Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Review: Two Big Telephoto Primes in One $9,499 Zoom
The Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM is a lens for people who used to carry a 300mm f/2.8 prime and a 70-200mm. It covers 100mm to 300mm at a constant f/2.8, and with Canon’s extenders it becomes a 140-420mm f/4 or a 200-600mm f/5.6. Canon announced it in April 2023 at $9,499.
It’s built for professional sport, wildlife and news, where the action moves toward and away from you and you can’t change lenses. Long-lens work from a fixed spot, often from the sidelines or a distant viewpoint.
Photo: Media Instances
It weighs 2,590 grams, which is heavy, but less than many expected for a 300mm f/2.8 zoom. PetaPixel and Fstoppers both found it hand-holdable for its class.
Video review: Gordon Laing
Optics and focus
Sharpness is outstanding across the range, and stays excellent with the 1.4x and 2x extenders, according to DCW, PetaPixel, Photography Blog and Fstoppers. Chromatic aberration and flare are well controlled, and the background blur is smooth.
Autofocus uses dual Nano USM motors and is very fast and almost silent. Stabilization is rated at 5.5 stops, or about 6 with in-body stabilization. There’s a focus limiter, a preset focus function and focus breathing compensation on supported bodies. It’s fully weather sealed with a fluorine-coated front element. Photography Blog called it the best telephoto zoom for RF.
The drawbacks
The price, first. $9,499 is a lot of money, though it’s less than the 300mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm it can replace.
The front filter thread is 112mm, an expensive and rare size, and there’s no drop-in filter slot. The tripod collar is fixed and doesn’t take Arca-style plates without an adapter, a common complaint. Fstoppers and Photography Blog also found the zoom ring noisy and the focus buttons and control ring hard to reach.
Who should buy it
Professional sports, wildlife and news photographers on Canon’s RF system. On an EOS R1 or R3, it’s one of the most capable telephoto kits money can buy.
For everyone else, the RF 70-200mm F2.8 Z plus the RF 200-800mm costs about half as much and covers more range, at slower apertures. Used EF super-telephotos are another route, as our guide to adapting EF L telephotos explains.