for low light shooting between my 400mm f/4.5 and my incoming 180-600mm f/6.3. Nice shots!

@garymeredith2441

7 ай бұрын

If I was A Nikon photographer I would get the 600 mm F6.3 lens which seems to be their best lens they have for Birding . Just look at the results of that lends it speaks for itself .

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I would too Gary

@tomdearie5165

7 ай бұрын

😎How many lenses can I buy without a divorce? 😎 The 400mm 4.5 is great for the low-light shooting I do in the Canadian wilderness, and the 180-600 gets me to 600 f/6.3 with some versatility and a small budget. I’d love to have the 600 6.3 too, but the next jump is the 400 2.8. I shoot a lot of predators and larger birds and I get pretty close to my subjects. Cheers!

A W E S O M E!!, Thank you for a nice and honest review. Will consider adding it to my shopping cart or shopping list soon! Definitely D.P. and you put the cherry on the martini.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Been waiting a while for this lens and I’m glad to know it delivered. Great video as always Jan!

We've been waiting for this one Jan! :)

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Me too 😂

@j4kke046

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for your thorough review! I'm still amazed with the shots that you take (and the editing skills)@@jan_wegener

Very excited to hear your feelings, and Duade's. I have experienced the auto-focus issues with the R7 with an EF 100-400mm Mk II. Being down low with a lot of foreground and a small subject in the midground is a very difficult task for the R7's AF unfortunately. And that Tern shot is fantastic!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Yes, it can drive you mad sometimes! Thank you

Arca lens foot design should almost be mandatory imho . My goodness we’ve all been in the field with our tripods trying to mount big lenses straight and easily . Just makes sense . Even EV charge ports on cars is finally standardizing - that took too long to do , but it’s getting there . Watching this on the Betamax and recording HD dvd video on my laserdisc….😂

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

😁

As always a great balanced review. So relieved to hear that it is sharp at 800 wide open. Thanks so much for posting. Waiting to get mine, but the deliveries are quite tight for the moment.

Please compare the 3 lenses sony 200-600, Nikon 180-600 and Canon 200-800 or any of these lenses with canon 200-800

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I will

The IS on my R 7 shakes at first then seems to settle in. When the eye AF is having issues locking on I switch quickly to single point and it definitely helps

Great test Jan - I have tested it for Canon Denmark unfortunately in bad lightcondition - and I had preordered it before the test and now I have my own - I agree with your test - all over a very good lens compared to the price - thank for yours, as ususal very good video

@henrikboch1257

7 ай бұрын

Hi Svend How did you manage to get your own copy i Denmark? Everywhere I look the lens doesn't get shipped until April next year. 😮 ...earliest!

@svendnrgaard4158

7 ай бұрын

I preordered in the same moment it was possible as number one both by Click Svendbor and Goecker cph @@henrikboch1257

I have the RF 100-400 and have been drooling over the RF 100-500, but it's been out of my budget. Now with $500 off, the 100-500 is only $400 more than the 200-800. Is it worth the extra $400 and giving up that extra reach? I mostly do birding and wildlife photography. I'll be waiting for your comparison between these two lens and then decide which to save up for. Thanks for another great review!

I’m seriously considering the 200-800 but here in the UK we have more dull days than sunny!!!! I have a 500 f4 and the R3 which is brilliant but where I shoot I still have high iso shots, they clean up really well but f9 seems to me that my iso will be twice as much. I’ll see if I can borrow one and try it out.

Finally…Thank you Jan… i was waiting for this more than New Year party..

@g.e.gaviationphotography419

7 ай бұрын

Same, my 200-800 has arrived at Narellan NSW

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Better to be thorough than first 😆

Still waiting for it to be available in the shops here in Denmark. Preorder!!!

Been looking forward to watching this!

Many thanks for the excellent review Jan and all the best!

Great video, I was confused when you said the tripod mount can't be removed when there are photos with it removed? I find it unfortunate Canon confused life by painting this white when it's NOT an L lens. should have been black ... IMHO. Very helpful info!

