Canon RF Lenses For Wildlife Photography - 600mm and 800mm f/11 TESTED ON SAFARI

[@fl1654]

One of the best lens reviews on KZbin. A standard setter. No histrionics, just clear narration and fantastic examples. Well done!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Wow, that is great to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback ;)

[@BrianSFischer]

Agreed!

[@MusikPiratCH]

You could also watch Jan Wegener's review on those two lenses (even with both teleconverters) ... 😇

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

Great review 🙂 I own both the RF 600 and the RF 800 F11, of which the 800 stays glued to my Canon R7 almost exclusively. For me reach is everything. Not necessarily for shooting subjects a long way away, but rather shooting small subjects from 25 or 30 ft. I also owned the Sigma 150-600, and I felt like the optics were fine. However that lens suffered a lot from the dreaded focus pulsing issues. Not to mention I stayed glued at 600 mm most of the time and that still wasn't long enough. So I sold it, bought RF 800, and never looked back 🙂 I'm sure the RF 800 F5.6 would be a better lens. But for 16 X's the price, and 4 X's the weight, my RF 800 f11 is by far the best choice on the market 👍

[@dhedc]

This is a superb video on these two lenses. Hands down the best one I have seen. Thank you for crafting this video.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hey David. Such a great feedback from you. I really appreciate it as it is quite a bit of work put into that ;) - Sabine

[@PiramPamPam]

I was looking at reviews of 800mm for a few days now and I must say : WOW! what a great review! Exactly something that I was looking for! You are amazing, so professional and helpful. I wish other KZbin "experts" were just like you! Keep up great work! ;)

[@PangolinWildlife]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.

[@PhilThach]

You did a great job on this review. I'm enjoying my 800 f/11.

[@PangolinWildlife]

That is great to hear Phil. I think too many people are bashing them so it is nice to hear good feedback ;) -Sabine

[@stevemurnan1702]

Getting on great with mine Phil.

[@vairamuthukannadasan1320]

I got the perfect review about these lenses. Best review on KZbin and to-the-point. 😀

[@bryanandryszak925]

Hi, Sabine. As usual, you’ve presented another outstanding video. I am considering getting the RF800mm lens with a Canon R6II combination. So; seeing your Review with very similar setups was very helpful for me making a decision. Thank you very much!!

[@josephkarpinski9586]

I’ve been shooting wildlife with the 800mm f/11 lens on a R6 for a while now. I can’t say enough how impressed I am. Birds in flight with animal detect, extremely good. Closer targets, with eye detect, takes your breath away. For me, wildlife like Bald Eagles are always far away. The 800mm is a good first step. But I push it even farther using a 1.4x Extender. And the results are still, very good. But for closeups of Bald Eagles in tree or diving for fish far away, I push the 800mm even more by setting the R6 in crop mode. Do the math 800mm x 1.4 Extender x 1.6 crop = 1,792 mm. Even with concerns about pixel count or image quality, again you have to try it to believe it. I’m getting some outstanding results at 1,792mm especially when using eye detect. A monopod also helps when dropping the shutter to 1/400 to keep the ISO low. I’ve been shooting wildlife for a number of years. The 400mm F5.6 prime was great. The Canon 100-400 II with 1.4x Extender III at 896mm on a 1.6 crop body even better. This combination doubles your reach again. You will be amazed. You have to try it for yourself…

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you so much for the thorough input and your experience with this lens. I am sure many readers will appreciate this ;) -Sabine

[@billymead2011]

would you rate the 800 rf prime over the rf 100-400 ?

[@fritsscholtenhzn6268]

Thanks you so very much for a very good Demo and Info. Still waiting for Canon R 7, with the 600 mm f11.0. It's for weight and measurement. I mean travel with my backpack. Now working with Sony and Canon. 200-600 mm and 100-400 mm M2. I am very excited for the new Combi in the end of 2022. Best regards from me in Thailand.

