Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Review (good performance at bargain price)

RF 800mm F/11 IS STM Review

A new Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM, from one of our favorite reviewers. A weird lens, someone might say, but read on to learn more.

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Fixed f/11 Aperture
  • Retractable, Locking Lens Barrel
  • Gapless Dual-Layer Diffractive Optics
  • STM Stepping AF Motor
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Compatible with RF Extenders

Dustin Abbott posted his exhaustive Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM review. This one comes after his Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM review, and is positive too.

From his conclusion:

It is rare that I refer to a Canon lens as “quirky”, but both the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM telephoto primes definitely qualify as quirky.  Canon’s engineers were willing to overlook a number of typical design conventions and niceties to produce functional telephoto primes with massive reach and good performance at bargain prices.  Used in the right conditions, either of these lenses is perfectly capable of producing stunning images.

But those quirks do help define the lens, however. The loosen, extend, and tighten nature of getting the lens ready to shoot will result in some missed shots. The small maximum aperture means that this is a lens designed for very specific (read: bright!) lighting conditions, and so the opportunities to take full advantage of the stellar optics are limited by that physical reality. But the autofocus performance was better than expected, and that meant I was able to get frozen moments like this that will definitely prove a lot of fun for photographers who love birds in flight.

Read the review at Dustin Abbott’s site…

As usual the review comes with a huge set of sample pictures, comparison charts, and all the information you might want to know. Dustin’s reviews are what I look for when I am about to purchase new gear. And for those who prefer to watch their reviews, Dustin Abbott provides a comprehensive video-review (below).

More gear reviews by Dustin Abbott are listed here. You can follow Dustin Abbott on Twitter, YouTube, or on his website.

Also interesting: an interview with the engineers who developed these lens. Also, Canon already said there will be more such lenses. For more Canon RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 review stuff have a look here.

Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

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Olympus 300mm f/4 vs Canon RF 600mm f/11 – FF vs 4/3 Comparison

Olympus 300mm

Somewhat unusual yet rather interesting comparison between the Olympus 300mm f/4 and Canon RF 600mm f/11 lenses.

Our friends at Mirrorless Comparison compared the Olympus 300mm f/4 and Canon RF 600mm f/11 lenses for wildlife and bird photography. The former is for Micro Four Thirds and the latter for full frame. From their conclusion:

Traditionally, micro four thirds has always been the system we mention when talking about travelling light and reducing size and weight. On the other hand, full frame is supposed to be the system with the big heavy lenses, but also superior image quality. Well, in our case here, some of these claims can be challenged (with a few catches).

The RF 600mm F11 (and 800mm F11) is a brilliant idea from Canon. I was interested when they announced it, then I was skeptical about the aperture, but now I’m happy to say I really enjoyed taking pictures with this lens, and I quickly forgot about the slow aperture. I was using something very light, with excellent quality, autofocus and stabilisation. I thought there would be more tradeoffs than that.

[…]

Where does that leave the Olympus solution then? Well, rest assured, it is still a very strong competitor. The faster aperture of the 300mm Pro easily makes up for the smaller sensor, you get a premium build quality with weather sealing, state of the art stabilisation and a few welcome features like being able to focus much closer to small subjects, which adds to the lens’ versatility.

Read the review at Mirrorless Comparison

More comparison reviews are listed here.

Finally The Real Canon EOS R3 Price In The US: $5999

Canon Eos R3 Press Release

It took a Japanese rumor mill to end the Canon EOS R3 debacle. The price is $5,999. Period.

Always reliable Nokishita tweeted what will be the US price for the upcoming Canon EOS R3. No doubt left since Nokishita never is wrong. Must hurt hard for some well known North-American rumor mill since they didn’t even cite them. That’s how it is.

The announcement is scheduled for September 14, 2021. It will be the one MILC that’s born to rule, in Canon’s own words.

While waiting for the one that’s born to rule, have a look how impressing the 30fps of the R3 are. We expect the announcement in Fall 2021, likely in September. Here is what we know about the EOS R3 so far:

  • 24MP backside illuminated image sensor
  • Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
  • Vari-Angle Touch Screen
  • NEW accessory shoe
  • Wifi 5GHz
  • High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
  • AF down to -7.0 EV
  • 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
  • 4K Canon Log3​
  • Oversampling 4K
  • Internal RAW video
  • Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
  • RAW internal movie recording
  • Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
  • The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
  • LP-E19 Battery
  • Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

All our EOS R3 coverage is listed here, product images are here and here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

Laowa Announces World’s Fastest 35mm lens for FF, Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF

Argus 35mm F/0.95

A new Laowa lens for your EOS R full frame camera system. The Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF. The lens is currently available to purchase via Venus Optics official website and authorized resellers. The US price for Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF is $899.

