Canon Unveils the World’s First Super Telephoto Zoom Lens

• 03 Nov 2023
• TM Team
• 0 Comments

Canon  announced the RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM, its first super telephoto zoom lens to reach as far as 800mm. With a reach beyond the common 600mm telephoto zoom lenses in the market, it is also the world’s first super telephoto zoom lens for full-frame cameras. Yet, the RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM remains portable, features weather-sealing and edge-to-edge quality across its entire zoom range while staying affordable.

Unprecedented Reach with Zoom Flexibility between 200mm to 800mm

While there are affordable super telephoto prime lenses in Canon’s line up such as the RF800mm f/11 IS STM, the RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM offers is equipped with zoom functionality, covering the telephoto focal range that previously required at least three different lenses to cover. Be it a bird flying in the distance, or a motorsports athlete in various defining moments, the versatile 200mm to 800mm focal range (320mm to 1280mm on an APS-C camera) lets users seamlessly capture both close-ups and wider shots of the same subject simultaneously. This can be achieved without being restricted by the focal length or missing out the moment due to changing of lenses. With the RF Extender 2x, coverage is extended to 1600mm (2560mm on an APS-C camera)—sufficient for capturing stunning close-ups of the moon.

Convenient Handheld Shooting: Lightweight and Mobile with Up to 5.5 Stops’ Built-in IS

Despite its astounding zoom range, the 2,050g, 314.1mm-long RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM is comparable in size and weight to its counterparts that end at 600mm. This mobility makes it easy to follow and capture moving subjects when shooting handheld, even if they occur unexpectedly.

Up to 5.5 stops’ equivalent built-in optical image stabilization effectively corrects the camera shake that becomes more prominent at long focal lengths, allowing sharp, stable images at as slow as 1/20 second even at the 800mm tele end.

Designed for Action: High-speed AF, Operational Ease

Built for capturing high-speed action, the RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM is driven by the powerful Nano USM (Ultrasonic Motor), which also contributes to the lens’ compact size. This enables fast and accurate focusing for stills, along with smooth and quiet focusing for video up to the entire image area with compatible cameras. Focus Breathing Correction is also supported.

Swift, intuitive control extends to lens operations – in addition to a customizable focus/control ring, there are two lens function buttons that can be turned into shortcuts for functions such as AF or exposure control.