The Canon RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM appears to be getting closer [CR3]

Canon Rumors Guy · Aug 17, 2022

One of the most requested super telephoto lenses for the RF system is a Canon RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM. The Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM has been discontinued for quite some time.
We have been told that Canon has prototypes out in the wild and that the lens is a ground-up redesign of the focal length.
The source claims that weight has been reduced by almost 40% and the length by as much as 30% over it’s EF predecessor, though they didn’t have the exact dimensions and weight to give us.
Weight savings in lenses is something Canon has been pouring a ton of R&D into, and this revelation shouldn’t shock us.
We can reportedly expect to see the Canon RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM some time in the first half of 2023.
Keep a close eye on the sidelines of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November.
More to come…

neuroanatomist · Aug 17, 2022

Excellent news for me, especially with a CR3 rating.

I am definitely in the market for a 300/2.8. Literally a few minutes ago I looked them up on MPB and KEH. I'll be pre-ordering the RF version.

whothafunk · Aug 17, 2022

Would prefer 120-300 2.8 or something similar. Either way, unfortunately going to cost a fortune.

swkitt · Aug 17, 2022

Hell that would be only 1.5kg! So I guess I'm not ordering this 100-500 yet!

wsmith96 · Aug 17, 2022

I love my EF 300/2.8 II - looking forward to seeing the RF version.

Hector1970 · Aug 17, 2022

This is what I hate about Canon. I have the Ef 300mm 2.8 II. It’s a really good lens. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best Canon lens. Very happy to use it with an R5. No intention of buying an RF version (expecting same lens with a permanent adapter attached). Then Canon come along with an RF version that’s shorter and lighter. Please please please let the image quality be worse or I’ll be tempted by it. How could it be lighter and shorter. It was already reasonably light.

EOS · Aug 17, 2022

Would love to see an RF 300mm f/2.8 designed from the ground up to take advantage of mirrorless in terms of weight and size (vs. simply bolting an RF mount onto existing EF designs and jacking up the price, like the RF 400 f/2.8 and RF 600 f/4).

mbike999 · Aug 17, 2022

A modern, lighter 300/2.8 is a dream, please let this be true.

Bob Howland · Aug 17, 2022

whothafunk said:
Would prefer 120-300 2.8 or something similar. Either way, unfortunately going to cost a fortune.

I would prefer a 200-500 f/4 or better yet a 200-500 f/2.8-4. I own an EF 300 f/2.8 L IS and found that I was constantly installing and removing teleconverters. With or without them, the lens is superbly sharp. I also own a Sigma 150-600 Sport which I use more than the 300.

mbike999 · Aug 17, 2022

Bob Howland said:
I would prefer a 200-500 f/4 or better yet a 200-500 f/2.8-4. I own an EF 300 f/2.8 L IS and found that I was constantly installing and removing teleconverters. With or without them, the lens is superbly sharp. I also own a Sigma 150-600 Sport which I use more than the 300.

I have to imagine that type of lens is coming eventually. The 200-400/4 is almost 10 years old.

Emyr Evans · Aug 17, 2022

Wow - that would be a 1400g lens - same weight as the 100-500mm.

DO?

Blue Zurich · Aug 17, 2022

neuroanatomist said:
Excellent news for me, especially with a CR3 rating.

I am definitely in the market for a 300/2.8. Literally a few minutes ago I looked them up on MPB and KEH. I'll be pre-ordering the RF version.

Since you mentioned this yesterday and voila it shows up today with a CR3, I will be compiling a lens list for you to chime in with

Skyscraperfan · Aug 17, 2022

It will be interesting to see how well it will work with teleconverters. The exciting part is that the optical formula is new unlike the the formulas of the really long lenses.

neuroanatomist · Aug 17, 2022

Emyr Evans said:
Wow - that would be a 1400g lens - same weight as the 100-500mm.

DO?

I hope not DO. That doesn't make lenses much lighter, although it does make them shorter.

neuroanatomist · Aug 17, 2022

Blue Zurich said:
Since you mentioned this yesterday and voila it shows up today with a CR3, I will be compiling a lens list for you to chime in with

Maybe I was the 'source'.

Juangrande · Aug 17, 2022

Bob Howland said:
I would prefer a 200-500 f/4 or better yet a 200-500 f/2.8-4. I own an EF 300 f/2.8 L IS and found that I was constantly installing and removing teleconverters. With or without them, the lens is superbly sharp. I also own a Sigma 150-600 Sport which I use more than the 300.

I personally prefer primes lense over zooms every time regardless of the inconvenience.

mxwphoto · Aug 17, 2022

Hector1970 said:
This is what I hate about Canon. I have the Ef 300mm 2.8 II. It’s a really good lens. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best Canon lens. Very happy to use it with an R5. No intention of buying an RF version (expecting same lens with a permanent adapter attached). Then Canon come along with an RF version that’s shorter and lighter. Please please please let the image quality be worse or I’ll be tempted by it. How could it be lighter and shorter. It was already reasonably light.

The lens being shorter part, who knows as there is physics limitations unless if you go DO or multiple crazy aspherical light yoga elements. But the weight reduction has been expected ever since 2018 when the 400 2.8 iii came out. Image quality will likely be amazing, but similiar to the mk ii as it is already near perfection; perhaps better corners. Coordinated IS will likely boost things up to 7 stops of shake reduction.

I for one will be looking forward to the used mk ii price drop once the RF comes out.

Steve Balcombe · Aug 17, 2022

This is great news - the EF 300/2.8L IS II was probably the best lens I've ever owned. But "best" wasn't best for me - I found myself using it with the 2x most of the time and eventually switched to a 500 - and that's what I'm really waiting for. A ground-up redesign of the 500/4L IS II would be very exciting. If it was DO and had a built in 1.4x... but now I'm drifting off into fantasy...

Maximilian · Aug 17, 2022

Canon Rumors Guy said:
... weight has been reduced by almost 40% and the length by as much as 30% over it’s EF predecessor
...
Weight savings in lenses is something Canon has been pouring a ton of R&D into, and this revelation shouldn’t shock us.

But I'll guess that the price increase of over 40% will shock us, won't it?

But I really hope that they can also do something in IQ over the excellent EF predecessor.

Maximilian · Aug 17, 2022

swkitt said:
Hell that would be only 1.5kg! So I guess I'm not ordering this 100-500 yet!

Go, order the RF100 - 500!
Otherwise get prepared for a price of about 7k+x $.
So you should be able to get at least 2 RF100 - 500 for its price

And it is still at least one year to go... and think about the pics you'll miss until then

The Canon RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM appears to be getting closer [CR3]

Canon EOS 40D

I post too Much on Here!!

EOS RP

EOS M50

Advancing Amateur

EOS R

EOS

EOS M6 Mark II

EOS R

EOS M6 Mark II

EOS M6 Mark II

The artist formerly known as slclick

1D X

I post too Much on Here!!

I post too Much on Here!!

EOS RP

R6 and be there

Too much gear

The dark side - I've been there

The dark side - I've been there

Similar threads