As usual, a very useful video. I havent order it yet but I hope to be able to get the money togheter to buy it during 2024 to my R6.

Just bought mine yesterday via ebay, paid a bit over retail but im no good at waiting lol. Ive been using a conon rp and a 100-400mm and the number one issue ive had was being unable to get close enough to birds. Cant wait to start shooting with this extra zoom 👍

Have had the lens backordered from B&H (USA) since Nov. 2, and am getting frustrated since I see lots of people have been receiving it. Anyway, I have most of Canon's higher-end RF lenses for use with my R3 and R5, and while I'm looking forward to adding the 200-800 I do wish there was an 'L' version even at the expense of greater weight & cost. The 100-500 L has been a joy to use, but it would have been nice to replace it with the new 200-800 to get the longer reach from a single lens (birding is my primary use). However, in situations where image quality (for a long zoom, anyway) is the top consideration, it seems like the 100-500 will remain my go-to glass. And, now that I've had a cooling-off period from the 200-800 announcement, I *might* just cancel the order and hold out for something better,

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I’ll make a video about the two this week. That may give you some clarity

Keeping both the 200-800 and the 100-500. Love both of them

Hi Jan, thanks for the informative Video. I ordered my 200-800 some weeks ago from Teds in Maroochydore and it arrived yesterday. Yahoo!! I spent all day with it today at a few sites on the Sunshine Coast. I am so impressed with it. Images are so sharp. Sadly the weather here will be showers for a few days so I will have to wait until after Xmas to give it a good run. It is a little heavier to use compared to the 100-500 but I guess I'll get used to it. On longer sessions, I put the camera/lens on a monopod and rest the monopod and camera on my shoulder as I walk around. Works for me.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

Thanks Jan, greatly appreciate the detailed review. Im still on the fence about this one. Your review was part of why I was waiting before I could make a decision. I think it make sense to have for just walking around or knowing what your lighting conditions will be.

Hi Jan, Thanks so much for your down to earth reviews etc. The 200-800 throws up the dilemma about choosing this or the 100-500 plus converter ....and for many others also. Looking forward to your comparison video.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

coming soon!

After using it for couple hours yesterday, my forearm feels hurt today even It doesn’t feel like heavy at beginning because of that tripod mount😂😂😂. I like the image quality of this lens (sharpness and shallower background)except some slightly Vignetting at 800mm side and some slightly purple fringe at edge of picture. I also went one down on exposure to speed it up, it works very well. One thing I think it is difficult is to change the zoom range, it is a little bit tied especially when you hand hold it.

@thor9722

7 ай бұрын

I did notice that kind of slight fringe when you shot picture directly on bright white background or something reflecting the light. It makes some “glory” looking, but most time if you focus on birds, squirrels with regular background it won’t show up.

Jan… your review is what I was waiting for. I would not buy this lens without your review I shoot now with a 1.4 and a 100 to 400 and I’m usually always open at F8 to F9 and I still find I get fantastic photos with the R6. Thank you so much, I will definitely be getting one

I purchased the lens the other day and it's amazing! One huge problem for me though is a lot of filters do not work with the hood at the same time. The Sigma WR filter overhangs by about half a mm and because of this the hood doesn't slide over it.

Finally the video i was waiting for. And as always, a great video with some amazing photos Jan. Seems like a very good lens, but with some short comings as expected for a lens at this price tag. Can't expect 600 f4 quality and perfomance on a budget lens like this, as it seems like some people are thinking. The f9 i think will not be a big problem for me, because i very often use f7.1-f8 anyway. And as i commented in Duade's video: Your and his channel is the two i look at to get input about new gear. Undoubtedly the best out there on youtube. Wishing you a great week/weekend, with some amazing photos. Cheers, Bjoern

@planetfun85

7 ай бұрын

F9 should be budget, but 2000 is not.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@bjrn-einarnilsen687

7 ай бұрын

@@planetfun85 Neither is a Nikon 180-600 or a Sony 200-600 with a teleconverter to reach 800mm. And those are f9 with that, and more expensive.

