Canon RF 100-400mm F/5.6-8 IS USM

Specifications01

MountCANON RF

Focal length100-400mm

Max aperturef/5.6

TypeCinema · Telephoto · Zoom

Release year2021

Weight635 g

Filter size67 mm

Physical length164.7 mm

Min focus distance1.2 m

Max magnification0.4098

Aperture blades9

Optical elements12

Groups9

Min aperturef/8

AutofocusYes

StabilizationYes

Aperture controlNone The aperture is controlled from the camera

Lens hoodET-74B - Bayonet-type round

TeleconvertersCanon Extender RF 1.4X→ 140-560mm F/7.8-11.2 Canon Extender RF 2X→ 200-800mm F/11.2-16

Sensor coverage43.3 mm

EraDigital era

Production statusIn production

Additional Info02

SpecialIS USM

Category["Canon","Canon RF"]

Keywords["Canon","Tele","Zoom"]

Lens TypeTelephoto zoom lens

Review AuthorKlaus

Other FeaturesControl Ring, image stabilizer

Review VerdictYes, the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM may not be the most fancy lens around, but it has to balance price and quality. Unlike lenses with shorter focal lengths, the center of attention is usually near the image center, and the Canon lens is capable of delivering pretty sharp results here. The outer image field is less impressive at the long end of the range. The sweet spot in terms of sharpness is around the 200mm mark, with a quite even performance here. Lateral CAs are good at 100mm but increase quite a bit the more you zoom out. However, image auto-correction will help here, as well as with the pincushion distortion that is present from the mid-range up. The raw vignetting is reasonably well-controlled and mostly gone with auto-correction. A weakness is the bokeh. To start with, the depth-of-field is usually quite broad, limiting the blur in the out-of-focus area substantially. The bokeh rendering is also somewhat harsh, and the "bubble-like" highlights may not be everybody's darling on such a mainstream lens. The build quality is decent relative to the price of the lens. The plastic quality feels quite good, and at least our sample didn't exhibit any wobbling. The target audience will surely also appreciate the compact size and low weight. A drawback of a lens that is often going to be used outdoors is the lack of weather-sealing. And while we are at cost-savings - Canon should abandon its practice of not providing a lens hood with its consumer-grade lenses. A plastic hood is a penny item for them, really, and asking an additional $25 is a bit ridiculous. The AF is both snappy as well as silent. The image stabilizer works effectively, although you shouldn't rely on the 5-6 f-stop gain that Canon is promising. Overall, the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is a good lens for the money, especially for those with a lower-megapixel camera body. If you want more ... well ... the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 USM L IS will cost you 5x this much. If you'd like to support our work, please consider shopping for this or other lenses via one of the following partners: * Amazon US * Amazon Europe * B&H US * Adorama US * KEH US (used gear)

Review Published2023-10-27T06:42:52+00:00

Optical Construction12 elements in 9 groups (1x UD, 1x aspherical)

Field Notes02

Canon RF 100-400mm zoom lens (f/5.6-8) with image stabilization for general telephoto use such as wildlife and sports. Designed for Canon RF-mount cameras.

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Catalog note · source: thelensdb