There are sports and wildlife lenses and then there are sports and wildlife lenses. And the Canon RF 600mm f/4 – one of the manufacturer's "big whites" – is a seriously powerful lens that enables professionals to squeeze every ounce of quality out of every last pixel.
Far and away one of the best lenses for wildlife, the Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM is designed for the best of the best – namely professional wildlife photographers, elite sports shooters and news agencies – where anything short of peak performance simply isn't an option.
This kind of performance comes at a premium, of course; the 600mm f/4 carries a hefty $12,999 / £13,409 / AU$19,999 price tag, which is almost as hefty as its 6.8lbs / 3.1kg scale-tipping weight.
We got our hands on the behemoth at The Photography Show, taking place at the NEC in Birmingham, England, on 17, 18 and 20 September. Initially launched to coincide with the release of the professional powerhouse Canon EOS R3, the 600mm f/4 is the first lens to feature a double power drive mechanism to support super-fast autofocus – namely the 30fps pace of the R3.
That said, it would be equally at home on the Canon EOS R5 or Canon EOS R6 with their 20fps burst shooting. Or of course, while it would be a bit incongruous mounted on a $1,499 / AU$2,000 camera, it would also perform brilliantly on the Canon EOS R7 – which matches the R3's 30fps shooting, but whose APS-C sensor gives this 600mm lens an effective 960mm focal length.
Offering up to 5.5 stops of image stabilisation, it keeps your shots rock steady even with its impressive reach. And between the f/4 aperture and the fantastic high ISO performance of Canon's EOS R system cameras, you can keep your shutter speed snappy and not worry about camera shake.
You can see the Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM yourself, in person, at The Photography Show, if you happen to be in England at this time. Or you can check out our live updates.
These are the best Canon RF lenses and the best Canon lenses. If you're just into long lenses, check out the best Canon telephoto lenses and the best 600mm lenses.
