I have a Canon EOS R7 with the kits lens (18-150mm) and the 50mm prime lens. I have been looking at purchasing a telephoto lens for wildlife photography for a while and after much research had settled on the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM due to it's price point, but I'm now having second thoughts. What I don't want to do is purchase the RF 100-400 only to wish i'd opted for something with a longer zoom. I am therefore considering these two lenses which offer more FL and i'm assuming are better quality. RF 100-500 f4.5-7.1 L RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM What are the pros and cons of each of these lenses, and does one really standout over the other? Both are very similarly priced for a good used one, so the cost comparison isn't really a factor. Any advice is welcome.
Well I have a couple of general rules you can follow.... 1. yes you generally get more when you pay more 2. L lens are metal, generally the sharpest glass, and also include weather sealing, only one of these is a L lens When buying a long lens you kinda need to decide what your priorities are, if you buy a swiss army knife of a lens you compromise somewhere. Because your trying to get a very long zoom, you have variable zoom, so at 200 the widest is 6.3 and at 800 its f9 generally no ideal design and in some models introduces a design where lens moves in and out to do this and is a point of dust entry if the lens telescopes. Fixed F stop is preferred. Widest is preferred.., If your shooting a zoom and want to freeze action it requires faster shutters, so the wider open the better as a rule, f4 is great on a long lens, f8 is slow. Also at f8 your not going to get as great of isolation from background depending on subject to background distance.... If a bird is in tree with leaves near by they will be in focus, not the nice soft bokeh you would see from a 200mm at 2.8. All of these have IS which is really necessary if your shooting that long to give you some flexibility with your shutter speeds and hand holding. I hope this kinda frames what your getting at each price point.... You could always get the cheap one you planed to and then sell it and upgrade as the loss on it will be worth knowing what you prefer in an upgrade.
