The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM and the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 537mm. The Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM with a length of 432mm, is 105mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 168mm compared to the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM's 163mm diameter.
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Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM and Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM weighs 3140g, 5% (200g) lighter than the Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM's weight of 3340g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Canon RF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Canon RF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM and the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM and the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM has the same Canon RF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are Canon R100, Canon R8 and Canon R50.
Focal Range
Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 1200mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
1920mm.
On the other hand, the Canon RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 800mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 1280mm.