[@hosseinziadkhan]

This is lovely and very kind that you spend your time to give loads of information to us, This is meaning of humanity. Thank you very much Love from the UK

[@R4YHAN786]

What an informative and we'll produced review this is. Complete with images. This is without doubt best review on net. highlighting pros and cons with examples too. Keep it up.subd

[@mickeyjetpur7998]

Just bought the 800 for my R6ll! And love your video, watched it twice!

[@videojeroki]

Might be the very best lens review you can make! Full of information !

[@wykkydjvc]

This review was excellent, thank you

[@Tastewithnewdrinks]

Amazing review.

[@colinrogers5006]

Thanks Sabine. Hope to see you at Chobe - I miss that part of the world

[@rolandrick]

Hi Sabine, thanks for the comparison. Regarding 21:20, the best budget lens available is most probably the Sony FE 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 G, internal zoom, super fast and silent AF motor, razor sharp images, only a quarter turn from 200 to 600, fully weather sealed, 2115 grams light. As proud R3 shooter, I always envy the Sony guys for that lens.

[@brianludwig180]

I use the RF 100-400 F5.6 - 8 and crop the images which gives better results at low light than the 800mm. Using Canon R8 body. No IBIS means slightly more care needed but I would prefer this to the 800mm or 600mm.

[@SK-nn1iv]

Ohhh i was waiting for your review of these lenses. Thank you.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Great! I hope it helped and gave you an idea ;) -Sabine

[@vsmcl3979]

Excellent review Sabine. I own the EF600mm f/4III, the RF100-500mm and recently added the RF800mm f/11 to my gear bag. Nothing will replace the EF600mm f/4 in my view esp the 3rd version which is relatively lighter weight compared to prior versions of the EF600mm lens. I can hand hold the R5+adapter+1xTCIII+ EF600mmf/4III comfortably which gives me freedom for BIF. However, you make a great point which is that for a walking lense the EF600mmIII is still a BEAST. I purchased the RF800mm f/11 for long hikes when I need reach. I agree with the limits you point out of the lens. I have found it's a good companion lens for long hikes along with the RF100-500mm. I take BOTH lenses each on a separate body so I am not limited when/if the animals/birds come closer. They are a manageable combo for me. If I can only take ONE lens I'll take the RF500mm NOT the RF800mm. My best to you and the Pangolin family - a dear friend of mine is currently there right now!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Vicky. So great to hear your thoughts on that. I am sure you must enjoy that combo a lot. And thanks for sending your friends to us. Regards from the whole Pangolin family ;) -Sabine

[@bobcat65a]

Sabine, Your ability to present a professional lecture is noted. Plus, your attention to details with your stills and videos, involving the R5 and R6 with the 600mm f/11 and 800mm f/11, are exceptional. The clear and concise remarks of "pros and cons" of the lenses are appreciated. Best of good health to you and Pangolin.

[@CanonEurope]

🙏🦁 Lovely test images Sabine ❤️

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you very much Canon Europe. I am glad you like them! -Sabine

[@rosemills2172]

Sabine, you are wonderfully to the point and very clear.. thank you so much for all the effort you put into your feedback.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you Rose. It is nice to hear a feedback like this and makes worth all the effort ;)

[@MK-bg9bj]

Gorgeous video and one of the best reviews of these two lenses 👍

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you and much appreciated ;) -Sabine

[@santoshbn3275]

Ultimate review with honest opinion!!!!. Am your big fan of your photography. I have learnt lot of tips from your photography skills!!! Thanks a lot Teacher!!!!!! :)

[@timothylinn]

Excellent look at these two lenses, Sabine!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Timothy, thank you so much! -Sabine

[@hom296]

Extremely well-done video on several long lens!

[@dougcooper4917]

Excellent Review Video Danielle!! Thank you!!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you very much! -Sabine

[@TupperAlf]

superb review - so thorough and helpful - thank you

[@PangolinWildlife]

Nice to hear it was Phil ;) -Sabine

[@pierreperrault2150]

Great review and it will help me to make my choice between the 600 mm and the 800 mm. Thank you / Merci !

