Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM and RF 800mm F11 IS STM First Impressions

July 9, 2020 | Mark Goldstein | Lenses | Comment |

We've spent a little time with the intriguing new RF 600mm F11 IS STM and RF 800mm F11 IS STM prime lenses for Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras, so ahead of our full review, check out our first impressions now...

Key Specifications

  • 600mm (RF 600mm F11 IS STM) and 800mm (RF 800mm F11 IS STM) focal length
  • Image Stabilization (IS) up to (RF 600mm F11 IS STM: 5-stops, RF 800mm F11 IS STM: 4-stops)
  • STM Autofocus Technology
  • Lightweight (RF 600mm F11 IS STM: approx. 930g and RF 800mm F11 IS STM: approx. 1,260g)
  • Compact – equipped with barrel structure that extends in use and retracts when stored
  • Lens Control Ring – giving direct control over Tv/Exposure compensation/ISO settings
  • F11 aperture lens with IS with full AF when paired with a Canon EOS R camera

Key Details

  • The first fixed focal length super-telephoto RF lenses are both compact and lightweight
  • Offers optical image stabilization of five stops of shake correction for the RF 600mm and four stops for the RF 800m
  • Customizable control ring enables photographers to adjust exposure compensation, shutter speed, aperture or ISO
Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM and RF 800mm F11 IS STM

The new RF 600mm F11 IS STM and RF 800mm F11 IS STM are certain to be two of the most headline-grabbing lenses that Canon have ever released, simply because they not only have a maximum aperture of F11 - yes, F11 - but that's actually the only aperture that they offer.

These two lens both have a fixed F11 aperture which you can’t go above or below.

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM

What's the upside to this "curious" design choice? Well, they're incredibly light, with the 600mm lens weighing in at less than 1 kilo (930g to be precise) and the 800mm hitting the scales at 1.2kg - for an 800mm full-frame lens!

So the idea is that they've been designed to be super-portable lenses for things like safaris and birding, achieved by employing a unique retracting design - you twist the knurled collar at the base of the lens to the Open position, and then pull up on the barrel to extend it ready for shooting.

Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM

They're also very cheap - £749.99 / €869.99 for the 600mm and £979.99 / €1,149.99 for the 800mm puts them well within the reach (pardon the pun) of the enthusiast.

The lens’ fixed F11 aperture also provides a perfectly circular bokeh and their large focal length enables photographers to blur the background sufficiently when photographing subjects in the distance.

You can even use the new 1.4x and 2x extenders that Canon have also announced today, which turns the 800mm lens into a 1600mm F22 super-telephoto beast!

Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM

On the specs side of things, the RF 600mm F11 IS STM has a minimum focusing distance of 4.5m, extending to 6m for the RF 800mm F11 IS STM.

Both lenses are equipped with an optical Image Stabilizer and also support Dual Pixel CMOS AF when paired with a Canon EOS R system mirrorless camera.

Boasting STM technology, both lenses offer extremely quiet and perfectly smooth focusing, making them excellent for video recording, as the lens operation noise is kept at a minimum.

Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM

As with every other RF lens that has been released so far, the Lens Control Ring on both the RF 600mm F11 IS STM and RF 800mm F11 IS STM provides direct and speedy control over Tv/exposure compensation/ISO/AF operation settings.

The RF 600mm F11 IS STM will be available from 30th July priced at £749.99 / €869.99 / $699.99.

The RF 800mm F11 IS STM will be available from 30th July priced at £979.99 / €1,149.99 / $899.99.

Are these lenses an inspired innovation, or have Canon simply gone nuts? Leave a comment below!

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