Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM
f/5.6~8 Full-Frame Ultralight Ultratele
Ultrasharp & Ultrafast Autofocus
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Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM (67mm filters, 22.4 oz./635g, 2.9~4'/0.88~1.2m close focus, 0.41× macro ratio, $649). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
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August 2023 Better Pictures Canon Reviews Mirrorless RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash All Reviews
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II (use with EF to RF adapter)
Sample Images top
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These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL (stairstep icon) JPGs; no tripods, FINE (quarter circle) JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.
Backlit Soap Bubbles, Nellie Gail Ranch, 4:21 PM, Sunday, 24 October 2021. Canon EOS R5, 1.6x crop mode (left on by mistake), RF 100-400mm IS USM at 149mm at f/7.1 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 640 (LV 13.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to bring up the dark background. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © JPG file.
Desert Palms at Dawn, 6:35 AM, Thursday, 18 November 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 214mm wide-open at f/7.1 hand-held at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12¼), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © JPG file.
Sharp corner-to corner wide-open at 45MP, great stabilization, weightless and nearly free. I'm sold!
Desert Paradise at Dawn, 6:37 AM, Thursday, 18 November 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 183mm wide-open at f/7.1 hand-held at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, -1 stop exposure compensation as not to blow-out the red channel with the very saturated reds (LV 12.6), Skylum Aurora HDR to bring up the resultant dark foreground, all from one basic JPG file. bigger, full resolution 45 MP 19 MB file or camera-original 45 MP © 14 MB JPG file.
Focus is on the line of palms. Sharp enough for you?
1956 Chevrolet, 9:30 AM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 281mm at f/9 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 6 MB JPG file. Focus is on the logo and license plate; the bumper guards are closer and therefore not in focus.
Sky Blue Oldsmobile, 9:33 AM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 270mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14¾), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 9 MB JPG file.
That's not distortion; it's a curved hood.
Panther Pink Plymouth Hemi Barracuda Convertible 4 Speed, 9:40 AM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 100mm at f/10 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.0), as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 10 MB JPG file.
Focus is on the Barracuda logo and tail light; the fly is out of focus.
Teal Cadillac, 9:44 AM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 165mm at f/10 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.6), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © 18 MB JPG file.
Focus is on the Cadillac logo. For what's in focus, you can see every sparkle in the metallic paint.
Plum Crazy Purple Dodge, 1:45 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5 in square crop mode, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 118mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to bring up the dark shadows from my single JPG shot. bigger or camera-original 30 MP © 6 MB JPG file.
Cop Motor, Cop Tires, Cop Suspension, Cop Shocks and Cop Hubcaps, 1:46 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5 in square crop mode, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 118mm at f/11 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, -1 stop exposure compensation to keep the blacks black (LV 14.4), as shot. bigger or camera-original 30 MP © 7 MB JPG file.
Focus is on the left side of the tire.
Red 1969 Road Runner, 1:54 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5 in square crop mode, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 165mm at f/9 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid red from overloading (LV 15.0), exactly as shot. bigger.
Focus is on the Road Runner decal.
Red Hot 1969 Road Runner, 1:58 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5 in 4:5 crop mode, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 135mm at f/6.3 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid red from overloading (LV 13.0), as shot. bigger.
Focus is on the Road Runner decal above the trunk lock.
Black Chrysler, 2:03 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5 in square crop mode, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 118mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, -1.3 stops exposure compensation to keep blacks black (LV 14.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to bring up the resulting dark shadows from my single JPG shot. bigger or camera-original 30 MP © 6 MB JPG file.
See the green reflection in the bumper? That's my green shirt.
Orange Challenger, 2:03 PM, Saturday, 11 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 259mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation to keep the vivid orange from overloading the red channel (LV 14.1), cropped to square, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Introduction top
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This new RF 100-400 is both astonishingly sharp, and here's the craziest part: its autofocus is nearly instantaneous! There is no lens made for mirrorless with this combination of sharpness, fast focus, small size and low price; this 100-400mm is a total winner.
Compared to my big, beloved EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II, this RF 100-400 is just as spectacularly sharp and focuses as blindingly fast, and the RF lens is less than half the weight (635g versus 1,550g) and less than one-third the price ($649 versus $2,399)!
If you don't miss the one-stop difference in speed (I don't), YES! the RF 100-400 is a lightweight winner, with a metal mount.
This is a perfect compact, close-focussing long tele at a reasonable price. Bravo, Canon!
It has among the closest focusing abilities of any non-macro lens, filling full-frame with a subject just 2.2 x 3.3" (57 x 85 mm). For many people this could replace a separate macro lens.
Canon does all this by using a reasonable f/5.6-8 maximum aperture, which works great on mirrorless. f/2.8 was for back in film days; today slower f/stops work flawlessly on mirrorless and allow much more compact and affordable designs with bright finder images and fast autofocus. At least Canon is thinking creatively when it comes to mirrorless lens designs and not just pumping out the same boring DSLR lenses in new mounts like some other big makers we all know.
The RF 100-400mm has both AF/MF and stabilizer switches like a real lens. Heck, Nikon's $2,597 Z 70‑200/2.8 VR lacks a stabilizer switch!
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
New intro top
World's first ultralight mirrorless ultratele zoom.
Good intro top
Ultrasharp.
Instantaneous autofocusing.
Focuses so close that it may replace, and actually improve upon, a dedicated macro lens.
Works with either of the RF 2× Extender or RF 1.4× Extender with full autofocus and stabilization.
Better than almost all other lenses, I see absolutely no focus breathing.
Super-close focus: 2.9' ~ 4' (0.88 ~ 1.2 meters).
High macro magnification ratio: 1:2.4 (0.41×).
Stops down to f/32 ~ 45.
Dedicsted AF-MF switch.
Dedicstged STABILIZER switch.
Optical Image Stabilization claims 5.5 stops improvement, and claims 6 stops on a camera with in-body stabilization. In real-world shooting it gives 3 to 4 stops, which is typical.
Magically figures out if you're panning and Image Stabilization adapts accordingly.
Small.
Light.
No tripod collar needed because it's so small and light.
Inexpensive.
100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
Nothing.
Missing intro top
No always-responsive instant manual-focus override. EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF. Find the "Lens electronic AF" option in your AF menu (AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)." Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT.
Focuses ultra-close from 200mm to 400mm, but doesn't focus very closely at 100mm.
ET-74B hood not included.
LP-1224 carry sack not included.
Not rated as "dust proof" or "drip proof," but so what, neither are LEICA lenses (the world's best). Thank goodness I don't stand out in the rain or blowing dust while shooting, so this has never mattered. If it rains I use an umbrella or my body to shield my camera and I'm good. Even if I had a submersible camera, you still have to keep drops off the front as not to mar the image, or in other words, "dust proof" or "drip proof" I have never found important — just a marketing feature to raise the price.
Compatibility top
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Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.
It will not even mount on any other camera.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
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I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Name specifications top
Canon calls this the RF100mm-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM:
RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.IS: Image Stabilization.
USM: UltraSonic (autofocus) Motor.
Optics specifications top
Internal Optical Construction. UD and Aspherical elements.
12 elements in 9 groups.
1 UD extra-low dispersion elements, which help reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
1 aspherical element.
Pumper zoom; front section extends as zoomed to 400mm.
Canon Super Spectra multicoating.
Diaphragm specifications top
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/32 ~ f/45.
Filters specifications top
67mm filter thread.
Coverage specifications top
Full-Frame (24 × 36mm) and APS-C (16 × 24mm).
Angles of View specifications top
24º ～ 6⅙º diagonal on full frame.
Autofocus specifications top
Nano UltraSonic Motor.
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
4 feet (1.2 meters) at 100mm.
2.9 feet (0.88 meters) at 200mm.
3.44 feet (1.05 meters) at 400mm.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:2.4 (0.41 ×) at 400mm.
(1:11.1 (0.09 ×) at 100mm.)
Smallest Subject Field specifications top
2.2 x 3.3" (57 x 85 mm) at 400mm.
(10.2 x 15.2" (260 x 386 mm) at 100mm.)
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
Optical Image Stabilization claims 5.5 stops improvement, and claims 6 stops on a camera with in-body stabilization.
In real-world shooting it gives 3 to 4 stops, which is typical.
Magically figures out if you're panning and corrects accordingly.
Front Control Ring specifications top
Sets to control Aperture, Exposure Compensation, ISO, Focus Mode or other settings depending on your camera.
58 clicks per revolution.
You can pay Canon to remove the clicks if you like.
Teleconverters specifications top
Works with either of the RF 2× Extender or RF 1.4× Extenders with full autofocus and stabilization.
Caps specifications top
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap, included.
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001), included.
Hood specifications top
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM with optional ET-74B hood. bigger.
Optional ET-74B hood.
Case specifications top
Optional LP-1224 carry sack.
Size specifications top
3.13" ø maximum diameter × 6.48" extension from flange at 100mm.