[@VABrowneMDPhD]

Exceptionally well done! Very informative, fair-minded and intelligent analyses! Great photographs!! I hope to visit Chobe, soon!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi there and thanks a lot for that. We hope to see you in Chobe very soon...beautiful place ;) -Sabine

[@Bassmunchkin1]

Absolutely brilliant opinion ant the detail that you share is incredible. Millions of thanks for putting us virtually behind the lens to give us as clear an insight as we will ever get

[@danham3344]

Fantastic video! Lots of very good info. Thank you so much.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Its our pleasure.

[@jrnmiranda1]

I just purchased the 800mm and Sabine's considerations were very important and interesting. I have been following Pangolin for several years. Thank you so much. I have learned a lot from you. I'm passionate about everything related to the world of photography in general and wildlife in particular. Thanks a lot. 👌🥰

[@chosenbydesign9007]

Excellent presentation. .

[@glennalexon1530]

Your reviews are awesome; thanks for the great work.

[@JoesWildlifeAdventures]

Another great review!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you very much!!! _sabine

[@nilanjan160]

Nice and useful video...thanks

[@KAZUNARl]

Das hast du toll gemacht, Sabine! 👍

[@PangolinWildlife]

Ganz lieben Dank ;)

[@NikCan66]

Always brilliant and informative for people thinking of switching from dslr to mirrorless

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks Nik ;) -Sabine

[@NikCan66]

@@PangolinWildlife more than welcome

[@noam054]

Another great and effective video. Thank you

[@jeannoellambert9977]

Excellente Présentation.Bravo !

[@returntoharmony2727]

Excellent video. So concise with so much good information. Thank you so much! Subscribed

[@simonmathew6563]

Very well explained. Thank you so much.

[@lachlangraham1062]

Great video, these lenses can be a great option for many uses. Great photos.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks a lot for commenting Graham ;) -Sabine

[@kbc9129]

Great video. Excellent analysis.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks a lot! -Sabine

[@old4004]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@PangolinWildlife]

You are most welcome! Hope it helped ;) -Sabine

[@BudBetz]

Thank you Sabine. Very clever use of the tools in Lightroom. Learned a but in this video. Top shelf as always!

[@ProfMary]

Excellent review of these two lenses, Sabine! Very thorough with lots of examples. Thank you for this video.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Awesome! Glad you liked it Mary ;) -Sabine

[@PhotoReactionVideos]

Fantastic review. Thank you for putting this together 😊

[@rayshaw9156]

Thanks Sabine for another great review, I have found it very useful and have been waiting for it for a while. I just wish that I could visit you again in the Chobe

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hey Ray, thank you and it would be lovely to see you back here in the near future ;) Keep well! -Sabine

[@HeroShotzphoto]

Test them on the r7 please thanks 🙏

[@fragu123]

I love the efforts you put into your videos, very much appreciated as the result is always great and very informative….

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you and we do appreciate that you take the time to leave a comment too ;) -Sabine

[@wyomingwiseman]

Great job on this review Sabine! I have had my R5 for about 3 months now and added the RF 800 about 5 weeks ago. I absolutely love it. I live in Wyoming USA and go into Yellowstone National Park often along with other close by areas with a lot of wildlife. Shooting grizzly bears at the proper distance is very important. I love to shoot Rocky Mountain goats as well close by. The 800 mm helps me to keep my distance. I can hand hold a shot at the moon and climb into the craters with sharp results. I just now ordered the RF 600 mm as well. I will share this video with lots of friends who are on the fence with this camera. I know it will convince others of the potential excellence at a great price. Thanks again Sabine!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you so much for this nice feedback and sharing your experience with the 800mm. It is always nice for other people to read too. And also thanks so much for sharing the video. Much appreciated ;)

[@kennethlui2268]

Great review. These are excellent lens for people who want to get into bird or wildlife photography.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Kenneth. Thanks so much for watching and leaving a comment. Totally agree on that ;) -Sabine

[@mangalajayasekera4249]

Awesome video...Thanks

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you for watching and commenting ;) -Sabine

[@djking9828]

Agreed, well done!

