Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens Announced

Canon has announced a new RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens designed with pro users in mind, well at least those with very deep pockets since it costs a whopping $9,499.00 US dollars.

Canon claims that by exceeding the reach and potential of traditional 70-200mm lenses, and adding zoom flexibility to its Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS predecessor, the RF100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM lens brings new value to customers.

Despite a wide zoom range and a maximum reach of 300mm, Canon says that it is “unusually lightweight” and is “barely heavier” than the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II, a lens designed for DSLRs.

Well the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II weighs in at around 2350g and the new 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM at 2650g, so there is indeed only a 300g difference between the two lenses.

The 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM features a constant wide aperture of f/2.8 and is constructed of 23 elements arranged in 18 groups, including one fluorite element, four UD elements, and one aspherical element.

There’s a nice-bladed circular aperture diaphragm and an aperture range of f/2.8 through f/22. The minimum focusing distance is 1.8m (5.9 ft.) at all focal lengths.

The in-body optical stabilization system offers up to 5.5 stops of correction that can be increased to six stops when paired with EOS R series cameras featuring In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS).

2 Nano USM focus motors help to achieve outstanding image quality throughout the focusing range, from infinity to close-up thanks to 2 focusing groups that are independently actuated.

Both the 1.4x and 2x extenders are supported.

On the lens body you’ll find a dedicated, programmable control ring, with click-stop operation.

The lens measures approx. ø5.1 in. x 12.7 in. (ø128mm x 323.4mm) and weighs approx. 93.5 oz. / 5.8 lb. / 2650g.

The Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens will retail for $9,499 in the US and £11,499.00 in the UK. It’s expected to start shipping towards the end of May 2023.

You’ll find some sample images on Canon’s website.

Lens Images

Key Specifications

Optical Specs
Lens Mount	RF Mount
Focal Length	100-300mm
Maximum Aperture	F2.8
Minimum Aperture	F22
Minimum Focusing Distance	1.8m (5.9 ft.) at all focal lengths
Maximum Magnification	0.06x (at 100mm); 0.16x (at 300mm)
Field of View	Approx. 566mm × 376mm (22.3 in. x 14.8 in.) at 100mm Approx. 222mm × 149mm (8.7 in. x 5.9 in.) at 300mm
Angle of View (Diagonal)	Approx. 24° – 8° 15′
Lens Construction	23 elements in 18 groups
Special Elements	(One) Flourite element, (Four) UD elements, (One) Aspherical element
Aperture Blades	9
Lens Coating	Canon SSC (Super Spectra Coating), Flourine coating, ASC
Filter Size Diameter	ø112mm (accepts screw-in filters); no rear drop-in filters
Image Stabilization	5.5 stops correction with in-lens Optical Image Stabilization (6 stops Coordinated IS with EOS EOS R5 and similar IBIS-equipped models)
Canon RF Extender 1.4x/2x	Compatible
Dimensions (Maximum Outer Diameter x Length)	Approx. ø5.1 in. x 12.7 in. (ø128mm x 323.4mm)
Weight	Approx. 93.5 oz. / 5.8 lb. / 2650g

Early Reviews

Here’s a collection of early reviews. Unfortunately there aren’t too many available right now but hopefully we will see more published over the coming weeks.

Gordon Laing

B&H Photo

Wex Photo

Outdoor Photo