CANON RF 200-800MM F6.3-9 IS USM

Super-telephoto lens, almost-super performance

Every so often, a new superzoom telephoto lens grabs our attention. Mostly, it's third-party lens-makers like Sigma and Tamron battling over stratospheric focal lengths or huge apertures, and Canon, it seemed, was content to focus on sensible quality and let other companies make the headlines. But the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM is a serious challenger to the superzoom throne.

The RF 200-800mm offers a record 600mm difference in focal length from wide to tele, for full-frame cameras anyway, and achieves this in a body weighing just over 2kg and 31cm long. However, compromises have been made, with the maximum aperture being limited to f/6.3-9. making it considerably narrower than other rival lenses with less ambitious focal lengths.

The RF 200-800mm is designed for full-frame cameras, but its reach can be extended to a whopping 3201280mm if paired with a Canon APS-C camera, such as the Canon EOS R7 with its 1.6x crop factor. The lens is also compatible with Canon's 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, although you lose one or two stops in maximum aperture respectively. So Canon has finally turned up to the superzoom party but has it found the secret formula for near-to-far perfection?

Build and handling 

On first impressions, I was initially struck by the lens's size. Given the focal length it covers, the overall size is quite remarkable, though its mediocre maximum aperture is probably a factor here. The lens is white, a finish that's normally reserved for Canon's more premium L-series lenses, but has been employed here as it reflects more heat off the surface for better performance in extreme conditions. It also made me subconsciously assume that this would be a more optically impressive lens – and if intentional, that’s a smart move on Canon’s part.