This is the first proper opportunity I got to try out a Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 zoom which I'd bought three weeks ago. These are currently as rare as the proverbial rocking horse shit, even for Americans who are usually first to get their mitts on new stuff, but some are appearing in a slow trickle. I'd pre-ordered one from Wex Photo Video, but getting one before 2025 was highly unlikely. I don't know whether is this because Canon were holding the existing ones for East Asian customers or whether they hadn't anticipated demand for these, particularly among the wildlife or aviation photo communities.
I wasn't in a hurry to buy one of these but when the opportunity arose to get one from Hdew Cameras, based here in the UK, for just under £2000 (they had a deal on), I took it. Hdew get their stock from Hong Kong or Taiwan, I believe, but the products come with a three year guarantee, despite being 'grey market' items.
It arrived one week after ordering but I hadn't had much of a chance to use it until this week. First impressions are it's decent optically, in fact very sharp, and not as heavy as I thought (the addition of a Black Rapid strap helps with the weight). The zoom ring is large but not stiff and it's easy to zoom in and out between 200mm and 800mm. Earlier reports on YouTube, etc., had said this was stiff and awkward but Canon must have tweaked it a little as that's not been my experience.
My only 'complaint' so far is the tripod foot, as it interferes with the zoom ring but turning it so the foot is on the upper side of the lens helps. The foot isn't detachable, which people have said they don't like, but I don't think that's a problem, at least for me as I don't travel as much as I used to.
Not a complaint of course - it isn't an L series either, despite being white, but if it was it would certainly not cost as little as £2000.
At 800mm, even with stabilisation, any motion blur is obvious. The higher the magnification of the subject, the greater the magnification of anything such as heat haze or motion blur. Finding and tracking moving subjects at 800mm is also difficult but comes with practice. I have an 800mm f/11 prime which is a great little lens but limited at f/11 and without the flexibility of a zoom.
For the money this is a brilliant lens with a useful zoom range. The aperture range is a little limited, which people have commented on but, unless you can afford a lens such as the EF 200-400 f/4 L (which has a built-in 1.4x teleconverter to make it 280-560mm f/5.6) or an f/4 prime*, then this is an excellent choice. You are not going to get a f/4 or f/5.6 zoom without increased weight or price costs.
Here are a few photos of gulls and turnstones from the other day. Summer-plumaged turnstones are very pretty indeed. Of course, I binned a lot of photos due to motion blur and using a too-low shutter speed; the penalty, as it were, of using slow lenses. I am pleased with the results so far and any optical defects such as motion blur are down to user error. As I get used to using the lens, the keeper rate, which is actually not bad, will increase.
All photos are with a Canon R6 Mark 2 and 200-800mm f/6.3-9 zoom. As usual, click for larger versions.
*500mm f/4 L Mark I primes are readily available for a couple of grand now, Mark II versions a few thousand more. I have a 500mm f/4 Mark I and it's excellent, although very heavy.
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