@planetfun85

7 ай бұрын

@@bjrn-einarnilsen687 ,since when 800 mm is the new standard ?

Thank you for your great review!! I have use this lens for a few days now and noticed a few picture with minor blue fringing on tree branches. Also shaky view finder during video. It takes a couple seconds to settle down. If I push the record button, it will smooth out faster. One thing I particularly interested is how does it compare with RF 100-500mm lens with 1.4x extender. After a careful comparison, I concluded that they are very similar in sharpness and even background blur. So the main advantage for RF 200-800mm is the full range availability. Other than the minor issues, I still like this lens a lot that I make a KZread video for some great pictures and videos.

Believe it or not. I stacked my 150-600 sigma contemporary lens with a viltrox teleconverter and then as crazy as I am, I've added a .71 speedbooster adapter from metabones to my R7 and the results I got are so much better then I was expecting. The software in the lens, body and the speedboosoter are up to date and I got 849mm f/9 pretty sharp results. Just check it out and compare. I did not pixel peep but from what I can tell with the 10x digital zoom in the LCD it looks okay. I was just surprised.

@fy7589

Ай бұрын

And of course just a single 1.4x converter would probably work better but I got the speedbooster just for more wide angle with my 20mm wide angle lens for landscape photography however why not test them with weird ways. Trial & fail is always fun. I was just surprised how sharp it is. It's not as sharp as just the lens alone however the speedbooster makes the image sharper than just the teleconverter attached. That was a pleasent surprise for me.

Mine is on order and will use it most of the time to replace the use of my 10 lb 500 mm f4 mk I prime.

Hey Jan please make a review of ef 100-400mm mk2 🙏♥️

@jimtipton8888

7 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/lq180cabidW2ZM4.htmlsi=Ao71bJbiU6JLOQtt

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I do no pared it to the 100-500 a while ago

@manmohangour368

7 ай бұрын

@@jan_wegener i don't want the comparison because in that video you only said the good thing about the 100-500 but can you make a review of 100-400 mk2 only 🙏

Thanks Jan. I'm a Nikon 180-600mm user, but this lens looks very good for Canon folk. The pink robin is excellent. We don't get many/any of those down here in Sydney. Cheers.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Do you get any? I think it’s mainly rose robins?

wow! super video! i think that the need to shake the lens *probably* comes from the IS "thinking" that you might be "panning" and had locked out 1 axis of stabilization, or, if you are hand holding very well, the IS might lick out stabilization to prevent the IS from "hunting", which sometimes shows up as a kind of buzzing in the lens, on older lenses....

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thank you! Interesting thoughts about the IS

Great review Jan, just what I was hoping to hear. I am patiently waiting for mine to arrive. I ordered it on day one, so it should get here soon!

Great review of this lens for bird photography! As if a friend gave their thoughts on the lens - just the facts and no bias.

Jan. Thanks for this initial review of this new lens - Canon RF 200-800. I have an old and well-used Sigma 150-600 and this lens may be the one I upgrade to. Impressive photos at a pretty far range. I will wait and see at this moment, but can see it paired with my R5 and that would give me some additional reach and was happy with your report on the Auto-focus which my Sigma has failed on me at certain times. Appreciate all your great videos.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

It will definitely outperform that lens

Many thanks for your review Jan, I can hardly wait for it to arrive.🤩

The Guru of camera and lens review. A very detailed one . Thank u Jan

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

R5 II will be the perfect match for this lens for wildlife n landscape photographer

A standard focal length for canon users became 200-800. I think it is not easy for other makers to follow this because of AF speed.

