Canon’s MOST EXPENSIVE and LONGEST Lens EVER!!! $20,000 RF 1200mm F8 REVIEW

[@jefferyrobbins3468]

Nice to see this lens in action -- something that very few people in this world would ever get to see unless you created this review -- so thanks for that. Looks to me like a perfect street photography lens -- subtle, inconspicuous, really blend in with the crowd.......

[@pentagramyt417]

great lens for begginers

[@MTRNord]

@@pentagramyt417 crazy how cheap it is even

[@lasakau272]

@@pentagramyt417😂😂😂😂

[@SpeedCuber102]

plus its a very budget lens

[@jamesy1979]

You didn’t shoot handheld? Come on Fro I thought you worked out! 😛

[@jamesy1979]

Also the 1200mm fills the frame really well from the outfield

[@veganpotterthevegan]

I expected him to shoot single handed

[@jplum7708]

And he wasn't using a camera strap, so both hands would be free to dig through his bag for something he may have forgotten. 😂

[@CJAnderson]

This is a master class in composition and anticipating the shots. Most of us will never use a 1200mm lens, but those principles will make a huge difference, no matter what lens you're using. Will definitely watch this a few more times. Thanks for providing such great content!

[@pieterdhaeze]

Respect! Your enthousiasm jumps from the screen as you make miles in a stadium with a heavy and expensive lens, trying to get the perfect shot. And you did. Also the culling and video recordings prove you still don't take the easy way after all these years on KZbin. Again. Respect. You are one of a kind.

[@flyfelix333]

Wow, some shots are really great. I love the shot from all above over the home plate and the perspective like the TV-camera has. 1200 or even 2400mm is crazy dude.

[@tamasnemeth2161]

How is it the most expensive lens ever if there was an EF 1200 f/5.6 which had an original price of 9.8M yen in 1993 (which was ~$90k back then)?!

[@Lofote]

Yeah he does bad or no research often.

[@Lofote]

He also didnt realize there is a Canon 5200mm f/14

[@travishartnett2307]

I think he meant more production lens, they only made three of the 1200 5.6

[@travishartnett2307]

Same as the 5200 mm

[@themediocrephotographer1301]

@@Lofotethat isn’t a lens that’s open to the public tho big dawg

[@Luke.]

These are some of the most incredible shots i've seen so far. Amazing! Would love to see what you could do at the Olympics next year with this lens!

[@Billythepizza]

Great job, Stephen and Jared. This is one of my favorite videos in a while so many different shots of using an understanding how you’re using the lens and storytelling of doing photography. Would love to see more like this. What an awesome challenge in the top down shot was so good from row 420 editing was great And music was fire. Keep killing it boys.

[@danielhyrowich]

I edited this one FYI

[@ericmah8137]

I really love the way you're using the insta360 to capture this type of footage. You're providing viewers with a point of view that some of us would never be able to experience on our own. Keep up the amazing work!

[@christopherlopes6933]

Jared - You've really stepped up your game! I love these videos and the behind-the-scenes footage! Absolutely, F'ing amazing. This is what separates you from the crowded KZbin photography channels. Great job!!

[@djswannyswan]

Picture of Bohm sliding and getting tug at home is suppppper crispy

[@cadmus777]

Baseball is a great game to test out a lens like this I think. Everything is contained in specific spots that don't change, the teams rotate constantly many many times, and It goes forever so you've got time to wander from spot to spot. I don't know any other sports that could have possibly given you that many different looks with a 1200-2400mm lens! Great video, thanks!

[@TimBrownie]

Those poor shadows, they didn't even see that +100 coming..

[@Lephz]

This lens is basically like 15 gold chains on a new and up coming rapper, but you've actually got the skills to go with it.

[@ChaseHirt]

Love the shots from the 420 section especially! So creative, love the perspective

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

That lens is insane. And for $20K, it should be. Great job with the Insta 360 capturing the environment.

[@TexMex421]

You can stack the teleconverters, but you'll need to add an extension tube between them and may loose infinity focus. Super cool video.

[@alanm.4298]

I agree... In fact I've done it with Canon 1.4X and 2X, although it was on a 500mm f/4 lens and the image quality left a lot to be desired. A 10 or 12mm extension tube between the teleconverters is all that's needed. I don't know about the 1200mm, but my 500mm would still focus to infinity with the two TCs and the small tube between them.

[@Yoda716]

I would love this to take pictures of birds. I use a 150-600mm on the R7 and I am literally always at 600mm (960mm eq.) and it’s still not close enough. In Wisconsin most of the birds are small (~3” tall),so even if you are close they are small in the frame.

[@2OXX]

you can always crop

[@fmitterb]

Looks like quite some fun. However, what I noticed using my 600mm for wildlife/birds: The problem for me so far was not the lens, but warm air and steam rising from the ground and making the image kinda blurry. Especially when using the 2x extender to get 1200mm.

