Canon 100-500mm RF Lens - 3 Year Review - Professional Wildlife Photographer - Should You Buy?

Finally a review from a skilled photographer who takes beautiful photos.

Such pretty pictures ❤

I’m so excited to buy this lens soon ❤

Great review! This inspired me to pair the lens with the R5. I am duly impressed with all aspects of it in the field (image quality - so sharp!, weight, IS for both video and photos, top among them), bar the AF performance in lowlight for photos especially. It really does keep searching around dusk or in dark, forest environments - a noticeable stepdown from the EF 300 2.8II, with TCs.

I went from a sigma 150-600mm with an adaptor on my R7 to the RF 100-500mm and the difference is exceptional! Seriously blown away and honestly don’t care about how much it cost (although I did get a £500 off deal on mine). This is a lifetime lens for sure!

Internal zoom would make the lens size too big.

I own the EF 100-400 II and RF 100-500. The 100-500 wins hands down !

Very good picture，good job

Very helpful review… for a Costa Rican :)

How does one get kind of bokeh on a 100-500? Or is it done in post process?

my 100-400mm II is sharper

Harry...
... I have owned my RF 100-500mm also for about 2.5 years, and fully agree with everything you have said...

I own 5 of Canon cameras with/ 10 of their lenses... including the EF 600mm f/4, and NOW, that lens stays at home because I have the 100-500mm which is much more versatile...

For me, my favorite is shooting hummingbirds at a distance of 8 ft on a tripod with this combination... Just love it...

Great video, thanks

What camo wrap do you use for lens?

Hi Harry.. Do you use a lens protector/ filter to keep out the dust on the main lens??

Hi Harry, very useful video and great images and a 3-year review in just 6.5 minutes is really appreciated . I've been looking at the 1-500 for use on an R6/R7 back-up when travelling. The 2-800 is tempting but the R7/1-500 combo will give 800mm max if needed so you've really helped in my decision. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for another great video, so well spoken. I am heading to Africa on a bucket list trip this fall and wondering if I should get the 1.4x extender for my RF 100-500mm lens? Also, do you shoot in autofocus? I am reading so many are doing this with the new mirrorless cameras. I am used to shooting in manual focus with all but birds, but have my camera on a tripod and won't have one while traveling in Africa due to weight. I am so afraid of missing out on key shots while over there. I may just be overthinking.

So all of these were shot on the 100-500? Wow. You have a great ability to find good light and know where the animals are going to be. Congratulations on getting to this point. The video of the elks was outstanding, great angle, great details like how they used their muscles. So much better than most documentaries that make it to the mainstream. Light on the puffin was insane. I dream of finding this kind of light. But with kids and a job, my resources are limited. Make sure you pat yourself on the back sometime. Great work.

Great succinct summary. One thing. If it would be an internal zoom it would not be so wonderfully compact at 100mm. I'm okay with the trade-off.

I’m ‘only’ a keen amateur, and last year I had the opportunity to spoil myself. I bought an R3 last May, and then a 100-500 with 1.4x in the Black Friday bonanza.

If you’re a keen amateur like me and wondering whether this lens is for you, just do it. You’ll forget about the price the first time you use it. This lens is almost permanently on my camera now, usually with the 1.4x, and the results astound me. Even I can achieve almost professional photographs!

The few negative points are also soon forgotten. Yes, I would love to own an RF 600mm f4, but there’s just no way I can splash out £14k on one, and I’d lose the zoom, and add 2kg!

Really like the bear shots. It would have taken a 100x teleconverter for me to do that. ;)

Thanks for this review! super informative, dynamic and great to learn a bit more for this leans on mirrorless Canon cameras! Simply great to see its results in photo-video and variety on extreme conditions to work with! thanks!

Great video, thanks for posting. I have the R6 Mark II and I shoot with the Canon EF 100-400. Ive been thinking about upgrading to the RF 100 - 500. Is there a lot of difference in image quality? Btw, I also love shooting from a kayak.

Don’t even own a canon. But awesome shots!

I’ve been a professional photographer for nearly 40 years and the 100-500 is my favorite lens of all time. I use it for wildlife, landscapes, portraits, and even at a wedding!

Amazing shots! And I wish I would have kept my 100-500, but traded it in for a 400mm prime. I wanted that smaller aperture, but someday I hope I will get one again! Great review of it and I agree with everything you said about it!

They are some great pictures and videos Harry. Even given your two negatives about the lens no one would notice it in the quality of your shots. I recently upgraded my Canon RF400 to the 100-500 and yes the quality is superb but compared to the little 400, wow it’s heavy.

Thanks for sharing

Great review, I would love to see a video on the topic of how you manage shooting from a Kayak. I'm someone who does a lot of shooting while paddling but event though Kayak is my favourite to ride in, I haven't found a good solution to shooting from it.

The actual shooting from the Kayak isn't the biggest problem (though depending on the kayak the maintaining balance through a quick pan can be a big challenge in itself, as you probably know)

My main issue is storing the camera when not shooting. I just don't know where to put it. If I mount it to my chest, it interferes with my paddle stroke. If I put it in my lap or lashed to the deck, it gets soaked from water dripping from the paddle. If I put it under the spray deck it takes too long to get out when I need to make a shot quickly. All of this is magnified in choppy water. I'm looking to do a wildlife trip up the coast of Lake Superior soon and its something I'm really trying to solve. ;)

I'd love to see what your strategies are for this because I often find myself taking my canoe instead of a kayak for this reason alone even though I'd much rather be in one of my kayaks.

cheers!

Amazingly talented!

Nice review and fantastic shots, thanks! What camera body would you recommend? On Amazon etc. see many going for EOS models

Outstanding review, Professor. PS Nikon misses you...

Great video, which out of the 3 stabilization modes of the lens do you use?

Great review & outstanding images and videos, Harry. When the 100-500mm first came out, I had the reaction, "F7.1? I'd never use that." This past spring, I set up for hummingbirds on my back deck. When I heard another photographer mention the 3 ft minimum focus distance, I thought... "That could work very nicely." And it did. I was really surprised to find out that the F7.1 was pretty much a non-issue. I won't repeat all the positive comments from your video but I will concur with them. ...Jerry

Wait what, share how you smashed the 600?? You’re hard on gear. Remember going to Canada and all your Nikon gear freezing? lol

Awesome Harry, thanks for sharing!!

Great video!

Hey. The shots of the canon were amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience with it. Greets Stefan

Great review. I agree with your cons BUT if the lens were f5.6 and/or internal zoom it would be bigger, heavier and less portable.

I'd be interested to see how you organize that many photos, and your storage and backup strategy.