Canon

RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM

Canon's flagship telephoto zoom for the RF system — the RF 100-500mm reaches further than any comparable professional zoom at launch, pairing L-series optical quality with five stops of IS and fast Nano USM AF. On APS-C RF bodies it extends to an effective 160–800mm equivalent — extraordinary reach for wildlife photographers. The most capable telephoto zoom in the Canon RF catalogue, and compatible with Canon's 1.4x and 2x extenders for reach beyond 1000mm.

Starting from
£2799 new
Average price across retailers: ~£2999
Available at 3 retailers
✓ Available at 3 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only
RetailerPrice
Amazon
Amazon
New
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eBay
eBay
New
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Wex Photo Video
Wex Photo Video
New
Check on Wex Photo Video →
Core
Released
2020
Aperture
f/4.5-7.1 (variable max aperture)
Compatible Mount
Canon RF
Dimensions
93.8mm diameter × 207.6mm length
Weight
1530g
Weather Sealed
Yes
Performance
AF Motor
Dual Nano USM — fast subject tracking with Dual Pixel CMOS AF
Optical IS
5-stop IS (up to 6 stops combined with IBIS on compatible bodies)
Burst Rate
N/A
Battery Life
N/A
Optics
Min. Focus Distance
90cm minimum focus distance
Viewfinder
N/A
Screen
N/A
Memory Cards
N/A
Connectivity
N/A

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GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre
Wildlife
9.0
Sports & Action
9.0
Landscape
7.0
Great For
🦁
Wildlife 500mm L-series reach with IS — birds, safari, and any distant wildlife subject. Extender compatibility extends reach further.
Sports & Action Dual Nano USM subject tracking handles fast-moving sports subjects from 100mm to 500mm.
🏔️
Landscape Telephoto compression at 500mm isolates mountain subjects — IS makes handheld landscape shots viable.
⚠️ Not Ideal For

No significant limitations identified — this is a versatile camera without obvious weak spots for most shooters.

📝 How suitability scores are calculated Scores reflect the aggregated consensus from verified purchaser reviews across tracked UK retailers, weighted by photography genre tags applied by reviewers. This is community opinion — not GearFrame editorial assessment.
Price History — RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
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