CANON RF 800MM F/11 IS STM

Massive reach in a compact package www.canon.co.uk £979/$899

- Matthew Richards

Think light, affordable, fixedaperture super-telephoto prime, and you’re probably thinking along the lines of a reflex/mirror lens like the Rokinon/Samyang 800mm. They used to be quite popular a few decades ago, but image quality was mediocre at best. More recently the other option has been a conventional super-tele prime, like the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM, which is big and heavy, and costs around £13,200/$13,000, putting it beyond the reach of most of us. At a fraction of the weight and cost, Canon’s RF 800mm f/11 lens aims for an ideal compromise.