Always the best reviews. would it be possible to compare the 100 500 with 1.4 to 200 800 on the R5

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

That will be next

Great video Jan! You for sure got some great photos with the lens, I think a beginner photographer might struggle with a few aspects about the lens like finding the subject in the viewfinder with the long zoom throw and using slower shutter speeds to maintain a useable ISO, but I guess it's all part of the learning process and I'm sure anyone could master this lens 🙂

Thanks for your review. I received my lens on Dec. 14th and it's pure fun in the field (with my R5). You remarked some shaking of the IS before it locks in. This can even happen if you use a monopod and is irritating when in a recording. Second fact: In Germany the price is 2500 € that's about 2740 US $. Quite special.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing

I appreciate this video. Most of the reviews have just praised the lens, and declined to provide any comparison to the quality seen in L-series lenses. I hope to see a comparison of this lens at 800mm vs a 100-500mm photo cropped to the equivalent zoom.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I’ll make a comparison video soon

I took a look at the 200-800 at a NYC photo shop. It's long and heavy. For now, I'm sticking with the 100-500 on an R7 and R5. Great review, but the new lens is just big enough to be impractical.

It will be (like the Nikon 200-600) a really well used lens. However i do feel that they missed the 6.3 mark at the 600 mm spot.

Still waiting for mine, it was pre ordered on the 7th of November 2023, but so far one lucky person got one of those lenses in Lithuania and I still hope I will be the next contender to receive, before my workshop in end of January.

Thanks Jan After watching your video I went out yesterday and bought a 200-800 lens. I value your input as non biased Hope it is as good as it sounds

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Enjoy!

Nice review. As a Nikon user, the obvious competition is the 180-600 with the 1.4 tc. I do a lot of action photography with my greyhounds and the short zoom throw is the key for this.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Yes, the throw on the Nikon is pretty nice

Thanks for this review. The lens is tempting, but the weight does concern me. Currently shooting R5 with the 100-500. I have the 1.4 tc, but don’t use it a lot due to impact to aperture, mostly. I shoot early in the morning a lot. It has 700 mm F10 but lacks the ability to pull back to 100mm. I look forward to your review of that combo. While the lens is tempting, I may save my money for the r5 ii. Or see if Canon comes out with another crop sensor camera. It’s cold and grey winter where I am, so my attention turns to gear, which is never a good thing for my wallet!

@WernerBirdNature

7 ай бұрын

When comparing the 420-700 with the 200-800, the 200-800 is (when both are using lens foot) only about 300grams heavier, a few cm longer, and it even has a slightly wider aperture. According to Canon Rumors, the MTF's of the 200-800 are also better than the 420-700. Obviously that's just the theory .. and we're eagerly waiting for Jan do provide a real life comparison !

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Yes, the design flaw on the 100-500 with TCs is probably the biggest drawback of that lens compared to the 200-800

@WernerBirdNature

7 ай бұрын

@@jan_wegener Just maybe the Gods at Canon HQ "afforded" themselves this design flaw to make the 100-500 otherwise as great as it is, because they already knew they'd bring this 200-800 a tad later, and the design flaw helps us to decide at which point to decide between both lenses ;-)

Great review as always! Looking forward to a comparison with my 100-500. However, I am overall disappointed in this lens. This lens just seems a downgrade in all ways except for the extra reach compared to the 100-500mm. I understand Canon wanting to make a cheaper alternative with an even longer range than the 100-500. But I would have preferred a lens that matched the 100-500 in the 200-500 mm range for speed and sharpness with the same speed as this 200-800 at 800mm. I doubt Canon will ever release such a lens and I am giving serious consideration to switching to Nikon. What are your thoughts?

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Which Nikon lens would replace these two?

@RC07042

7 ай бұрын

@@jan_wegener Hi Jan, thanks for asking. I love my 100-500 but need more reach and for birding the 1.4x mostly lives on the lens. I'd like it to be faster but with the small size it has been OK so I know I could live with the 200-800 from 600 - 800mm. But from 200 - 500 I'd be very aware of the slower apertures, less background blur, and lower image quality. I also don't like the long zoom throw and huge mounting bracket. With my 100-500mm with 1.4x it is unfortunate I can't shoot shorter than 420mm and changing the 1.4x is not that fast or safe in bad weather. I'm going to borrow or rent a Z8 and 180-600. Nikon also has some moderate aperture long primes like the Nikon Z 600 F/6.3 which are smaller, lighter and less expensive than the big Canon primes. I'd also consider pairing one of these with Nikon's 100-400mm. . If Canon's R5 II has upgrades that matter to me and releases some fresnel based lenses like Nikon's it might make up for my disappointment in a lens I was hoping to really like.

