Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM : Specifications and Opinions

Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM, front

Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM, back

Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM, top

The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM is a tele lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 2020. The focus is done by Ultrasonic AF Motor (Nano-USM), it has image stabilization. The average price, when it has been added to the JuzaPhoto database, is 2999 €;

105 users have given it an average vote of 9.3 out of 10.

MOUNT

This lens is available with the following mounts:

Canon RF: this lens is compatible with mirrorless fullframe and APS-C Canon RF.

Specifications
Focal lenght	100-500 mm
Angle of view	24.4 - 4.9°
Format	FF, APS-C
Max. aperture	f/4.5-7.1
Aperture blades	9
Lenses/Groups	20 elements in 14 groups
Min. focus distance	0.90 meters
Reproduction ratio	0.33x
Features
Zoom type	Ring, external
Stabilization	Yes (built in lens)
Focus	Ultrasonic AF Motor (Nano-USM)
Internal Focus	Yes
Built and notes
Tripod ring	Yes
Extenders	Yes
Filters	77 mm
Lens hood	Yes, supplied
Weather sealing	Yes
Weight	1370 g
Dimensions	94 x 207 mm
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Reviews

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Massimo.Strumia

sent on 04 Settembre 2025

Pros: Excellent sharpness, very fast autofocus, effective stabilization, robustness, lightness and great versatility (almost macro)

Cons: Limited compatibility with extenders and lens hood flap that often opens by itself

Opinion: I owned the excellent Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM II and I switched to the 100-500 mainly for the 100mm more focal length (which are not few). The lens is very handy (closed dimensions and weight are about the same as a classic 70-200 2.8) and has a very fast and precise autofocus. Nothing to say about the effectiveness of weather sealing, sharpness and image quality in general are really high. The fairly low weight, for a lens that reaches 500mm, and the effective stabilization make the handheld use of this lens rather easy, even for prolonged times. In general, it is a very versatile lens, valid for different photographic genres: photographic hunting, outdoor sports, landscape photography and even rather extreme close-ups, given the short focusing distance. The blur is quite good but, not being a very bright lens, certainly other optics (such as professional super-telephoto lenses) are preferred from this point of view. The main flaw is the compatibility with extenders. On my R5, at least the 1.4 extender guaranteed good performance both from the point of view of image quality and from that of the autofocus speed. Compared to the "smooth" optics, a drop could be noticed, but quite limited. The biggest problem is that extenders can only be mounted from 300mm focal length. This leads to a decreased zoom width and a noticeable increase in size, resulting in a worsening of lens portability. For these reasons, after a few months of use, I sold the 1.4 extender. Another, small, defect is represented by the door on the hood that allows you to rotate any polarizing filter without disassembling the hood itself. This is a great convenience, too bad that the door tends to open by itself quite frequently.

Claudiocanon

sent on 23 Luglio 2024

Pros: Sharpness, lightning-fast autofocus motor, construction.

Cons: It is impossible to bring it to a focal length below 300 mm with a teleconverter.

Opinion: Used exclusively with R3 and R5 for birdlife. I reluctantly sold the 8-year-old 100-400, but after the first test I forgot about it. The autofocus of the 100-500 is great, the lens is sharp even at full aperture. Perfect from f 8 to 500 mm. The sharpness with the 1.4X extender is also good (I have never tried the 2X). The only "flaw" is the impossibility, with the extender mounted, to retract the lens below 300 mm. Which comes to think of it makes sense. I am extremely satisfied.

Eliad

sent on 28 Marzo 2024

Pros: Weight & Size

Cons: Price, Minimal Blur

Opinion: Good lens for those who want to travel light, too bad for the price not justified! Now with the release of the 200-800mm superior in all, the 100-500mm has had a collapse in sales resulting in a monstrous drop in price, now new costs 2400 euros when 5/6 months ago it was 2950 euros if not more. Otherwise it behaves like the improved 100-400 and with RF mount gains 100mm but loses 2/3 of a stop at full aperture 400mm f5.6 vs 500mm f7.1 improved dust seals!

Giallo63

sent on 19 Gennaio 2024

Pros: Portability in relation to focal range - optical quality - mechanical quality - relative compactness - stabilizer effectiveness

Cons: I prefer the zoom ring lock with slider instead of clamping ring. Cost (but that's okay...)

Opinion: Purchased used A- from trusted physical store. Only the significant discount compared to the new one made me take it, because I was really satisfied with the excellent performance of the two lenses that I left in exchange, namely RF 100-400/5,6-8 and RF 800/11. The reasoning was essentially that, since I placed the R7 (apsc) side by side with the R5 (ff) for the widlife I use practically only the smallest format; and for that reason the 100-400 was often a bit short, while the 800, for years and with satisfaction used on the FF, was far too long on the apsc. This 100-500 L turned out to be the best choice for me: the equivalent l.f. from 160 to 800mm reasonably cover all my needs; desperately, the high density of the R7 sensor allows generous crops, and I can wander around fields and hills without my back, after a while, making me regret it. Many consider this lens to be not very bright: of course, the plate data are those, but the calendar lets me know that we are in 2024, that the RAW development programs today allow me to shoot safely at ISO 12800 with excellent results, also, if not especially, for the very high optical quality of this zoom, which at full aperture is already at the top. It's useless for me to have lenses wider than half a stop, but ... it's better to aperture. I don't know if I'm making myself clear. I consider it a masterpiece on the R7. On the R5 I hope to test it better and more intensely in other areas, landscape in the first place; the tests I have done, however, confirm that it is a gem of Canon that those interested in certain photographic genres will hardly be able to give up.

Carlo1404

sent on 07 Agosto 2023

Pros: Autofocus, sharpness, focal range, weight and handling

Cons: Cost, and maybe only the white livery that for the photos I take must be more discreet and the window of the hood that often remains open, but they are 'quisquilie'

Opinion: Taken after a year and a half of use of the RF100/400, which I recently sold for unused. Initially I fought to 'adapt' it to the R7 while on the R6 I had no problems. After some 'tips' read here on the forum I made custom settings and 'everything changed. I use it for birdlife and does its job excellently, fast in the MAF, very sharp even at full aperture and with the focus always active it does not lose the subject even in motion. I had to 'hide the white livery by buying a 3M film to be applied on the whole lens, I avoided putting it on the barrel of the zoom excursion for fear that it would get stuck inside. Practical use is well balanced, I use it freehand without the collar that I put only when I go out with the monopod, together with the machine it does not exceed 2 kg and compared to when I went around with the 5DMk3 / 7DMk2 and the Sigma 150/600 Sport is a real liberation. I also use it in combination with the RF 1.4x and I must say that the decay is imperceptible, maintains all the potential and with the R7 it is like having a 1200mm equivalent even if it becomes an f10 of maximum aperture. The stabilization allows you to take pictures of static subjects even at 1/30" holding the camera on a stable support and at 1/60" freehand. For the minimum focusing distance, very welcome for close subjects, I made 'semimacro' shots of excellent quality at maximum focal length. I had many doubts about the considerable expense but I must admit that compared to the RF100/400 and 'certainly better, while recognizing that the 100/400 RF is not bad at all for what it costs ...

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Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM : Specifications and Opinions

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Photos taken with Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM