Navigating Telephoto Terrain: The Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Last updated: December 14th, 2023
My Most Used Lens in 2023 (probably):
Starting in April 2023, focusing on shooting with Canon RF 100-400mm telephoto lens has been fun this year. I feel much more comfortable with it after a recent trip to Colorado. This lens has served as both a tool and a teacher. It's pushing me to understand and adapt to its unique characteristics – namely, the dark, friggin' F8 on the long end. But the compact size, weight, and affordability are hard to beat.
Initial Impressions and Herons Galore:
When I first picked up this lens from Canon Refurb, it was uncharted territory. I briefly rented the 800mm F11 for fun before, but otherwise, I haven't shot past 200mm. The lens, while affordable at ~$599, came with its own quirks. Its darker aperture meant I had to work harder to achieve the desired images, especially regarding subject-background separation. However, its size and largely fast and reliable autofocus made it a sensible starting point for someone new to telephoto lenses like myself.
Throughout the summer, I learned to navigate its F8 aperture, exploring editing techniques to enhance my images. I use tools like Lightroom's Denoise AI and Photoshop's generative fill, and I was able to mitigate some of the limitations posed by the higher ISOs this lens often requires. I find I spend a lot of time shooting between ISO 2000 and ISO 8000.
Colorado Trip: Eagles, Prarie Dogs, & Mountain Tops
Fast forward to fall 2023, and my skills with the RF 100-400mm had noticeably improved. A trip to Colorado proved to be the ultimate testing ground. Here, I embraced the lens's limitations as creative challenges. Cropping became a regular part of my workflow, and I discovered the value in utilizing Lightroom's AI Denoise and masking tools more effectively.
This lens pushed me to think differently about my photography. In the future, I hope to have the chance to pair it with different bodies, like the Canon R7 for its built-in reach or the R5 for its high-resolution capabilities, which will allow for more aggressive cropping. When using the full frame (and relatively lower resolution Canon R6, and Canon R8) 400mm still seems shorter than I ultimately want, and I have cropped a lot with the bird shots.
Good Images, Better Experience:
As 2023 progressed, I realized that the RF 100-400mm lens was not just about capturing distant subjects; it was about honing my photographic skills. And helping me through a learning/creative rut. It encouraged me to dive deeper into the nuances of telephoto photography, from understanding the importance of getting closer to subjects for better shots to navigating the challenges of shooting in varied lighting conditions.
Looking forward, I'm curious to compare this lens with the Canon RF 100-500mm to see what additional reach and brighter apertures can offer. My journey with the RF 100-400mm has been a mix of overcoming initial skepticism and growing to appreciate its unique place in my camera bag. The lack of weather sealing is disappointing here and I'm going to keep criticizing Canon on the holes in the middle tier of their RF lineup. I worry that on big photo trips, I'll leave this lens at home in favor of some weather sealing.
Conclusion:
The Canon RF 100-400mm lens has been a gateway into a new realm of photography for me. It's taught me to appreciate the subtleties of long-lens photography and helped me grow as a photographer. As I look towards 2024, I'm excited to continue this journey, exploring new perspectives and refining my style further. This is my first Canon Refurb experience and so far, so good. It's too early to say how long I'll keep this without trying out other telephotos, but I'm very happy with many of the images I snagged this year.
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If you actually don’t need the reach between 200-400mm, the RF 70-200mm F4 lens is an excellent travel companion. You’ll pay more for L-quality, weather sealing, brighter apertures, and a super compact footprint… but this lens is one you can built a bag around.