Canon releases firmware updates for 5 telephoto RF lenses

[AlanF]

Rolling shutter is non-issue for wildlife when using a mechanical shutter. If you're shooting baseballs coming off Ohtani's bat, you may have issues. If you need faster framerates and are using the electronic shutter to get there, different story of course.

As for me, I'm waiting for the Sigma 500/5.6 price to drop here in Japan. The initial price is about $2700+tax here, I expect it will drop to around $2300+tax by the end of the year. I'm not in a rush. I vastly prefer compact primes over zooms, to the point that I only own one zoom currently, a 100-400.

The Sigma 500/5.6 and the Nikon 600/6.3 both compare well against the $12k ~ $13k 600/4 lenses. You lose a stop of light but not the IQ. You can tell yourself what you wish about the 100-500 but there's no way it actually compares like that.

The A7R5 has a maximum fps in mechanical shutter mode of only 10 fps - if that's good enough for you, that is fine. However, I would recommend when you go over to Sony that you go for the A1 - it's the one up there with the Z8 and R5 for high resolution action and birds in flight.

The Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 has been extensively reviewed and compared with the 500mm f/5.6 PF lens https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-z-600mm-f-6-3-vr-s The 600mm is slightly less sharp in the centre, 3303 on IMATEST vs 3332. As I mentioned before, I have owned both and shot extensively with the Nikon 500mm PF and the RF 100-500mm at the same time and compared them carefully on the D850 and R5 with charts and in the field and posted the results on CR - see for example https://www.canonrumors.com/forum/t...vs-400mm-do-ii-on-r5.39813/page-3#post-921356 They are nearly indistinguishable wide open at 500mm. You haven't owned either, just a 100-400mm, so your comment "You can tell yourself what you wish..." is rather inappropriate as well as being a bit rich. DO/PF technology does have its pluses, but it does lose out a bit on IQ and is weaker against the light because of the zero-order diffraction.

 

[AlanF]

Rolling shutter is non-issue for wildlife when using a mechanical shutter. If you're shooting baseballs coming off Ohtani's bat, you may have issues. If you need faster framerates and are using the electronic shutter to get there, different story of course.

As for me, I'm waiting for the Sigma 500/5.6 price to drop here in Japan. The initial price is about $2700+tax here, I expect it will drop to around $2300+tax by the end of the year. I'm not in a rush. I vastly prefer compact primes over zooms, to the point that I only own one zoom currently, a 100-400.

The Sigma 500/5.6 and the Nikon 600/6.3 both compare well against the $12k ~ $13k 600/4 lenses. You lose a stop of light but not the IQ. You can tell yourself what you wish about the 100-500 but there's no way it actually compares like that.

ps, I have dug out the measured sharpness of the Sigma 500/5.6 on websites that do IMATEST.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/sigma-500mm-f56-dg-dn-os-sports
On the 61 Mpx A7Riv, the Sigma at f/5.6 gives 3,900 lines, which is less than the Sony FE 200-600mm with 4,000 lines at 600mm f/6.3. The Canon RF 100-500 on the 45 Mpx R5, gives 3700 at 500mm f/7.1, which upscales to 4300 at 61 Mpx, https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/canon-rf-100-500mm-f45-71-l-is-usm So, according to PC Mag, the Sigma prime isn't as sharp as the two zooms.
Consistent with this, Digital Camera World in their tests finds the Sigma prime on the 61Mpx Sigma fp L to be just under 2000 lines
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/...super-telephoto-prime-thats-easy-to-live-with and the RF 100-500mm at 500mm on the R5 to be 2100 lines, https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/canon-rf-100-500mm-f45-71l-is-usm-review which scales up to 2440 lines at 61 Mpx.
Elsewhere, the Sony 200-600mm is 2250 lines throughout its range. Again, the zooms beat out the prime you are going to wait for.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Would be nice to have more viable options from Canon for dawn and dusk that are competitive with Nikon, and that’s the gist of my frustrations.

If f/7.1 is too slow, is f/6.3 or f/5.6 fast enough? That seems an unsupportable position in terms of real-world use. If you need meaningfully faster than the RF 100-500, you need an f/4 lens. What f/4 lenses in Nikon’s lineup are superior to Canon’s equivalents? I sincerely hope your statement about a lack of, “…viable options from Canon for dawn and dusk that are competitive with Nikon,” is not based on a 1/3- to 2/3-stop difference.

Personally, I’m quite happy with the performance of my 140-420mm f/4 (100-300/2.8 w/ TC) and adapted 600/4 II for dawn/dusk shooting.

 

[AlanF]

If f/7.1 is too slow, is f/6.3 or f/5.6 fast enough? That seems an unsupportable position in terms of real-world use. If you need meaningfully faster than the RF 100-500, you need an f/4 lens. What f/4 lenses in Nikon’s lineup are superior to Canon’s equivalents? I sincerely hope your statement about a lack of, “…viable options from Canon for dawn and dusk that are competitive with Nikon,” is not based on a 1/3- to 2/3-stop difference.

Personally, I’m quite happy with the performance of my 140-420mm f/4 (100-300/2.8 w/ TC) and adapted 600/4 II for dawn/dusk shooting.

Dawn is too early for me, and dusk is a good time for a drink so no worries.

 

[tron]

Dawn is too early for me too (unless it is too late ) but dusk is a good time. There are so many opinions and as long as we are civilized at each other all is well. In fact Alan is not only civilized but very helpful too. He has made great suggestions to me (Also, Neuro always responds to technical/gear questions).

I feel more comfortable with my D850 + 500mm PF (my goto lens especially for flight photos and ones that demand quick response).

If I can carry more I get my R7 + 100-500 and R5 with 14-35. I also used to use R5 + 100-500 + 2X for the very distant targets. 100-500 is a phenomenally sharp lens.

I wonder about Z8/600PF combo but it is rather expensive and it would compete with D850/500PF. Choices...