79.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 164.7 mm extension from flange at 100mm.
Weight specifications top
22.4 oz. (635 g).
Announced specifications top
Tuesday Morning, 14 September 2021.
Promised for specifications top
14 October 2021.
Included specifications top
Lens.
Canon E-67II 67mm front cap.
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).
Box, Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
Canon's Model Numbers specifications top
Product code: 5050C002 (5050C001 in Japan).
Model number: RF100-400ISUSM.
JAN code: 4549292-186765.
Quality specifications top
Made in Taiwan.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
August 2023
$649 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $525 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
August 2022
$599 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $550 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
July 2022
$599 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield.
About $530 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
September ~ December 2021
$649 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield,
Optional Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
ET-74B hood.
LP-1224 carry sack.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Distortion Ergonomics
Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes
Lens Corrections Macro Max & Min Apertures
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Teleconverters
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
This RF 100-400mm is an outstanding lens because it's sharper than most others, focuses faster than my own eyes and it's small, light, super close-focussing, completely devoid of focus breathing and above all, inexpensive. While the professional Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II is as sharp and fast focussing, it is far more heavy and expensive.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is ultra fast. It seems instantaneous, faster than my own eyes can focus.
Of course if your scene is nothing but fog or obscured subjects it can't see what you can't, but so long as you have enough light and can see your subjects and you or your camera can get an AF sensor on it, this lens can focus faster than my eyes can.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
How to get manual-focus override.
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
Unlike almost all other lenses, this lens seems completely free from focus breathing. Bravo!
Focus Distance Recording performance top
The focussed distance is recorded in the EXIF data.
I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is very good. While this is a slow lens, it's so long that things do go very far out of focus, and when they do, they are nice and smooth.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 18 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 1/800 , 1/500 and 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14½), Perfectly Clear. Click any for the © camera-original file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot 400mm at f/8 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
The RF 100-400 has moderate to moderately strong barrel distortion at all focal lengths, and goes away with your camera's Distortion Correction turned on. At least in my EOS R5, this correction is off by default.
While Canon's own software may be able to correct this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
On Full-Frame at 20' (6.4m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in EOS R5 |
Correction factor with uncorrected images |
100mm |
+0.20 | -2.40 |
135mm |
+0.10 | -3.00 |
200mm |
±0.00 | -3.00 |
300mm |
-0.40 | -2.50 |
400mm |
-0.30 | -2.00 |
© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
|
|
|
|
At 100mm. bigger. |
At 400mm. bigger. |
At 100mm. bigger. |
At 400mm. bigger. |
It's a straight-ahead zoom. There's a big zoom ring right where we want it, a nice focus ring ahead of that, and a bonus third programmable clicked control ring at the front.
The AF-MF and STABILIZER switches are right where we want them.
Most other less expensive lenses skip the AF-MF and STABILIZER switches, which I use all the time. It's awesome that this lens has both!
Bravo!
Falloff performance top
Falloff is invisible.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Canon RF 100-400mm falloff, correction at its default of ON
© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Even if I go out of my way to turn the automated correction OFF, it's still minor and only barely visible wide-open:
Canon RF 100-400mm falloff, correction turned OFF.
© 2021 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters.
I can stack several ordinary 67mm filters and get no vignetting on full frame at any focal length setting.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
I see no ghosts or flare, even using a multicoated filter.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction (inside the Digital Lens Optimizer) left ON.
if you go out of your way to turn this OFF (or shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images) then there are negligibly minor blue-green/orange-red fringes at 100mm, negligibly minor orange-red/blue-green fringes at 200mm and minor magenta/green fringes at 400mm.
There is only minor spherochromatism, which could cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus at large apertures. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
Lens Corrections performance top
This will change as the years roll on, but my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which corrects for a suite of other aberrations. The EOS R has this, too; I just don't have one handy to check the specifics with this lens.
Falloff and the Digital Lens Optimizer are ON by default. You can turn them off in your camera's menu system.
Distortion correction is OFF by default. Feel free to turn it on for critical use.
If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction — at least on my EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS RP.
The only reason to turn these off is if for some reason the camera is having to work to hard to process all the images as you shot; I've never had a problem.
Macro Performance performance top
Macro is awesome from 200mm to 400mm. It gets super-close and it's sharp. It doesn't focus that closely at 100mm, although it is sharp.
It focuses most closely at 200mm (0.88 meters), but since you can zoom-in it has the largest macro ratio of 1:2.4 (0.41×) at 400mm at 1.05 meters.
