Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM - sample footage 4k handheld

G'day from Matt.
I realised yesterday that I'm possibly the first person in Australia to own the new RF 200-800mm lens and there's a lot of people that are keen to see real-world image samples.
Here's some handheld 4k (100fps) footage from an hour's walk around one of our local reserves. All footage is straight off the card. Sorry about the audio blowing out. I recorded it through my phone.
I'm not videographer, youtuber, influencer or reviewer. I'm a pro photographer and this footage was made to show how the lens performs on the R3 in video mode without the use of tripod. I was shooting in harsh sunshine and high winds which was good for putting the lens and camera through their paces.
My thoughts:
- focus is accurate and responsive for a lens of this size
- background detail is good when you have separation from your subject
- bokeh (quality of the blur) is exceptional
- lens is easy enough to handhold even with a bit of wind
- its light enough as a travel wildlife lens
- build quality is at L-series standard (there wasn’t any zoom creeping)
- everything fits (hoods, caps, lens mount) tightly and feels like a pro lens
- subject detail (eyes, feathers, vegetation) are more than acceptably sharp
- it’s a fantastic video lens
- for a AUD$3.5k 800mm lens it is amazing!

[@jcloiseau]

In blazing sunshine it's amazing!

[@alansach8437]

That's an exaggeration. It might not be the best at dawn or dusk, but you don't need blazing midday sun, not with modern cameras and software.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

It performs well in blazing sunshine but it will fine in much lower light. I think it will be fine for video in low light but stills will be an IQ challenge particularly at high shutter speeds around dusk/dawn

[@mattkempphotography6110]

@@alansach8437 - I agree with Alan. It's going to fine in much lower light than simple blazing sunshine. It will depend on which camera it's attached to. The R3 seems to handle higher ISO quite well. I'll try to get some more footage in lower light

[@360.Outdoors.Videos]

Thanks so much for all the infos about your lens . I will be very much pleased to see your next edition with this very good lens . Greetings from France ☀️☀️

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you for your lovely message. Greetings from sunny Sydney. I love France! :)

[@360.Outdoors.Videos]

Be at anytime welcome to visit my country Matt . And of course I can advise you for the most beautiful places . Feel free to ask as I can help . Have a nice day . Stephan . ☀️☀️

[@wellingtoncrescent2480]

Lovely. Thanks for sharing, proof that it is a capable lens in good light

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you. It's my pleasure. I think it will be a good lens for video (lower shutter speeds) in even lower light. I'll try to get some more footage in the coming days. Crazy time of year

[@PascalKammer.]

more videos pls in normal 4k 60p ... thanks @@mattkempphotography6110

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Sure, it will be 50fps which is normal on this side of world :)

[@PascalKammer.]

@@mattkempphotography6110

[@capturingnaturewithsandip]

Nice and beautiful video. Thanks for sharing so wonderful capture. Big like

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you. I appreciate your kind words

[@peterb.7437]

Thank you for the real unbiased review. Can’t wait for mine to arrive.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks Peter. It's a fun lens and I'm sure you'll enjoy it when it does arrive. What's the ETA on yours?

[@peterb.7437]

@@mattkempphotography6110 December 14 shipping

[@IkWillemP]

Very cool footage. That plane in front of the moon was awesome, also shows the reach/compression well.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you. I had taken some footage of the moon earlier on my walk and when I was tracking the plane I was delighted to see it sweep across the background. Pure luck but really cool.

[@jcloiseau]

I was about to comment the same thing!

[@robertlawrence7958]

"Blazing sunshine".... that's the key statement here. F9.1 is very unrealistic for use in my home country of Wales. Getting a useable shutter speed for wildlife at f9.1 is going to be a hell of a challenge here. I use an f5.6 lens and I often struggle with the amount of light available when shooting wildlife. The usual excuse of shooting at very high ISO's and then spending even more time (and money) in front of a computer screen using noise reduction software to rescue images is not my idea of good time photography. Image stabilisation is not the answer either. I can get very sharp images using a bean bag or tripod (and I wouldn't consider using an 800mm lens without either) but that cannot compensate for subject movement.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Definitely a challenge in Wales. I lived in the Uk for 7 years. Canon needs to make you an 800mm f/2.8 😅 that would turn some heads with a 12 inch front element.

[@robertlawrence7958]

@@mattkempphotography6110 and finish my back off.😂. It's bad enough with the ef800.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

I took a few photos in the shade (on a bright but overcast day) today and it faired well. ISO averaged 1250 which is usable off the R3. The EF 800 is awesome. I would love one of those

[@livejames9374]

Nice. Can’t wait to try this out. The footage looked great. The only thing I didn’t like was the double contouring with the bokeh.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks James. There's definitely some compromises with a non-L lens that offers focal length flexbility at this budget. Overall, it's a nice addition to the kit

[@snapsnap1]

So this is the lens you pre order that u received and not a Canon demo that is going around. I can't wait for mine to arrive!