[@froknowsphoto]

It’s natural. That’s heat vapor and why the lenses become useless if the heat is rising.

[@cubo7420]

shoot at sunset or sunrise

[@dotta4763]

You’ll see the haze in cold weather too. There’s always gonna be moist on the air

[@cubo7420]

@@dotta4763its alot less then

[@Frantzis.g]

who tf asks "are you hydrated" 😂😂😂 0:34

[@elinolasco1019]

Someone who knows he’s carrying heavy equipment up and down stairs and might not be thinking about hydration since he’s focused on getting the shots.

[@aswiftadventure9140]

I have a challenge for you I would like to see you make a comparison with the 800 mm F 11 with the Tele converter and see if you can replicate and get the same shots with only using a $1200 set up between the lens and the Tele converter opposed to a $20,000 lines

[@zachsteiner]

The aperture would be too small at that point, wouldn’t work. F16 would result in too much defraction and it would give autofocus problems.

[@anatolicara8313]

this lens will be great for people who shoot aviation, you are able to get up and close while keeping so much detail at great lengths

[@Russellsouthey]

This is superlative! Well done Jared. You've out done yourself with this video. I enjoyed your deep dive into the your experience with this lens. Your brutal honesty is refreshing and your views are balanced. This is fantastic work. Thank you.

[@mylegsasleep1934]

This might be one of the best videos you guys have put out. Great work on this one.

[@SamoScopom]

Great edit, those TV shots and commentary really give it another layer

[@stevensmith5442]

This is now my favorite video! Awesome work!

[@General_Mills_]

It actually looks quite compact and usable. Nikon made a 1200-1700 f5.6-8 zoom in the early 90s and it weighed 5x as much lol

[@zachcobbs93]

The shots done in section 420 looking straight down at home plate are definitely my favorite shots and uniquely different.

[@SALZVIZION]

The Alec Bohm shot was awesome. I like the shot from the 3rd baseline was spectacular. Great work as always

[@Meth0z]

daangg.. that home plate shot of the runner and the catcher is soooo good!

[@wpherigo1]

Jared - super work! Now you need a sports pack like: Batter Up, it’s a Steal, Home run, Touchdown, First and Goal…. You’re welcome.

[@FATALiTYo]

That top down shot of Bryce from the 400 section was pretty neat to see

[@Ernoburger]

My favorite picture is probably the one at 10:14 from the 4th level. Unusual perspective and looks great.

[@howardpatterson5327]

You did good. Thanks for the time you put in your video’s. It shows how much you like teacher others how to shoot better.

[@lukezacharias3245]

This is so cool to see paired with the mlb broadcast!

[@RussVerbofsky]

Wildlife photographers would love this lens. Try photographing a 3" tall bird or grizzly bears (how close do you want to get)

[@brucegraner5901]

When I was a working press photographer I'd cover the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Double-A team. If I worked quickly during the first inning I had enough light to push my Canon to almost 2,000mm's and shoot over the shoulder of the pitcher to photograph the batter swinging on each pitch. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford the Canon 1,200mm lens but I was still able to get the shot by using my Canon SX60hs bridge camera before switching to much shorter full-frame glass as the lights came on. It worked:)

[@02b6a4]

Can't wait to see your upcoming Canon 1200mm vs iphone 16 1200mm comparison test.

[@DoctorORBiT]

I think THIS is the type of content you excell at, and it's perfect for "reviewing" any type of camera gear (while you work, or after) :P

[@mattorrz759]

The final home run shot was brilliant ⚾️👏👏👏

[@permolity]

This is fun to watch, would love to watch more of this style in the future

[@kenjiburtley2088]

Thank you Jared for your review on this lens. Amazing lens!

[@fy7589]

Hey Jared, what do you think would be a better choice? A really super high resolution full frame sensor body like 100mp or something and using a wide aperture 400mm lens and digitally zooming from the lcd to monitor the focus and cropping later on versus this incredible setup? Like an F/4 400mm prime lens since it'd let 4 times more light in, I could probably use 3200 iso instead of 12800 and even handhold the thing without a monopod while also using slower shutter speeds to decrease the iso even further down. But I'm not sure if there's any 100mp sensor camera that can handle high iso as good as the R3 or similar stacked sensor bodies. I'd appreciate any recommendation and technical information.

[@bryandaniels4754]

WOW! I appreciate you putting the "in view" of the camera before the actual shot. With my ISO up at 12800 I get wayyyy too grainy of pics but I only have a Z50. Nice shooting!!