I don’t see why you need the manual focus when using dual back button focus(left for spot, and right for auto eye) seems to work great for those times when the auto eye doesn’t put the focus exactly where I want it. Perhaps I am missing something critical here. Thanks for the terrific review. I will probably ask for it for my birthday in late spring.

@jan_wegener

6 ай бұрын

I find myself often to help the camera by using Mf to bring it back into range

I have one on order, cant wait to get it in the field

Thanks for the very detailed review 😃

Thank you so much! I've watched your video and Duade's as well as others. Mine arrived today! So excited to take it out and see how it works with my R8!!!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Have fun!

I think Canon will likely remain the only full frame manufacturer to have a 200/800 focal length due to the backlash of slow aperture but honestly though there no denying the shortcomings it is a very useable lens which l will take over a 200/600 with max F6.3 any day & believe this will be a big seller.

Thanks for another great review from you! I’m waiting for mine. In Sweden it cost around 3000USD, almost the same price as a 100-500 after cash back sales. I had a 100-500 before, but with my R5 it was almost allways to short for BIF. I hope the handel of this big lens will be okay, and that it will be really sharp.

thanks for the review and always enjoy seeing those robin pics!

Hi Jan! thank you very much for another amazing review and images!! One question. Do you have a feeling or a review planned about sharpness at 600mm F8 compared to Nikons 180-600mm at F6.3 and the Sony 200-600 at F6.3? Or a comparison of 100-500Rf at 500mm F7.1 compared to this lens at 500mm F8?

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

There’s more videos coming, yes!

Thanks Jan, for this excellent video. I only have an R7, and I can confirm that almost all problems with this camera mostly show up in bad light. In good light, the AF works fine. When I use my RF 800 f11, it gives me brilliant sharp photos, but only when the light is there. I suspect the same with the RF 200-800. Cheers!

@Chris_Wolfgram

7 ай бұрын

Hey now ! What do you mean by "only" ;) lol I owned the $3900 R5 for a year, and yes, it was a great camera. AF was a bit better than the R7, and a little cleaner low light performance too. But I almost NEVER had enough reach. So I rented an R7. Loved it so much, I ordered one the day I returned the rental. Then my R5 just sat on the dresser collecting dust. After a month of shooting with the R7 every day, I sold the R5 and bought another R7. Great decision, and I never looked back. I've taken close to 150K shots with the R7 + 800 F11, in the last 1 1/2 yrs, probably more than half of those in cloudy and / or shaded light, so I KNOW about the focus issues ! But because of 60% greater reach, it's absolutely worth dealing with it :) I suspect (hope) to get similar performance with the 200-800 (@800mm) as well. But if its not every bit as good as the 800 F11, I'll order another 800 F11, the same day I return the 200-800 rental. Have to have two long birding lenses for cross country trips.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

I found it to be working better than the f11 one

@Chris_Wolfgram

7 ай бұрын

@@jan_wegener I think that answer might cost me $1900 😀 lol ....but that's awesome 🙂👍

Thank you, Jan, for this review. It's really helped me. You covered all the bases. I'm on the wait list at a local store.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Great video Jan! A comment on image stability... you commented that IS on this lens was more of a challenge on the R7 and later on, similar observation with extenders on the R5. IMHO, this is expected when you are dealing with an additional 1.6x FOV on R7 and 1.4x with the extender on the R5/R3.

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Yep

I was waiting for this review! Thanks for putting this together, much appreciated!

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you Jan, This is by far the best and most extensive review of this lens I’ve seen so far. Though I’m not going to buy it and would rather have a smaller, lighter brighter prime lens (like Nikon‘s PF offer) or have a brighter 600mm zoom lens and if needed crop in to 800mm). Cheers

@jan_wegener

7 ай бұрын

Thank you

I forgot about the 800 f11 smaller focus area...Canon CrippleHammer™ for the win!