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The Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is a tele lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 2021. 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 668 €;
51 users have given it an average vote of 9.1 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.
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Pros: Small, light as a feather, surprisingly sharp, a perfect lens (not only) for hiking
Cons: Reduced brightness, lack of hood and weather sealing
Opinion: Among ef lenses I have always looked for the alternative that is light with a relatively large zoom range, and of course able to capture sharp, clear pictures. For me this solution was the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM (I also had 100-400 L and Tam 150-600, but this was my ideal partner for hiking). I bought rf 100-400 as soon as arrived to the market and I have to say that I didn't regret it. Nowadays this is my nr1 lens on short trips and it does the job perfectly. Of course its a bit darker than expected, but even with my EOS R it is not a problem even in low light conditions. Images are sharp, colours are beautiful "Canon-icals" :) before and after sunset, in cloudy weather as well. And it is works perfect in daylight. Yep, lack of tropicalization, so you wont use it in heavy rain or snowstorm, but some raindrops are absolutely ok.
It is a perfect exchange of cheaper Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II nano USM but in quality its step by step with the 70-300mm f/4-5.6L big brother.
EF 100-400 and RF 100-500 are playing in az upper league, but you should decide if the plusplusplus amount of money worth it for you or not. For a normal everyday usage for a non-millionaire Ill definitely stick wit this clever, tiny friend :)
The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
Pros:Light, versatile, perfect colors, but the stabilization is something spectacular, the price is worth it all
Cons:The only negative note is the lack of light.
Opinion:I bought it at the end of November 2025 and I didn't have the opportunity to try it well, but I was amazed by the (spectacular) stabilization and contrary to what is said, it has a fast focus even at 400. On the subject of sharpness, I took three extreme photos, the first: I took a very small plant with a microscopic web from about 2 meters and cropping it you can see the web and the hairs of the plants perfectly. The second I shot a cat at about 20 meters and in the shade, times (250-8-1250) cropping the eyes are of absolute sharpness. The last photo, I took a vase full of colored and jagged balls, I shot at (1/8-5.6-160) the stabilizer has outdone itself. For me the grade is 9.9.
Cons:Focusing performance degrades between 300 and 400mm
Opinion:I've owned it for a couple of years. I bought it to evaluate and try a focal length greater than 200mm. I use it mainly in landscaping and on some occasions for birdlife (which is not a genre in which I am well versed). In these scenarios I used the EF 70-200 f/4 IS USM and in some cases I found the 200mm insufficient. The weight is certainly a plus point for walks and hikes. The focal range for landscape is appreciated, as well as the maximum reproduction ratio at about 0.4X which allows you to shoot details of flora and insects. All this makes it a versatile enough lens to use outdoors. The construction is made of plastic, at the same time it seems solid enough. In my model I did not notice any play of the ferrules and the barrel once extended. I find the color rendering a bit dull compared to other lenses and then there is something more to work on in post. I find the focusing speed adequate, even if in my experience the responsiveness drops at focal lengths from 300mm upwards. This can be partly compensated by the fact that it supports the maximum shutter speeds of the RF system and therefore to have a few more photos available. Considering the price, I think it is a good purchase, especially if you prefer lightness and portability at the expense of tropicalization and brightness.
Pros:Lightness, sharpness more than good in relation to the price.
Cons:Autofocus a bit slow even with R3.
Opinion:The RF 100-400 is a great compromise for those who don't want to or can't spend as much. Very convenient to carry around. Sharp enough to then optimize the quality with the software we have available. I bought it two years ago as a second long lens and the few times I used it it made decent images. Unfortunately, the autofocus speed isn't great even with very responsive cameras. But I repeat, with 700 Euros you buy very little alternative.
Pros:Lightness and compactness compared to the long focal length, possibility of use as semi-macro, unexpected sharpness on a lens of this cost and level.
Cons:If you know before buying its low light I would say none.
Opinion:I switched to this lens from the RF 200-800, given that photographic hunting is not among my priorities, especially for the excessive weight and bulk of the L series super zoom, which certainly do not make it a bag lens to always carry with you with the rest of the kit as this 100-400 allows you to do. The comparisons made with the various 100-400 L series make me smile, since it would be like comparing a medium-sized Dacia with a Mercedes or BMW of the same displacement... Is it necessary to specify that one of the latter is far superior to the Dacia?, or is it nice to fill your mouth by necessarily praising an L series snubbing everything that the market offers as an alternative to its absurd costs, weights and dimensions? Surely the choice of these lenses, in my opinion, in most cases is not dictated by the lack of economic availability (or at least it is not in my case) but by their versatility of use and transport combined with an enviable sharpness achieved even on basic lenses, perhaps helped by everything that post production offers today, with which you can very well make up for both low light and a contrast or definition that is not excellent given the containment of production costs of these non-pro lenses, which in any case offer the priceless advantage of being able to carry them with you without the fear of carrying an overweight that could ruin a pleasant photographic excursion. Obviously it is not a lens recommended for those who as a genre of photography practice primarily photographic hunting or sports photography, especially indoors, or night shooting or in any case in low light, but it is assumed that one knows this before making the purchase of such a specific lens ..., so I am surprised to read negative comments on characteristics that one should already know before buying, Especially for the fact that these negative comments, in most cases, are expressed in the evaluation of economic optics, as if the fact of being cheap is always synonymous with poor quality, without ever taking into account the parameter that in my opinion is the first to be taken into consideration, that is the quality/price ratio, even if, I repeat, in my case it is not the price that dictates the choice of a lens.
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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
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