Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM lens Review

Spanning an immense 20x focal range from wide perspectives to super-telephoto reach, the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM is a versatile zoom lens tailor-made for wildlife, aviation, sports, and outdoor photography.

Its broad zoom range condenses an array of primes and zooms into one flexible lens, while still maintaining excellent sharpness, swift autofocus, and effective stabilization. Weighing in at just 4.5 lbs, it’s a highly packable super telephoto option perfect for active shooters constantly on the move.

Equipped with robust weather seals and ample features for both stills and video, the RF 200-800mm lives up to its billing as a do-anything, go-anywhere lens.

Read on as we dive into the details and assess whether this lightweight superzoom is up to the demands of professional photographers.

Key Takeaways:

• Immense 20x focal range from 200mm to 800mm
• Impressive optical quality across the entire zoom range
• Up to 5.5 stops of effective image stabilization
• Fast, quiet autofocus suitable for action
• Relatively lightweight at 4.5 lbs for an 800mm lens
• Dust and weather-sealed construction
• Compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
• Reasonable price given the features and performance
• Highly versatile for wildlife, sports, aviation uses
• Compact enough for handholding and travel
• Very good value compared to competing options

Handheld Shooting Experience

One of the most impressive attributes of the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM is its relatively lightweight and balanced design that enables comfortable handholding, even at the long telephoto end. Weighing 4.5lbs, it’s significantly lighter than most competing 800mm zooms which often tip the scales past 6 lbs. The weight savings are noticeable during a full day of carrying and shooting.

The lens dimensions are also relatively compact for the focal lengths it covers. Combined with the modest weight, it handles well during handheld use without being overly large or unwieldy. The contours and grippy focus ring provide a secure hold.

The 5.5-stop optical image stabilization provides a high degree of shake correction, allowing for sharper images at slower shutter speeds. This further aids the handhold ability, letting you maintain lower ISOs for maximum image quality. The IS system is also highly effective at longer focal lengths where the camera shake is more pronounced.

While the maximum aperture only opens to f/6.3 at 200mm, limiting background blur, the ability to shoot at fast shutters handheld provides added creative flexibility. We were able to capture sharp images with the RF 200-800mm at speeds down to 1/30s thanks to the stabilization, allowing for motion blur of moving subjects like wildlife and athletes.

Overall, the portable size and weight coupled with excellent image stabilization make this one of the best handholdable 800mm zoom lenses we’ve tested. It’s far easier to handle extended periods than heftier lenses. The weather sealing also inspires confidence for active outdoor shooting. If you need supreme telephoto reach in a highly portable package suitable for travel and extended handheld use, the RF 200-800mm delivers in spades.

Optical Quality & Sharpness

For a lens that covers such a broad range, the RF 200-800mm delivers impressive sharpness and optical quality across the zoom range. Image quality is downright excellent when shooting between 200-400mm, with outstanding centre sharpness wide open and good sharpness into the corners when stopped down slightly to f/8-11.

As you zoom further, stopping down becomes more important for maximizing sharpness towards the edges and corners. But centre sharpness remains very good even at 800mm and wide apertures. Peak sharpness across the entire frame is achieved in the f/11 to f/16 range.

Chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting are all well-controlled and minimal. Flare resistance is also quite good thanks to Canon’s latest coatings, with only minor ghosting in challenging contra-light situations.

When paired with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, the expected sharpness drops off somewhat. But given the 2x converter takes the lens to 1600mm, image quality remains very usable stopped down a few stops. Images continue to show good fine detail that can be enhanced with some sharpening in the post.

For the incredibly broad focal range covered, the RF 200-800mm delivers very good to excellent sharpness and optical characteristics that will satisfy most photographers. Those needing tack-sharp results for large prints might want to step up to faster super telephotos, but the image quality is difficult to fault given the cost and versatility of this lens.

Autofocus Performance

The RF 200-800mm utilizes Canon’s Nano USM focus system, which provides fast and accurate autofocus well-suited for stills and video work. Focus speed is snappy, allowing you to quickly lock focus on moving subjects and fleeting moments.

AF performance remains reliable even at the 800mm telephoto end, thanks to the lightweight focus elements. The lens focused accurately in our testing from wide open apertures to f/11, the diffraction limit.

For tracking erratic motions, enabling Canon’s intelligent tracking and recognition features provides an edge. Facial and eye detection focus excels for portraiture, while deep learning animal tracking keeps focus pinned precisely on moving wildlife.

The focus motor itself operates smoothly and quietly, making minimal noise during AF acquisition. This suits the lens well for video applications where motor noise can be intrusive. Focus breathing is also digitally corrected by Canon’s cameras for more stable video focusing.

Manual focus override is available at any time by rotating the focus ring. The electronically coupled manual focus ring provides a nice smooth feel with adjustable focus clutch drags if desired. The focus distance scale can be displayed on compatible Canon cameras.

For those needing blisteringly fast AF for sports or wildlife, higher-end super telephotos with ultrasonic focus motors may provide an edge. But the speed and accuracy of the RF 200-800’s focusing system belies its affordable price point, offering performance adequate for most action photography needs.

Image Stabilization

One of the key benefits of the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM is its highly effective optical image stabilization system. The lens incorporates Canon’s latest IS technology and delivers up to 5.5 stops of shake correction according to CIPA standards. This allows for significantly slower shutter speeds and lower ISOs when shooting handheld.

We found the stabilization to be extremely effective in real-world use across the entire focal range. At wider focal lengths, we could consistently handhold the lens at speeds down to 1/15s and often 1/10s or slower and still achieve sharp results. At the full 800mm telephoto end, the IS continued to provide at least 3-4 stops of stabilization, letting us shoot sharp images around 1/60s.

The IS algorithm also detects panning motion and only applies stabilization on axes perpendicular to the direction of movement. This ensures stabilized images when panning horizontally or vertically to track moving subjects.

When paired with a compatible Canon body featuring In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), the two systems work in conjunction to provide even better results. With an EOS R camera, we measured the coordinated stabilization at a full 5.5 stops with this lens.

For those needing the utmost in stabilization from a super telephoto, some competing lenses now offer up to 7 stops of correction. But for most handheld applications, the RF 200-800mm’s excellent optical IS will provide all the stabilization needed for tack-sharp images. It’s a major advantage of this lens for active shooters.

Ergonomics & Design

Despite its long telephoto reach, Canon has designed the RF 200-800mm with compactness and portability in mind. The lens measures 12.4″ in length and 4″ in diameter – quite compact for a lens covering 800mm. The all-black finish is understated yet attractive.

The relatively light weight of just 4.5 lbs makes this one of the most portable 800mm zoom options on the market. The weight balance between the barrel and tripod foot allows for comfortable handholding over extended periods. The grippy manual focus ring provides a secure grasp.

In terms of controls, the lens offers a focus mode switch to toggle between AF and MF. Two customizable function buttons can be assigned exposure, AF or other settings. The control ring near the mount can act as a manual focus ring or be customized for control over settings like aperture or exposure compensation.

The zoom and focus rings operate smoothly with optimized torque. The zoom ring rotates a full 180 degrees from 200 to 800mm, allowing for precise focal length adjustments. The lens extends forward as you zoom in, but internal focusing maintains a fixed front element.

The included tripod collar with Arca-Swiss foot attaches solidly and rotates 90 degrees for vertical or horizontal orientations. Strap lugs and a lens hood complete the package.

While not overly dense with buttons and switches, the RF 200-800mm offers the controls necessary for intuitive access to key settings. Combined with its relatively compact size and modest weight, it’s a highly portable super-telephoto zoom perfect for active handheld shooting.

Ideal Uses

• Wildlife photography – Get tight shots of birds, safari animals, and more even at great distances
• Sports photography – Isolate athletes on the field or track with telephoto compression
• Aviation photography – Capture planes at takeoff and landing or in flight
• Outdoor portraiture – Flattering compression for environmental portraits
• Landscape photography – Unique compressed perspective on landscapes
• Astrophotography – Reach craters and other lunar details or capture constellations

Pros

• Immense 20x focal range from 200mm to 800mm
• Impressive optical quality across the zoom range
• Effective 5.5 stop optical image stabilization
• Fast, accurate autofocus even at 800mm
• Relatively lightweight and compact
• Robust weather-sealed construction
• Compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
• A reasonable price for an 800mm zoom lens

Cons

• Maximum aperture only f/6.3-9
• Need to stop down for optimal edge-to-edge sharpness
• Noticeable barrel distortion at 200mm
• The tripod collar is not removable
• The lens extends substantially when zooming

Verdict

The Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM delivers outstanding versatility and performance in a lightweight super-telephoto zoom. Its immense 20x focal range provides extensive telephoto reach up to 800mm, while still being compact enough for handheld use. Optical quality is very good across the range, and the stabilization, weather sealing, and reasonable price make this an excellent choice for wildlife, aviation, sports, and outdoor photography.

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