Canon RF 200-800 Vs RF 800 f/11 Bird Photography using the EOS R6 Mark II

[@charlotterogers8733]

I bought the canon Mark II r6 just recently. I had to take the sigma 150 to 600 mm back because the weight would have wrecked me so I bought the canon 800 F11 for extra that extra reach. Enjoyed your video and will test the lens on the next sunny day. Thankyou so much !

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, good luck!

[@davidbarr9475]

My friend that little kill deer was about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Great video. I'm about to get the rf 800mm f11 for my r6mk2. Thanks Phil and keep up the awesome job you do.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, David!

[@adrianalfordphotography]

Was interesting to see the comparison Phil. Good job and thanks for sharing your results 👍🙏

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, Adrian!

[@WernerBirdNature]

Hi Phil, I'm glad you keep the 200-800. Also on the R5 I'm pretty happy with it. Recently I was shooting again with the 100-500 & 200-800. Strictly speaking the 100-500 is better, but when you'd need to crop a lot more on the 100-500 because the birds don't allow you closer, then the 200-800 actually wins in IQ. On the other hand, I struggled with the 200-800 to get initial focus on Larks high up in the air. My wife was way more agile with her R7 + RF100-400 and she nailed some great shots.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@edwardmorton7246]

Love your videos! I'm going to purchase one of these lenses still not sure which one. Almost leaning towards the 800 fixed lens because I would think that most of the time I would use the 200-800 I would be at or close to 800mm. I wish they had made the lens a 500mm-800mm. I bet 80 percent of the photos taken are taken within that focal range. Plus that would probably make the lens lighter and sharper.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! I agree, I would definitely sacrifice 200-499 to get a sharper 500-800!

[@BobSouthDakota]

Great video as always Phil. Thanks for the comparison!

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@thomasphillips5850]

Also Phil, love the baby kildeer, sweet as can be.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! I was very happy to find them.

[@danwilliams5335]

Great point you made regarding the performance of the zoom lens on lower resolution cameras. I have found this as well. For me, most of my glass just looks sharper on 24 mg sensors. That certainly seems to be a sweet spot for telephoto glass, at least for my collection.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, Dan!

[@Photographerbirder]

Great photos Phil! The “domestic” duck is a Muscovy duck

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@csayban]

It is really impressive how good zoom lenses have become over the years. It used to be a clear decision between flexibility and sharpness, but that really isn't the case anymore as your comparison shows. Well done.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@ptvfr800]

thanks for the video Phil! I am lucky enough to have both these lenses for my R8 and I am amazed at the image quality I can get from them , I am likely going to use the zoom mostly due to it’s versatility ..

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@davidsaylors]

I really loved the first little bird more than the black bird. The blown out area didn’t bother me as I was drawn to the eye since you nailed focus so well. The little mommy with babies is my fav (the one where they were running around the mom) I dont think I could tell a difference in any of the lenses though, they were all great photos.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, David! :)

[@teej626]

Another great video! I currently have the R6 Mark II and the R7, along with the RF 800 f11 and the RF 100-500L, and the RF 1.4x Extender. I find it interesting that you find the "sweet spot" of the 200-800 to be at 700 and f10, which is exactly what my 100-500L with the 1.4x becomes, and it's amazing. I will also say that the 800 f11 is fantastic on my R6 mII, but a disaster on the R7. I did originally pre-order the 200-800, but on all the results and reviews I've seen, I'll stick with the combo I have now. Keep up the great work!

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@ses4vols]

Nice comparison of lenses. It is hard for me to tell the difference and slightly like the 200-800 in some shots. I liked those baby killdeer!

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! They are much closer that I thought. I was very happy to find the babies!

[@NECPER]

Good decision Phil - to keep your RF200-800. It’s way too early to give up on that. I think it will be interesting to see how it performs with the new cameras. I like your way of presenting your great shots. Thanks a lot for sharing. Best regards Per

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@XcessCapital]

I ended up selling my 800mm F/11. Was never happy with the sharpness. Not sure if it was user error or just a soft copy. I do have plans to pick up the 200-800 at some point though.

[@isotechimages.9130]

Always felt you was a little harsh on the 200/800 it not the sharpest tool in the shed but it good enough & yes the 200-800 does not appear to be a true 800mm compared to the prime as have done similar tests myself. Glad you keeping it.

[@PhilThach]

I just hope I am happy with the images I get from it on the R5 Mark II when it comes out.

