Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Super Telephoto Prime lens with Optical Image stabilization and 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
RF Mount cameras .
What type of photography is the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is a crucial decision factor. Below, we have assessed its suitability for various photography scenarios:
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is a member of Canon's RF L series of lenses. Below you can see the latest lenses in this series.
Canon RF L Series Lenses in Canon RF Mount
Reasons to Buy the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L from Amazon B&H PHOTO
Lens Mount
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is compatible with cameras that have a Canon RF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are Canon R6 V , Canon R6 III and Canon C50 .
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
The size and weight are crucial factors to consider when searching for your next lens. Canon RF 400mm F2.8L has a maximum diameter of 163mm and a total length of 367mm . It weighs 2890g / 101.9 oz .
Check the size of the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L when attached to RF Mount cameras :
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L has a Drop-in type filter holder with a filter thread of 52mm .
You can also check All Canon RF Mount Lenses with 52mm Filter Thread Size
Lens Cap
The Canon RF 400mm F2.8L ships with a bulky soft cover instead of a proper hard cap, which isn’t the most practical option in daily use.
For a more durable and convenient solution, check out our in-house designed Custom CamDec Lens Cap for Canon RF 400mm F2.8L CamDec Store .
Custom CamDec Lens Cap for Canon RF 400mm F2.8L
Focal Range
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L has a fixed focal length of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 640mm .
Teleconverter Compatibility
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is compatible with the Teleconverters below. With the use of these TC/extenders, you can find how the total focal reach and effective aperture of your Canon RF 400mm F2.8L changes below:
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L Focal Range and Aperture Change with Teleconverter
Weather Sealings
Weather Sealings of the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L
The Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L with a weather-sealed camera body such as the Canon R6 V , Canon R6 III and Canon C50 .
Optical Image Stabilization
The Canon RF 400mm F2.8L features an optical image stabilization system which helps to reduce the blur that occurs due to shaking during hand-held shooting. Canon RF 400mm F2.8L's stabilization system is effective up to 5.5 stops .
Tripod Collar
With a total length of 367mm and a weight of 2890g, the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is a large lens. Fortunately, it comes with a tripod collar which you can use to attach the lens directly to a tripod or monopod instead of attaching the camera. This connection helps to better balance the lens/kit combination.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.17x with a minimum focusing distance of 2.5m . 0.17x ratio is quite low, making this lens unsuitable even for modest close-up photography.
Below are the 3 Super Telephoto Prime type Canon RF mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios :
Aperture
The Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM features a maximum aperture of F2.8 and can be stopped down to a minimum aperture of F32. An aperture of F2.8 provides a solid balance, offering capable low-light performance and giving you plenty of flexibility when shooting indoors or during golden hour. The combination of a longer 400mm focal length and a bright F2.8 opening makes it incredibly easy to isolate your subject, melting away busy backgrounds into smooth, professional bokeh. The minimum setting of F32 is excellent for deep depth of field work like macro photography, though you may want to avoid the absolute smallest settings to skip the sharpness loss caused by optical diffraction.
Optical Formula
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L's optical formula consists of 17 elements in 13 groups . The following special elements are used in this design:
1 Super UD 2 fluorite elements Super Spectra ASC coatings Lens Hood
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos.
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L Lens Hood
Body Colour
Canon RF 400mm F2.8L is available in White color.
Here are the 8 most popular comparisons of the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Canon RF 400mm F2.8L Lens
In addition, it would be interesting to check which lenses from other mounts are most commonly compared with the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM.
Top Alternatives of Canon RF 400mm F2.8L in Other Lens Mounts
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