[@marshallgoldberg8376]

Your videos are fantastic. You really understand photography and what photographers want.

[@ColleenVR]

Great review, really helped me to decide.

[@tonymckeage1028]

Good Morning from New Zealand, Thank you for your Marvelous RF Lenses Video, Thanks for sharing, Have a great rest of your week

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hello to you from Botswana and have a great week yourself ;) -Sabine

[@prasanthsakhamuri5625]

Excellent review. most practical and fair. Thank you

[@MilwaukeeMax]

Ganz perfekt und fachlich gründlich! Danke!

[@krishnar3493]

Excellent review and take. Thank you, Sabine.

[@RogerJones-mountfield]

Excellent Sabrina, thank you for this review, I have the RF800 f11, also the 100-400mk ii the difference in weight is noticeable, today I used the zoom with a 1.4 mk iii extender waiting for a bird and yes even that was heavy after 3 minutes 🤷🏼‍♂️ I remember wishing I had the 800 attached

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hey Roger. That is so true, weight does make a huge difference and that is where these lenses really excel. One quickly gets used to the lighter weight ;) -Sabine

[@AlessandroAvigni]

Hi, I would like to see a test with these two lenses and the new Canon R7. Do you think it will be possible?

[@TheJMCrecords]

Gracias

[@lesjay8424]

Great comments

[@IntothewestOkotoks]

Great review! Thanks for sharing…that 800mm is looking like a real nice option!

[@greentenrninja6452]

Great review! I’ve owned both the sigma and 800mm. I found once there was enough light I was always switching to the 800mm. With enough background separation it sure was an advantage for small birds.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks for confirming and your input here ;) -Sabine

[@conserve_thewild1018]

awesome review

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you so much! -Sabine

[@정진유-f3q]

Thank you. I was impressed.

[@JeffreyPadell]

Just watched this review AFTER buying the RF600/11. I rented both from Lens Rentals here in the states and took them to a local airport and the pond I shoot birds at. When shooting planes the 800 seemed to show the air currents more than the 600. Both were acceptably sharp. My main reason for the 600 is that I found the 800 really tough to get birds or even planes in the FOV, while the 600 could be a challenge I could manage to get in the FOV more often. Also in your review you mention the small focus area, I am using the new R7 and the focus area on the 600mm on the R7 is almost the size of the chip! I highly recommend the RF600/11 for anyone with a R7

[@garage662]

I was just going to ask how the lenses perform with an APS-C body and you pretty much answered my question. I'm leaning a bit towards the R10 though, because of a tight budget. Any thoughts there?

[@JeffreyPadell]

@@garage662 I don't know anything about the R10 as I never considered it. Sorry.

[@jackieboshoff2013]

Hmm, after watching this I'm considering getting the 600mm to pair with my R7. I'm based in South Africa so I not only shoot birds but am often in Kruger shooting other animals as well. And I shoot aviation as well

[@PraveenLodhi]

Very very informative and practical review ! Thanks You !!

[@dkmphotography_co_uk]

Spectacular review... Thank you. Definitely niche lenses & have their limitations, but SERIOUSLY tempted for their size & price.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks for watching!

[@QuintinMills]

Great review of these lenses. I agree that under low light conditions f11 is not ideal, but they are incredible lenses for the money. Not everyone can afford a +200k lens, but the RF800 and 600 give just about anyone the ability to go out and capture incredible images without the eye-watering prices of professional glass. Here is what i mean. Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM Lens is R13,395.00 The Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens is R269 000 And the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens is R269 000 And i don't think you would be settling for anything, these lenses deliver great quality images. Keep it up Sabine and the Pangolin team! Q

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks Quintin. Very true! You just forgot a few zeros on the Canon RF 600mm f/4 ;) -Sabine

[@QuintinMills]

@@PangolinWildlife 🤣

[@wendycook7488]

Another awesome video Sabine with heaps of valuable info from Professionals who know. We do appreciate your advise as you are able to compare cameras and lenses side by side, which is something we can't do. Thank you once again.