[@soumakbinduwildlife]

Waiting for r5 ii ..then you can compare r5 ii and z8

[@PhilThach]

I'm waiting for the R5 Mark II as well.

[@thomasphillips5850]

That 200-800 is a great lens, sharp as a tack. I know you follow Jonny Pink, he gets some unbelievable results with that 200-800 on his R3. So keep your 200-800 for sure. Thats a great lense. Thanks Phil great video.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@N_v_G]

Really enjoyed the video. Keep on wanting to go back from crop R7 to ff R6 mk II, trying to find enough reasons to do it. ;-)

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@MrTmiket0007]

Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always 🐦❤️

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@peterdobson1166]

Well done

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@stephenbolger5925]

Lovely photos Phil 🙂 Is the 100-500 F7.1 still your favourite Canon lens for wildlife and do you prefer the Canon R6 ii over the Canon R7 for wildlife photography?

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! The Rf100-500 is still my favorite lens for wildlife. Unfortunately it doesn't have enough reach for bird photography with the R6 Mark II in most situations so I usually use it with the R7.

[@GeorgeIXzzz]

Phil is a simple question. If you were given a choice on R6M2 : 100-500 + 1.4 ext or 200-800 what would you choose in general?

[@PhilThach]

For birds I’d need a third choice. R7 and 100-500 with no TC.

[@Kellysher]

Phil, these are helpful reviews for sure. Are you shooting the 200-800 on a tripod or monopod? Or are the shots hand held. I can sure see a case for the 800 mm, but the weight is prohibitive for me. Just curious I guess. I also shoot manual with auto iso, and your comment about starting at minus 1/3 was interesting if you want to elaborate. Thanks!

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! For these shots I was using the windowsill of the car to steady the camera. The 800 f/11 is very light. I find it easier to recover shadows than to save blown highlights so I usually start out at minus 1/3 of a stop. If highlights are still blown I'll try minus 2/3 or more until they are good. If I'm working on birds that don't have white or bright areas, I might go up to zero or if there is a bright sky as the background I'll continue to raise exposure compensation until the bird is exposed properly.

[@TitanTrainSpotter]

Great comparison video. I occasionally use the 800 f11 with my r5, and am usually not super impressed with the results. I was even thinking about selling the lens. Now that I hear you talk about performance on lower resolution cameras, I'll try it on my R7. Don't have either of the r6's. The thought also crossed my mind, would the RF100-500 L lens with a 1.4 TC outperform the 800 image-wise? The TC would take you down a stop to f11 so you'd have 700 at f11 and 800 at f11. Might have to experiment.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you!

[@19ab59]

Hi Phil, thanks for this comparison. I was wondering as I have theRF100-400 and try to capture a Kingfisher but it's often to far for the lens at 400. Would you recommend the RF800 for that purpose? the 200-800 it to expensive for me. And any about the distance you took the pictures? Best regards Ab

[@PhilThach]

I am a fan of the 800 F11, but even with it you still have to be relatively close.

[@Kellysher]

I love to see domestic ducks in the wild. We call them “escapees”. I have read that they do sometimes breed with wild ducks, but can produce sterile offspring. Still, it makes me smile to see them amongst a wild group of ducks, living like nature intended!

[@PhilThach]

I love that.

[@Mikedegot]

I've been very happy with the 800 f11 on my R6. I'm not a pro, I'm not selling my pics, just pure hobby. My 100-400 did well but it did come up short and I'm getting too old to be creeping through the bushes and crawling in mud to inch closer. I can walk around with the 800 f11, cradle it in the nook of my arm while the camera strap supports the body. With a fixed aperture, and auto-ISO, only have to worry about adjusting the shutter speed. Pretty simple. The only time I use it is for birds/wildlife so I'm most likely going to be outside when using it. For anyone thinking of getting the 800 f11, I recommend getting a case with a shoulder strap just for the 800 f11 so you don't have to push the limits of your usual camera bag. It's a big lens. And get an L mount so you can rotate it pretty easily from portrait to landscape orientation on a tripod. And a lens hood. I can go out with my 800mm and the 35mm macro and cover what I need on my outings, 800 stays on unless I see some pretty scenery or flowers for the 35 to handle. Not the easiest lens for bird-in-flight shots. I have not run into too many scenarios where the minimum focal distance was a problem. Most of the critters I'm looking at don't get that close. 200-800 would be nice, but I got tired of waiting for it to be in stock.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you! I enjoyed reading your detailed comment.

[@Scottye-yn8zc]

Do you use a 95mm Protector Filter on your Canon RF 200-800 ? Does it affect the image quality?

