Canon launches RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens

Canon has launched the RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, a fast telephoto lens for the company's full-frame RF mount.

The new glass weighs in at 2.59kg, 190g heavier than Canon's EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM fixed lens, and has a minimum focusing distance of 1.8m with a 0.16x maximum magnification.

When matched with Canon's RF 1.4x extender the zoom range is equivalent to a 140-420mm f/4 lens, while Canon's RF 2x extender can be used to produce a 200-600mm f/5.6 lens. 

On the exterior, a control ring allows users to assign often used functions like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation, plus a new customisable Lens Function/Focus present button (L.Fn) can be customised as the user sees fit.

The lens features dust and weather seals, as well as fluorine coatings to allow the outer element to be easily cleaned.  According to Canon, the same heat-shield coating introduced on the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lenses have been used for the exterior of the RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM, and this is now standard for all RF super telephoto lenses going forward. 

The lens has a 9-blade circular aperture and uses one fluorite lens and four UD lenses to help correct chromatic aberration, while a moulded glass aspheric lens is used to ensure high resolution from the centre to the edge of the image.

In addition, an In-built Image Stabilizer mechanism, based on the IS systems found in Canon’s other L-series super telephoto lenses is capable of 5.5 stops of stabilisation, which increases up to 6.0 stops when combined with a camera body with In-Body Image Stabilisation.

According to Canon, the system can even detect when a tripod is used, turning off the IS automatically. 

Autofocus is powered by Dual Nano USM motors, with the two focusing groups controlled independently. 

The RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM ships with a matching ET-124 lens hood, lens soft case (LS100-300) and lens cap. No local pricing has been confirmed, but in the US it will retail for $9,499 ($14,133 AUD).  The lens will be available in Australia from May.