[@mattkempphotography6110]

This is a 100% retail lens purchase and definitely not a demo. I have been loyal to Canon for 25 years and ran premiere events for them but anything I mention is my own opinion. They give me nothing in return and I paid for my lens in full as a pre-order a few months ago. I hope you enjoy yours when it arrives. 800mm is a luxury at this price.

[@bigboi36]

Based on what I see here I am quite satisfied with what this lens delivers. The video shows creamy bokeh in my humble opinion. I'm a Nikon guy and ordered the 180~600mm. Cant wait to get it. Cheers.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

I was very impressed with the bokeh too. I’m sure the 180-600 will be awesome and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Fingers crossed that it arrives with you soon.

[@masina9447]

I would love a comparison of between this Canon at 800mm vs that Nikon at 600mm cropped and/or the Sony at 600mm cropped (of the same subject at the same distance, of course) Only if the RF 200-800mm is truly capturing more detail can we crown it the king of superzooms!

[@kohanson]

Looks looks reasonably sharp. 👍🏻

[@mattkempphotography6110]

I feel that it’s acceptably sharp. The high-end prime lenses will always be better but this is so good at 1/6th of the price of one of those beasts

[@alisonandguywildlifephotograph]

Impressive hand hold…did you stabilise in post ?.. we’ve got r3…does it feel balanced?

[@mattkempphotography6110]

hi, thanks for your comment. I haven’t done any post production to these videos. They are straight off the card. The combination feels nice on an R3.

[@PascalKammer.]

thanks for sharing

[@mattkempphotography6110]

My pleasure Pascal

[@jcloiseau]

Nice footage!

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you :)

[@janvanholten7592]

If I want to photograph at F9, I will set it manually!! In some video parts, the "busy" background is very obvious. But, you have 800 mm for a very affordable price.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

For the price, it's a great lens and an affordable 800mm as you mention. Do you have the 800mm f/5.6? I would ideally like a wider aperture option but that comes with additional costs in price, weight, flexibility, practicality. I run trips to Antarctica and we have weight restrictions on flights, and this new one is more suited.

[@zbatevp-vlogs610]

what focal legnth is that bird shot at 30 second timestamp. Amazing shot overall... not bad I don't have any hands on experience with long lens specially like this but that 6.3-9 aperture makes me think it's not a good lens but man. Thanks for this actual footage - great lens....

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks for your nice words. Every clip is shot at 800mm f/9. As @TheMrNeffels pointed out in the comments, the 800mm @ f/9 has a shallower depth of field than a 400mm f/2.8. Dusk /dawn shots might test the performance of a sensor at f/9 but it performs well in daylight. The smaller aperture will put a lot of people off this lens but I hope this video restores some confidence. I run Antarctic photo tours so this will be fantastic down there. We have weight restrictions so it ticks all the boxes.

[@zbatevp-vlogs610]

@@mattkempphotography6110 waiting for more videos and thank you for confirming.. wow f/9 and the bokeh is so creamy and shoots are sharp as well.

[@isotechimages.9130]

Sitting here waiting for delivery it should be about an hour away

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Exciting times! I hope you have lots of fun with it when it arrives. 39 mins to go :) :) :)

[@isotechimages.9130]

@@mattkempphotography6110 Well let's remember we dealing with Auspost here but fingers crossed.

[@PrimalShutter]

Good example of air heat at 1:00

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks for mentioning the air heat distortion. I should have done the same :)

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Hi from Matt. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to check out this video. For photographers, I have just posted another video that shows some still photo samples if you would like to check it out kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYjIZo2VhrOna9k Wishing you all the very best!

[@yousefnasserphotography-ti1833]

I would love to get my hands on some RAW image samples.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

I have mostly shot video so far. I'll try and get some samples at various ISO settings in differing light when I get a chance. You might start to see some RAW images coming available online now that this lens is out in the wilderness

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Here's a few RAWs for you to check out. Much lower light and hope they paint a fair picture of the lens & sensor's performance www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/60b3bqdn3930hzql94bds/h?rlkey=hha0o78sr4rklsp3oubbkld78&dl=0

[@isotechimages.9130]

Ok Matt so lens arrived been playing and just to let those who have it coming know if you want to set control ring to a function instead of manual focus you need to switch the AF/MF switch to the middle control setting you may already know this but this is first lens l have encountered with a dual focus and control ring.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

oh cool. i was wondering where the control ring was. i have kept the manual focus in place and i programmed the lens button to function as +/- compensation. thanks for this tip which i didn’t know. i hope are already enjoying yours

[@isotechimages.9130]

@@mattkempphotography6110 l agree with all you have said about build quality & handling but l do feel the 800 F11 focuses faster & picks up the eye better.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

I haven’t used the 800 f/11 prime to compare. Which body are you using it on? Provides have less elements to move around so that makes sense, but I thought it would only apply to the faster primes. I guess they are only 2/3 of a stop the difference and there’s more glass to shift

[@isotechimages.9130]

@@mattkempphotography6110 This is on the R7 and l was wondering if they needed a focus limiter for shorter throw over what is a 600mm focal zoom or even if twin motors would be required. I am not suggesting it is bad but more surprises me how good the F11 800 does. As far as aperture goes coming from a fixed F11 lens l have no complaints there.