[@danncorbit3623]

That lens is for wildlife shooters. And extremely rich people who want something crazy. Even though it has incredible reach, it's not for astrophotography (since $20K will buy a really nice telescope that will outperform it). You have demonstrated that it can be used for sports, but I think you will agree that a faster 600mm lens will be better for most purposes. There are many photography genres that need not even be mentioned as unsuitable (but for example portrait shooting). Even in wildlife photography, the real answer is almost always "get closer" because you will get a better image. But sometimes you simply cannot get closer, which is where this lens would be useful. I would never buy it, but I might rent it (e.g. for an African safari). Even for sports, I think baseball is pretty much the only mainstream sport where it would have any use. Basketball is right out, and football has a smaller area of play than baseball. With NASCAR, the cars are going too fast for f8. So my conclusion for the use of this lens is 1) Niche lens for wildlife 2) Rich people who just like expensive stuff and have money to burn. I imagine there may be some use I have not thought of.

[@gary4739]

"..Not sure what you would use them for.." Well, I bought four and use them for coffee table legs. 🤭

[@MichaelNatrin]

Love that shot of Harper from up in the 400s. Great video.

[@Ernoburger]

Wow, the details in these shots are amazing, considering where you are standing! I couldn't believe it when you switched back and forth between your position in the stadium and the resulting shots. Granted the extreme wide angle of the camera in your position shots may exaggerate the distance, but still.

[@CalTek]

May be tight with the 1200 but as a hockey photographer I LOVE the results you are getting with those shots. Nicely done Jared.

[@martinsarre]

Here is a serious challenge for you Jared... Try same again with the z800mm F6.3 pf + 1.4 teleconverter on Z8 at 20 frames, RAW. This is my current gear for wildlife photography. Maybe sharper detail due to the higher megapixel sensor, so I think it may perform better that the gear you were using in this video.

[@Stego86]

I managed to hand hold that lens with 2x TC on an R7, 3840mm with AF...just crazy :D

[@Meth0z]

BRUUH !! Dead center field is CRAAAZY GOOD!!! omg!!

[@DaylightDigital]

The center field shots especially were great

[@idol031808]

Steven: one of your best! You could make cropped jpegs look great.

[@danielhyrowich]

I edited this one

[@mike_s_media]

That was pretty damn cool! Being a Sony shooter (a1) IF Sony offered a 1200mm I think I'd opt for the 600mm f4 and crop. But I could definitely see a lens like this excelling at wildlife photography!

[@IanHobday]

Considering this lens is the Canon EF 600/4L IS iii with a 2x TC + flange adapter permanently built into it, it's not far off what you are thinking of doing on Sony. It's pretty disappointing that Canon fallen to this level (both the RF 800/5.6 and RF 1200/8 are done this way), considering things like the EF 1200/5.6 from days gone by.

[@alansach8437]

@@IanHobday The 1200 5.6 was a massive lens over $100,000.00. They only made a handful of them, all custom made to order. Most were bought by the US government as I recall. This lens is far more realistic.

[@IanHobday]

@@alansach8437 I used to own a used camera equipment business here in Japan. I actually bought and sold a Nikon 1200-1700/5.6-8, and looked at & tested a Canon EF 1200/5.6, though I opted not to buy it. I'm not suggesting Canon should make another 1200/5.6 but the current 1200 is an embarrassment to what Canon used to be as a company. They could at least make a real 1200/8 instead of adding a 2x TC to their EF 600/4. Same with the current 800/5.6, it's just an EF 400/2.8 with a 2x TC. This is not the same Canon that made the original 50/1L, or the amazing leaded glass 85/1.2L, or the 200/1.8L. These new lenses feel like poor hack jobs which is so disappointing.

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

What a cool video. I just kept imagining the kind of wildlife shots you could get with this 🦌🦅🐻

[@mattorrz759]

Those high shots were pretty cool! Looked like drone shots 🤙

[@noamiller6073]

10:11 this shot is so badass!

[@credos97]

Is that lens something else than a 600 F4 with a 2x built-in teleconverter ? A comparison between the two would have been relevant ...

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

if you put a small spacer between the two extenders like a 12mm macro-ring you'll be able to use both extenders in series

[@redauwg911]

Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED lens from 1990

[@davideastham]

Awesome to see this Jared. Makes me miss my 500mm even more.

[@TheTensecondz]

I wish Jared compared and showed the cropped version of 600 F4 shot with the native 1200 F8 shots.

[@anthonyhershko]

Amazing as always!! Looking forward to the Maverick Helicopter video!

[@zachjack]

Man, Fro, you are shooting better and better every year.

[@faliqsyazni2552]

after for sooooo long you not make review video like this... finallyyy.. hahah please do more video like this jared

[@joca1378]

3:06 the first words could be the start of a rap song

[@ecmjr]

Wow! Very inspirational! I need to go out and shoot more. I have the Canon RF 800mm so I have no excuse. Wonderful video!