[@PhilThach]

I do not use protector filters.

[@KevinF235]

I am trying decide between the two lenses myself, your video was no help as both lenses were both about the same as far quality.😂😂😂 Great video, I really enjoy all your videos.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you

[@skyscraperfan]

Interesting that you expected the 800mm f/11 to blow the 200-800 away. I expected exactly the opposite, as Canon tele zooms are usually very sharp and the 800mm f/11 was optimized for low weight and low price.

[@PhilThach]

I only expected it because I’ve had a couple of years of good luck with the 800 F11 and a couple of months of mediocre results from the 200-800. With the exception of reach, neither of these these two lenses can compete with the sharpness of the 100-500.

[@nickfreeman8027]

I wonder if Canon can update the firmware on the lens to correct the sharpness?

[@PhilThach]

I highly doubt it. I think that is a hardware problem not a software problem. But, it can produce acceptable results on a lower resolution full frame camera like the R6, R6 Mark II, R8 and R3. Some people say it does well on an R5, but I have not been able to test that.

[@nickfreeman8027]

@@PhilThach I use mine on the R5 and have noticed it's not super sharp

[@rahul871987]

i thought you were about to return your RF 200-800.

[@PhilThach]

Watch the full video. I talk all about that.

[@mariadombrow-rq2xv]

Mein Englisch ist leider sehr schlecht 😅 ich möchte mich bedanken für die Videos zum RF200-800mm. Ich selbst habe hin und her überlegt und werde mir das RF200-800mm irgendwann kaufen. Die f11 beim RF800mm stört mich dann doch extrem. Könnten Sie bitte vielleicht als Kommentar kurz erklären (damit ich es kopieren und übersetzen lassen kann), warum das RF200-800mm an der R7 nicht gut ist? Das wäre sehr nett :) Thank You :)

[@PhilThach]

Thank you. I think it is because the pixel density of the R7 is so high that is shows the weakness of the 200-800 in terms of resolution. The low pixel density R6 Mark II seems to hide this weakness.

[@mariadombrow-rq2xv]

@@PhilThach ah ok. Thank you ☺️

[@przybylskipawel]

In what world 200-800mm is inexpensive...?

[@PhilThach]

In a world where the 100-500 costs nearly $1000 more, so this world.

[@przybylskipawel]

@@PhilThach OK Maybe you are right if we look at this like that. Our EU proces for those lenses are outrageous.

[@PhilThach]

@@przybylskipawel Photography is expensive. In the grand scheme of things, it's a budget lens. But I get it, it's still a lot of money.

[@chosenbydesign9007]

@@PhilThach i live in that world Phil, thank you for your video. Waiting for the 200-800 to be available on the shelf here in Los Angeles... still available only as a special order and wait wait wait wait....etc.

[@tonyw3250]

If like me you love bird in flight shots the 200-800 would be the only way to go, at least for my skill. I'd have no hope of finding a bird in flight at 800mm

[@PhilThach]

I guess it epends on the bird. I'm able to find large and distant sandhill cranes in flight with the 800 f/11 pretty easily. Smaller birds not so much.

[@philipchong6273]

Why is F10 better ?

[@PhilThach]

Most lenses are a little sharper stopped down. Only the finest lenses look great wide open. This is not the finest lens. Most lenses also feature a wider maximum aperture than f9. So this lens is not great wide open at f9, a little better at f10 and by f11 defraction starts to degrade the image. That is why f10 is better.

[@philipchong6273]

@@PhilThach I see. Do you use Fv mode, dial to F10, then let the camera figure out the other 2?

[@PhilThach]

@@philipchong6273 I do manual aperture, manual shutter speed and automatic ISO.

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

Geez, I sure loved my 800 F11's... I've owned four of them ! Wore one out.... sold one, now own two.... But it's kind of sad, as besides having a couple long lens backups around, I don't really see myself using them much, if ever ? IMPO, my new 200-800 is the Holy Grail. As for sharpness, and overall image quality, I feel like its "very close" to the 800 F11. But when it comes to versatility, the 200-800 just blows the 800 F11 out of the water. Of course you know how I feel about the R6 (fantastic camera, for somebody else :).... The only thing I want from it, is that AF system :) ....on my R7 Mk II :) Great video Phil. Right up my alley :) BTW, the exposure of the female Red Winged Blackbirds (white throat patch) looked perfect on my monitor.

[@PhilThach]

Thank you, Chris!