[@davepastern]

what is IQ like with a 1.4x TC? 800mm is long enough for most stuff, but sometimes, a bit of extra reach doesn't hurt.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Hmmm, not sure. at f/9 I haven't even considered if a 1.4x TC would even fit. It would be an exposure handicap to say the least. I'll look into this further.

[@davepastern]

@@mattkempphotography6110 it's what, f12? A 1/3 stop worse than the 800mm f11 lens. I believe it will take a 1.4x TC, at least from memory, that's what the Pangolin tours video said a month ago.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

@@davepastern Hey Dave, the charts liken this lens to a 100-500mm with a 1.4x attached which means that it's acceptable regarding sharpness. I would imagine a 1.4x on top of this lens would feed the pixel-peepers critisms. I don't own any RF TC's but I'll be sure to pop one on whenever I get the opportunity. It would be cool to see some moon detail with that config.

[@davepastern]

@@mattkempphotography6110 awesome ta. For me, Canon’s APS-c offerings are subpar when compared to their FF offerings

[@ThwjneebYaaj]

Good ❤

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks :)

[@peterb.7437]

Hi Matt what is the length of the foot, I don’t have mine yet but would like yo be ready when it arrives. I am ordering a lens plate locally. Thank you in advance

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Hi Peter, it’s 100mm in length. 36mm distance between the centre of the 1/4” and 3/8” threaded holes. Hopefully not too long before yours arrives

[@peterb.7437]

@@mattkempphotography6110 Awesome I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

[@Landradler]

Congratulations. What is the distance (mm) between the two threads on the tripod clamp?

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thank you. The distance between the centre of the 1/4" and 3/8" thread holes is 36mm

[@PawełWięcek-w8p]

And what's the length of the foot?

[@mattkempphotography6110]

@@PawełWięcek-w8p 100mm

[@RogerZoul]

Matt - where is your next video on the 200-800? Hardy anyone has this lens so now is the time to push out as much content as you can. People like me are dying for content. I need to know if I should cancel my preorder or not! Thanks.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Hi Roger, crazy time of year. Thanks for your patience. Here's a link to some still photo samples kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYjIZo2VhrOna9k Hopefully it will help with your preorder decision. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@RelaxTV4k]

You need to raise your volume to a normal level. It is way low.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Thanks, I did that quick narration via a rode video mic into my phone and the gain was off the charts (no way to monitor the peaks). I pulled the levels right down in PPro because it was so sketchy. I probably should have left it out entirely. My priority was to get the footage online before a 3-day event. I'll do better next time I promise.

[@TheMrNeffels]

Fun fact. If you have lets say two R5s next to each other and one has a 400 2.8 and other has a 200-800 f9 at 800mm f9 and they are both taking pics of the same animal the 800 f9 image has a shallower dof. Obviously much tighter framing too.

[@mattkempphotography6110]

Excellent fun fact. Thanks for sharing :) Also, it's dependant on focusing distance. The DOF at 15m is about the same (the 800mm subject will be twice the size) - I love this stuff

[@TheMrNeffels]

@@mattkempphotography6110 focus distance doesn't matter assuming the lenses are side by side and subject is at same distance. 800 f9 will always be slightly shallower dof than 400 2.8. Obvious downsides of light and much tighter framing at 800mm.

[@masina9447]

That's only true in an apples to oranges kind of way. If you cropped the 400 f2.8 (or used the 2x extender), it would indeed have more bokeh and a shallower depth of field than 800 f9.

[@TheMrNeffels]

@@masina9447I don't see how that's an apples to oranges comparison. That's a very real world scenario. Also cropping wouldn't change dof. Using a 2x would but you do need to stop it down for sharpness so you're then looking at a $14k cost vs $2k for not even a stop faster.

[@masina9447]

@@TheMrNeffels I'm not arguing with you about cost, as that makes comparisons with the 400mm f/2.8 ridiculous in the first place. I doubt the superior optics can overcome a 2x crop or 2x extender. But whatever calculator you used for DoF is affected by crop. Physically, 400/2.8 is 60% larger than 800/9, so the larger entrance pupil must give you shallower DoF. A 2x crop on the 400mm f/2.8 (for identical subject framing) will make it equivalent to 800mm f/5.6. If you attach the 2x extender, the camera will likewise show you f/5.6 max aperture. 800mm f/5.6 equivalent will obviously have shallower DoF than 800mm f/9

[@mattkempphotography6110]

i’m hoping this is a isolated incident using a canon R3 camera body with this lens. Please check this out and be very careful. I’ll post an update on the situation as soon as I have a chat with Canon kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWS4lpulbcibp5Ysi=wk5hpYLrbSWrL5dA