LENS TEST
Testbench
With its snappy autofocus, the lens returned a decent hit-rate for birds in flight
Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 400mm, 1/1000sec at f/10, ISO 400
Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM Canon’s low-cost RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 offers a lot of reach and utility for the price, but does it also offer the image quality we’re used to, asks Damien Demolder
T
he image-stabilised 100-400mm zoom lens has been a key feature of the Canon lens line-up since the late 1990s, and has played a major role in the life of the brand’s sport, wildlife and fashion photographers, as well as in that of the general practitioner. These lenses have
always been good too, and from the first incarnation for the EOS EF L series have offered a maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6 and USM autofocus. I have no idea how many the company has sold in the past 30 years, but I would wager the £2,000+ price tag it has been in the top ten of Canon EF L series sales pretty
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73-75 CanonRF100-400mm Feb15 AW DD JP.indd 71
much all of that time. With the change to the mirrorless R series a new solution is required, and Canon approximately addressed that early on with the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM which retails at around £3,000 – about £1,000 more than the EF version, though with 100mm of extra
reach. To satisfy those with more limited budgets the company has launched a lower-cost alternative with a smaller maximum aperture and a plastic barrel, in the shape of this RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM. It isn’t quite as fancy as the big boy L lens, but at a quarter of the price it makes itself accessible to a much 71
08/02/2022 12:25