Press release:

Anhui China, Sept10, 2021–Venus Optics, the manufacturer specialized in making unique camera lenses, is proud to introduce Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF, the world’s fastest 35mm lens and widest f/0.95 lens ever designed for full frame cameras. It is a breakthrough of the camera lens industry,and it inherits Venus Optics’ objective to offer innovative and groundbreaking products. It provides awide63.4° angle of view together with superb shallow depth of field for both photography and videography.

Key Features:

  • Wide perspective with ultra-shallow depth of field
  • Ultra-fast f/0.95 aperture for low-light shooting
  • Superb sharpness at f/0.95
  • Aperture Ring Click Switc
  • Internal Focus design
  • Low Focus Breathing with extended Focus Throw
  • Exquisite Bokeh

Widest f/0.95 lens & Fastest 35mm lens for Full Frame Format

Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF is the FIRST full frame 35mm with f/0.95 ultra-fast aperture. Makes it the fastest 35mm and widest f/0.95 lens in the market. The optical performance is maximized by incorporating1 ED glass element, 1 aspherical lens element and 4 high-refractive-index glass materials. The extraordinary shallow depth of field and dreamy bokeh created by f/0.95 is the trump card for portraits. In the meanwhile, its unbeatable performance in low light conditions for obtaining sharp and outstanding images makes it a must-have tool for every photographer and videographer.The wide FoV allows more backgrounds being recorded into the image and thanks to the f/0.95 aperture, a shallow depth of field can still be achieved.

Aperture Ring Click Switch

Aperture ring click switch mechanism offers options for the photographer and videographer to choose either clicked or de-clicked aperture ring. No uneven exposure

Internal Focusing

Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF inherits an internal focusing characteristics from Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO. It maximizes the optical performance in both infinity focus and minimum focusing distance by enhancing the stability. Also, it prevents the dust or ashes falling into the lens. This feature is extremely welcomed by videographers as accessories like matte box will not move while pulling focus. Absolute advantage for both photography and videography.change when changing the aperture during shooting.

Low Focus Breathing with Long Focus Throw

The low focus breathing and long focus throw are perfect for narrative filming and selective focus control. It eliminates the distraction of the changes in angle of view when moving focus from one object to another. Along with the accurate focusing obtained by the 300° focus thread makes it become the ideal lens for videography.

Exquisite Bokeh

The 15-aperture blade produces silky smooth, round bokeh without hard edges. A dreamy Bokeh adds character to the images which is perfect for visually appealing images.

Technology breakthrough

f/0.95 and wide angle lenses with good optical performance are known to be heavy and bulky, making it inoperable in certain conditions. Dayong Li (Chief optics designer of Venus Optics) has managed to strike a balance between the ease of customer operation and optical performance. They push the optics design to another level by crafting a lens that can cover mainstream full frame sensor, have a good optical performance, offer a wide perspective and extremely shallow depth of field.

Pricing & Availability

Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF is currently available to purchase via Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers. The US price for Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF is $899. Pricing varies in different countries. First 100 purchase in the webstore will get a free focus gear belt.

More Leaks About The Canon EOS R3 Price, This Time More Reliable

Canon Eos R3 Press Release

It seems that the previously leaked Europe price for the Canon EOS R3 wasn’t that reliable. A new leak suggests a different price and we think it is more plausible.

Always reliable Nokishita tweeted that the Europe price for the Canon EOS R3 might be €6,099. Take this for granted since Nokishita is never wrong.

Moreover, the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS lens, also going to be announced along with the EOS R3 will be €749, and the Rf 16mm f/2.8 STM will be €349.

The announcement is scheduled for September 14, 2021. It will be the one MILC that’s born to rule, in Canon’s own words.

While waiting for the one that’s born to rule, have a look how impressing the 30fps of the R3 are. We expect the announcement in Fall 2021, likely in September. Here is what we know about the EOS R3 so far:

  • 24MP backside illuminated image sensor
  • Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
  • Vari-Angle Touch Screen
  • NEW accessory shoe
  • Wifi 5GHz
  • High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
  • AF down to -7.0 EV
  • 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
  • 4K Canon Log3​
  • Oversampling 4K
  • Internal RAW video
  • Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
  • RAW internal movie recording
  • Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
  • The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
  • LP-E19 Battery
  • Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

All our EOS R3 coverage is listed here, product images are here and here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.