Canon RF 200-800mm

[Jeff WX1USN]

I have the RF 200-800mm, can't remember the exact f stops right now and too lazy to look it up.

But saw a warning from Canon Rumors regarding a possible design weakness, not optically but that some have been reported as breaking in half if they are mistreated or banged around.

So far my lens is fine and optically up to almost 750mm it is nice and sharp, at 800mm it is a bit softer or it may be me hand holding the lens all the time and not using a high enough shutter speed.

https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-rf-200-800mm-f-6-3-9-is-usm-design-weakness/

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

Cardinal in garden at 20 feet. Can you see me in the bottom floor den window? RF 200-800 at 800mm

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

R7 at the pond

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

I have the RF 200-800mm, can't remember the exact f stops right now and too lazy to look it up.

But saw a warning from Canon Rumors regarding a possible design weakness, not optically but that some have been reported as breaking in half if they are mistreated or banged around.

So far my lens is fine and optically up to almost 750mm it is nice and sharp, at 800mm it is a bit softer or it may be me hand holding the lens all the time and not using a high enough shutter speed.

https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-rf-200-800mm-f-6-3-9-is-usm-design-weakness/

Wow. That's bad. They say there are "multiple reports" of the lens breaking in two, so it's not just one freak occurrence then. Handle with care!!

It's a good performer. Great shots!

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

I have a question on the control/focus ring on the RF200-800. On my R6ii it works fine, when the AF/Control/MF switch is set to AF the ring focuses when turned, when set to control I have it set to change the AF method and MF is as it says Manual Focus.

With my R7 however, MF focuses manual as expected and "control" changes the AF method, BUT AF does nothing. For my other RF lenses I have the control ring set so it controls AV and they work fine but the 200-800 doesn't do anything when turning the control ring when the switch is set to AF.



Has anyone had this issue with this lens and the R7?

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

I have a question on the control/focus ring on the RF200-800. On my R6ii it works fine, when the AF/Control/MF switch is set to AF the ring focuses when turned, when set to control I have it set to change the AF method and MF is as it says Manual Focus.

With my R7 however, MF focuses manual as expected and "control" changes the AF method, BUT AF does nothing. For my other RF lenses I have the control ring set so it controls AV and they work fine but the 200-800 doesn't do anything when turning the control ring when the switch is set to AF.



Has anyone had this issue with this lens and the R7?

@Jan1977 Jan shoots with a 200-800mm lens. However, not on the R7 but he knows the lens and might have some idea.

I also found this lens guide. I'm including it here as a pdf. Might be helpful.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

@Jan1977 Jan shoots with a 200-800mm lens. However, not on the R7 but he knows the lens and might have some idea.

I also found this lens guide. I'm including it here as a pdf. Might be helpful.

Yes I have the same one, and while the instructions say it should work it doesn't on the R7 but it does on the R6ii.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Yes I have the same one, and while the instructions say it should work it doesn't on the R7 but it does on the R6ii.

Okay.

I looked at both cameras' user guides and the control rings on the lens can do the same things, so yeah, puzzling.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

Really weird I must have something set up wrong on the 200-800, in C1 C2 and C3 the control ring does the focusing and it does it in "P" although I never use that. In M it does nothing.
I normally use one of my 3 custom modes, almost all the time it is just this weekend I was using manual and that is when I noticed it. As I said it works with the R6ii but that has an extra dial setup (4 vs 3 for the R7). My other lenses such as the 100-500 have separate focus rings so not an issue.

I will have to spend some time comparing the two cameras side by side I guess.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Really weird I must have something set up wrong on the 200-800, in C1 C2 and C3 the control ring does the focusing and it does it in "P" although I never use that. In M it does nothing.
I normally use one of my 3 custom modes, almost all the time it is just this weekend I was using manual and that is when I noticed it. As I said it works with the R6ii but that has an extra dial setup (4 vs 3 for the R7). My other lenses such as the 100-500 have separate focus rings so not an issue.

I will have to spend some time comparing the two cameras side by side I guess.

The only time I used the control ring on the 100-500 was on the R7 as it had only the two dials. So I used the lens' ring for ISO, but that's it.