It could replace a regular macro lens, and could be better as it works best at the longer focal lengths which let you stand further away than with a 100mm macro lens, so your subjects will be rendered with a more natural perspective and you won't block your own light or pester living subjects.
Also better than a dedicated macro lens, this lens zooms, so you can change your framing without moving the camera.
No, it doesn't get to 1:1 (1.0×), but for all I do (product shots), 1:2.4 (0.41×) is more than close enough and I prefer the longer focal lengths and ability to stop way down.
Also better than Canon's dedicated macro lenses, especially better than my favorite EF 180mm f/3.5L, is that exposure varies very little, if at all, as the focus is changed. Shot in manual exposure mode or with manual (non-TTL) studio strobes, I have to change the aperture setting as I change distance to retain the same effective exposure with lenses like my 180L Macro, but with this lens there is no change at 100 and 200mm and only a third of a stop at most at 400mm. (Nikon's macro lenses do have automatic compensation, Canon's macros don't.)
Bravissimo!
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 18 December 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 400mm wide-open at f/8 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Maximum & Minimum Apertures performance top
Maximum Aperture |
Minimum Aperture |
|
| 100mm | f/5.6 |
f/32 |
| 135mm | f/6.3 |
f/36 |
| 200mm | f/7.1 |
f/40 |
| 300mm | f/8 |
f/45 |
| 400mm | f/8 |
f/45 |
Mechanical Quality performance top
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
This is a well made lens, made mostly of plastic save for the glass glass and metal lens mount.
Finish
Black plastic.
Optional Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Front Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Front Control Ring
Plastic, with clicks.
Focus Ring
Rubber covered plastic, no clicks.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Rear Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Slide Switches
Plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens, also printed on top of barrel.
Internals
Seem like all plastic — you wanted light weight, so here you go.
Dust Gasket at Mount
No.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Paint.
Serial Number
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Moderate clunking.
Made in
Made in Taiwan. (molded into rear light shield).
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; today they are all pretty much equally fantastic.
Yes, this lens is ultra sharp; just look at the clarity of my Sample Images, or look at these, shot hand-held wide-open from atop a mountain as basic JPGs. You can just about read license plates miles away. It's sharp corner-to corner, and this is shooting through a few miles of atmosphere. Bravo!
Desert View, 1:39 PM, Friday, 12 November 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 100mm wide-open at f/5.6 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to eat through the haze. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © JPG file.
Desert View, 1:39 PM, Friday, 12 November 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 200mm wide-open at f/7.1 at 1/640 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to eat through the haze. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © JPG file.
Desert View, 1:39 PM, Friday, 12 November 2021. Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 400mm wide-open at f/8 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Skylum Aurora HDR to eat through the haze. bigger or camera-original 45 MP © JPG file.
Canon's MTF curves wide-open at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has nearly no spherochromatism:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 11:51:24 AM, Saturday, 18 December 2021.Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm IS USM at 400mm wide-open at f/7.1 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.6), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.8× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
Image Stabilization performance top
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) is good, but not extraordinary.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
At 100mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized EOS R5 | 1 |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
33 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
100 |
100 |
I see a 4-stop real-world improvement.
At 200mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized EOS R5 | 1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
100 |
100 |
I see a 3-stop real-world improvement.
At 400mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized EOS R5 | 1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
1/1,000 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
0 |
42 |
42 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
25 |
58 |
100 |
I see a 3-stop real-world improvement.
Sunstars performance top
With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get really good 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light at most apertures.
Ignore the the vertical smear at large apertures, this is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and not a lens defect.
Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow dots at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and using that same palm tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge. All shot as JPGs, Skylum Aurora HDR used on my single, basic JPG files to put detail back in the otherwise dark palm fronds.
Teleconverters performance top
Works great with either of the RF 2× Extender or RF 1.4× Extenders with full autofocus and stabilization.
If the last time you used a teleconverter was with film or with a DSLR, you're in for a treat because teleconverters work GREAT on mirrorless with no apparent slowing of autofocus and no dimming of the viewfinder; the image just gets bigger and that's it.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Versus the RF 100-500mm L IS
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM.
Like most companies, Canon announced the huge, expensive RF 100-500mm L IS first, so that all the rich people who wanted to buy one would, and so that all the people who wanted a long zoom for their EOS-R series camera bought it if they could afford it.
Once those people paid dearly for the big, expensive RF 100-500mm L IS, then Canon introduced this compact, inexpensive 100-400mm that is what most people wanted in the first place.
