How Good Is the Unique Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lens?

The Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM is one of the most unique lenses released in a long time, offering an extremely long focal length at an impressively affordable price with the caveat of an unusually narrow and fixed aperture. How does it perform in the real world? This great video review takes a close look at the lens. 

Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this excellent video review takes a look at the new Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lens. The 800mm f/11 is quite the unique lens, and I think it is rather exciting to see such a long focal length available to shooters at such a reasonable price, even if you have to work with a narrow maximum aperture. It features:

  • Collapsible design with locking barrel
  • Optical Image Stabilizer that provides up to four stops of compensation
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • STM motor for fast and quiet autofocus suitable for both photo and video work
  • Gapless dual-layer diffractive optics for less aberrations and lower size and weight

Add in the high-ISO and autofocus capabilities of modern bodies like the EOS R5, and that f/11 aperture isn't as big of a roadblock as it might have been in past years. Check out the video above for Abbott's full thoughts on the lens. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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1 Comment

Huge mistake.
The lens has a 1/4 20 opening to thread the tripod to. You just chose not to do it for some odd reason.