[@littleshaman1803]

I was interested in the lens at all. But you Fro are exceptional! Love the creative whatever review you do 💪

[@Photonees]

i was surprised you used "Enable Profile Corrections" at this high ISO, this causes in LR very bad fringing/circles on the whole image, especially when pushing clarity, which I also think you did. Check out this image at 3:57 at the sand on top and you will immediately see it. This is why I hardly use it (on High ISO images) and also some of the the other shots, at around 4:17 Others have it also, but less noticeable. 4:23 is very prominent again and the follow-up images.

[@WayneLLC]

How about a 20k lens drop test challenge 😂 really love those top-down ish shots, giving an unique perspective.

[@heyitsterry]

that lens is the guy she says to not worry about

[@OmarSpence]

Use the 2x teleconverter with it on an R7... Do it!... Do it!

[@magarity1]

Jared needs the old EF 1200mm f5.6 for more light and lower ISO. That can take an RF mount adapter. The hard part is having two assistants to carry it around the stadium. Funny that he mentions it but also says they weren't used at baseball games. There is at least one of those that was used a lot at a stadium in Japan.

[@okaro6595]

That s a beast. It weights 16.5 kg when this is 3.3 kg. It also costs half a million.

[@toejamr1]

I have a 600f4 and I’d never lock myself into 1200f8. That’s for very specific jobs. The teleconverters for the 600f4 are insanely sharp.

[@voetenlikkerijnl2222]

canon event,,, definitely a master builder🌊

[@chrisguli2865]

Would love to see some moon shots with that lens, and also with 2x/1.4x.

[@andrewelder2739]

These are CRAZY great shots! The ones of Harper pointing after the home run are incredible, but are you SURE you wouldn't want to crop that one?? It's pretty high, with lots of empty space above him :D

[@riparianlife97701]

My two Sony bodies, two Sony GM zooms, Sony 200-600, Mavic 3 drone, Mavic pro remote, Manfrotto tripod and two Godox flashes cost $16,000.

[@ChuckBruton]

Really great video coverage, well done !

[@PizzlesTechTime]

Just realized that your intro music sounds a lot like in HBO after dark episode... Lol It suits you I like it

[@Michael_Butler]

This lens is for National Geographic wildlife photography. Like NatGeo buys it, loans it to their best wildlife photographer and they use it. Maybe there is a baller enough wildlife photographer that can afford this, and buy it. Or millionaire hobby wildlife photographers. 😅 But you did a great job using it. Have you ever had photos used for baseball cards @Jared?

[@bensaunders616]

Terrific video, though as a Braves fan, a few painful memories. Whoever edited it did a masterful job. The center field and upper deck perspectives were super. Love following Harper's eyes.

[@jasyamaha]

Excellent work. The shot at 22:18 says it all. I think this lens is well suited to a news agency where it can be used once in a blue moon by everyone.

[@rustystuff]

Love to have a day out photographing that, how awesome!!

[@myownalias]

This lens would be great for astrophotography, particularly for getting close-up detailed shots of the moon and other celestial bodies, but $20k is a little too pricey for me, so I guess I'll have to make do with my Sigma 400mm on my 80D crop sensor camera.

[@Melooka]

at that price you could just get a telescope with camera mount adapter

[@jamessutton9319]

Thanks Jared. Another very interesting video. Keep up the great work.

[@SimplyBirding]

I would use that lens a lot for bird photography.

[@TakingTheMike]

It is very interesting seeing you experiment using an extreme lens on a familiar baseball game. Thanks for the great content!

[@brianrendon7947]

Also at 20:11 that pic gives some Akira anime vibes. From the cover

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

Time for the green giant.

[@HeathBlythe]

The ISO banding after the distortion correction is just awful as when I first discovered it in my first month with the R3.

[@SignalMan9292]

I film trains alot and this lens would allow me to see the drivers of the trains miles before my location.

[@FQ8]

Would like to see a comparison of this lens vs the 600 F4+2x TC...not that I expect you or anyone to carry these lenses to a ballpark!

[@jaimeduncan6167]

I wonder if Canon is preparing a new 1200mm. The amount of noise in some of the images (not Polin fault) makes me wonder if one will not be better with f4.0 and cropping on a high MP camera.

[@alansach8437]

Not sure, but in my experience cropping after the fact, especially 50% or more, is never as good as shooting with a longer lens. Plus, if you shot at 1200, you COULD crop that, bringing you in even tighter.

[@joesaraceno6217]

You should be able to double stack the teleconverters with an extension tube.

[@3sari3]

Tip :if you want good photos hold the button that shot the photos I forgot what name it’s

[@goat2503]

I could see this being a great walk about lens.

[@thobert1]

Love the different angles and perspectives. Something a daily press photographer can't/wont do because they need to get, " The Shot" that the feed is expecting.

[@rvboondocker2559]

Hey, I gotta say those close-up shots with the 1200 mm look like baseball cards! What a great idea?