[@MusikPiratCH]

I was not at all surprised at the "Final Verdict"! It's about the same recommendation as Jan Wegener did (though he could test those lenses with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters!) 😍 IMHO this speaks for this great review. 😇

[@skindrmanojjain]

Great review.Thanks.Very useful.

[@rogerlee440]

Great review 👍😊 A review I trust

[@spiff2776]

Very thorough with excellent production quality.. Thank you!

[@ericfreutel8240]

Terrific review! Thank you very much.

[@tkarim]

Excellent review, bravo!

[@MustafaExplore]

really nice organized review, greeting from North Africa "Libya" and Ramadan Mubarak

[@frankbe4878]

very nice review!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you very much!

[@heinricheugenvonhelmbrecht6905]

Excellent review and beautiful Lady. Pleasure to watch! Thank you!

[@WestVirginiaWildlife]

Great review, I like your comparison shots.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Awesome, thanks so much ;) -Sabine

[@AjaySingh-228]

Wow amazing lens mam..I am huge fan of telephoto lens..Beautiful clicks too

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks so much ;) -Sabine

[@AjaySingh-228]

@@PangolinWildlife You are welcome mam

[@Herfried_Rossmeissl]

Sehr realistisches und objektives Review !!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Vielen lieben Dank und Gruesse in die Heimat ;) -Sabine

[@robert.owczarek]

Great review Sabine. I need to rent it and do some test as well - in the ZOO 🙂

[@juliantiu6449]

Excellent review. Good presentation. However, could you tell me the model and make of the gimbal you're using?

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you very much! it is a Gimpro gimbal made in South Africa ;) -Sabine

[@octaviansfetcu4458]

Great review! Thanks.

[@PangolinWildlife]

You are welcome, glad you liked it ;) -Sabine

[@shermantaishoff3750]

Outstanding video. I agree with your assessment of the lenses. I am now shooting with the RF 800 on my Canon R3 and am getting some excellent handheld shots of hummingbirds. But I am not working in low light due to ISO concerns. Your explanations and comments were eye opening and greatly appreciated.

[@Phillip_Deane]

Great video thank you for this information

[@josephkarpinski9586]

Excellent video!

[@kilohotel6750]

I laughed when I first saw these were coming but they are much better than I thought they would be. I won’t be replacing my EF 600/4 IS II but these are great for the casual wildlife photographer and will probably help get people into the RF system and that’s what Canon wants.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Exactly what I thought as well...very skeptical at first but definitely seeing a market for those. Thanks for the comment ;) -Sabine

[@richardpill8322]

Great impartial review!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks Richard, much appreciated! -Sabine

[@JH-qv3xv]

Well done. Thanks

[@PangolinWildlife]

Much appreciated! - Sabine

[@timdriman4253]

Great review on this equipment Sabine. 100% correct...It depends on the standards of which the owners are prepared to settle. They definitely fit a gap in the market, and Roger (Canon SA) can be very happy for this review :-p BTW: We are booked for the 16th - 30th Aug, so should be lots of time for some fun shoot-outs :-p Warm regards to all.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hey Tim. Thank you very much and hope that Roger will be happy ;) I saw that you come soon, great time in Chobe right now. Catch up soon :) -Sabine

[@sharonginat2533]

Thanks for the great review! It helped me a lot. At the end you said that there are some photos on the comments section, but I couldn't find any. I would like to look closely at some photos, to sea whether they are reasonable to me. Thanks! 🙂

[@reinermezger7893]

I'm using the RF600 mm now for a while on the R6 and also on the R7 and I was able to make shots which I would never have made without this lens. I own also a Sigma 150-600 mm but this is not the lens to take with on hiking. I regret not have bought the RF800 instead of the RF600 because there are - on my taken shots - options which would have given me benefits having the longer lens. Me is a hobby photographer and I'm fascinated from taking long shots. I might buy the RF800 in addition to have longer shots, using a converter would reduce my light more and is not much cheaper if looking for a "special price" when its the case.