The picture quality is equally superb from either of these lenses Both are ultra-sharp.
The real differences are that one is a huge, expensive beast, zooms a little further, and is an insignificant two-thirds of a stop faster. The RF 100-500mm L IS doesn't work well on extenders; it can't zoom below 300mm (!), while this 100-400mm works at all settings, and works well.
The 100-400mm zooms three times wider on an extender, it's smaller, lighter and has tighter macro. Just get it!
RF 100~400mm |
||
| Filter size | ||
| Maximum Aperture | f/5.6-8 |
f/4.5-7.1 |
| Maximum Macro Ratio | 0.41× |
0.33x |
| Sharpness | Ultra sharp |
Ultra sharp |
| AF Speed | Just about instantaneous |
Very fast |
| Effective zoom range on 1.4× Extender* | 140 ~ 560mm |
420* ~ 700mm |
| Effective zoom range on RF 2× Extender* | 200 ~ 800mm |
600* ~ 1,000mm |
| Prestige | NoëL |
L |
| Length at 100mm | 6.5" 165 mm |
8.17" 208mm |
| Weight | 22.4 oz. 635g |
54.0 oz./1,530g with tripod collar 48.3 oz./1,370g no collar |
| Price, 12/2021 | ||
| Price, 08/2022 |
* 100-500mm lens can only be set to 300-500mm with an extender.
Versus the Professional EF 100-400mm L IS II
To use the EF 100-400mm L IS II on mirrorless, we must use the EF to RF Adapter, so my comparisons include this adapter.
As you can see, the EF 100-400mm L IS II is a much larger lens. Its only two strong benefits are that it's a stop faster, and that it's more durable. The pictures, closeup abilities and ultrafast AF speed are all essentially the same, making each an outstanding lens.
RF 100~400mm and EF 100-400mm L IS II on EF to RF Adapter. bigger.
RF 100~400mm |
||
| Filter size | ||
| Maximum Aperture | f/5.6-8 |
f/4.5-5.6 |
| Maximum Macro Ratio | 0.41× |
0.31x |
| Sharpness | Ultra sharp |
Ultra sharp |
| AF Speed | Just about instantaneous |
Just about instantaneous |
| Prestige | NoëL |
L |
| Length at 100mm | 6.5" 165 mm |
7.6" + 0.9" = 8.5" 193 mm + 24mm = 217mm |
| Weight | 22.4 oz. 635g |
54.7 oz./1,550g without tripod foot 57.0 oz./1,616g with foot |
| Price, 12/2021 | $2,399 + $99 ~ $199 ≈ $2,550 |
Versus the RF 600mm f/11 IS STM
RF 600mm f/11 IS STM.
The RF 600mm f/11 is stuck at 600mm, while this 100-400mm on the RF 1.4× extender becomes a 140-560mm f/8-11. This zoom is a little faster, even with the extender, and can zoom out.
This 100-400mm on the RF 2× extender becomes a 200-800mm f/11-16 on the converter, which now is a little slower but can zoom both wider and longer than just 600mm.
For general photography this zoom and a converter are more convenient.
Versus the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM
RF 800mm f/11 IS STM.
The RF 800mm f/11 is a stop faster than this 100-400mm on the RF 2× extender, which becomes a 200-800mm f/11-16 on the converter.
f/16 is really pushing it at 800mm because even in daylight you're at very high ISOs to have a fast enough shutter speed. If you need 800mm for more than the occasional moon shot, I'd go with the RF 800mm f/11.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon RF 100~400mm IS USM. bigger.
AF - MF Switch user's guide top
AF: Auto Focus. You may have manual focus override you program it.
MF: Manual Focus only.
Manual-Focus Override user's guide top
By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.
EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF.
Find the "Lens electronic AF" option in your AF menu (AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)."
Canon should have it set this way by default, but they don't. No big deal now that I figured it out.
Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT. The focus ring is ignored in SERVO.
STABILIZER Switch user's guide top
ON / OFF
Leave it ON unless you're on a very sturdy tripod, or if you're making exposures longer than a second on any kind of tripod.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Want a great ultra-tele for your Canon mirrorless? Here you go! There's nothing else like it.
This also works as part of an ultralight system. I'd use the 24-105 STM and this and be ready for anything. If you want to add ultrawide to this pair, don't add an ultrawide zoom; instead add the ultralight and inexpensive 16mm f/2.8 STM and you're good to go.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the Hoya multicoated HD3 67mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the B+W 67mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
I got my RF 100-400mm at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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