Canon recently announced the first super-telephoto L zoom lens for the EOS R series full frame mirrorless camera, the Canon RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. This new super-telephoto L zoom lens was announced together along with the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 full-frame mirrorless cameras. The introduction of the first super-telephoto L zoom lens showcases Canon’s commitment to the EOS R series and RF mount lenses and I am looking forward to more RF lenses being announced in the near future.

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is designed for professionals and advanced amateur photographers, for Canon photographers who are familiar with this popular EF lens, the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM lens, this is the RF version equivalent, versatile and with a wide focal length range, ideal for photography genres such as sports, wildlife, nature photography and photojournalism as well.

“As the evolution of the popular EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM serves to strengthen the R and RF lineup by adding native super telephoto capabilities. Its increased range and compatibility with the Extender RF 1.4x, and Extender RF 2x, as well as the new cameras makes it extremely versatile and will surely excite photographers,” said Edwin Teoh, Head of Marketing, Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore.

Extra Reach in a Lightweight Package

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is similar in size to the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM lens, however, it’s 15% lighter in weight and has an additional 100mm reach. From the 100mm to 500mm focal length range, photographers can enjoy 5x zoom ratio, covering medium telephoto (100mm) to super telephoto range (500mm).

The lens’ large diameter RF mount allows for a short lens back focus, and the six UD lenses and one super UD lens within the RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM are arranged near the focal plane surface. The ASC (Air Sphere Coating) on the lens elements is also used to reduce ghosting. All this work together to correct optical aberrations and deliver images that are sharp from edge to edge regardless of which focal length a user shoots at.

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM’s well-engineered dust and drip-resistant construction lets it perform at its best even in demanding situations. The lens’ heat-shield white paint suppresses heat from building up within the barrel of the lens, maintaining image quality even when shooting under the hot sun.

Sharper Images even at slower shutter speeds with In-Lens Image Stabiliser (IS)

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM has Canon’s unique Optical Image Stabiliser mechanism, giving photographers image stabilisation up to five shutter speed stops by revising the control algorithm of the optical IS and using Dual Sensing IS.

There are three IS modes on this lens, through the mode selection switch, photographers can toggle between these three modes, based on the movements of the subjects that they are shooting:

  • IS mode 1 is best suited for stationary subjects
  • IS mode 2 is used for panning shots
  • IS mode 3 is suitable for subjects with irregular movements, such as during basketball where movements of players can be unpredictable

The latest Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras, both camera bodies possess in-body 5-axis image stabilisation, when either camera is used with the RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens, an IS effectiveness of six stops is achieved (based on CIPA testing standards) at 500mm focal length.

This is achieved through the coordinated controls between the camera’s and lens’ IS. Motion blur is reduced and users get sharper images even while shooting at 500mm focal length. Users can shoot at lower shutter speed in dim situations to achieve brighter shots, expanding the possibilities for handheld shooting.

Shoot Faster and Closer

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens is equipped with two Nano Ultrasonic Motors (USM) providing faster Auto Focus (AF), achieving high-speed, high-precision still image AF and smooth movie AF in combination with the EOS R series Dual Pixel CMOS AF. By using two Nano USMs to drive the lens, power saving and high-speed operation is achieved without compromising the size.

The RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM‘s unique electronic floating focus control has also made focusing at a mere 0.9m possible and the RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is capable of achieving 0.33x magnification on the 500mm focal length (focusing distance of 1.2m) allowing users to focus on close-up objects with ease. With such a short focusing distance and large magnification, users now have more room for creativity in their photography.

Extenders RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x

Canon also introduced two new dedicated Extenders, the Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x. Both of them are compatible with RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM, RF600mm f/11 IS STM and RF800mm f/11 IS STM, photographers can photograph at  1000mm on RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM and up to 1600mm on the  RF800mm f/11 IS STM without compromising on image quality.

The Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x both achieve high image quality and a smaller size with an optical design that utilises the large diameter mount and short back focus unique to the RF mounts. The total length of the new extenders (length from the mount on the body side to the mount on the lens side) has been reduced by 25% compared to the Extender EF 1.4xIII and Extender EF 2xIII. The extenders utilise the latest high-refractive-power, low-dispersion glass material to greatly reduce chromatic aberrations. The three cemented lens elements with special coating in the Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x help reduce the air contact surface as much as possible, effectively reducing ghosting that tends to occur with extenders.

Both extenders inherit the heat-shielding white paint from telephoto L lenses. Designed with built-in microprocessors, the extenders also allow for better communications between the lens and camera to achieve the same high precision AF as though the user is shooting without an extender.

The vibration and impact resistant structure along with the dust and drip-resistant construction of both extenders are designed to be reliable and durable for professional and advanced amateur users.

Pricing and Availability

The pricing and availability of the RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM, will be confirmed at a later date. Both the Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x will be available from 30 July 2020, for $829 and $1,000, respectively.

* Information and pictures courtesy of Canon Singapore and GLOO PR *

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