What is the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM best used for?

Sports & Action, Wildlife, Wedding & Events.

How much does the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM cost in the UK?

The RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM starts from £3159 in the UK, available new at 2 retailers. Prices are tracked live on GearFrame.

Canon

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

Name: RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
Brand: Canon
Availability: InStock

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.

GearFrame's Take

Canon RF's definitive wildlife and birding lens — 500mm reach with L-series quality and IS that makes handheld shooting at extreme focal lengths genuinely viable.

Starting from

£3159 new

Used from £1929 (Wex Photo Video)

Available at 2 retailers

Check price at Clifton Cameras

✓ Available at 2 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only

RetailerPrice

New

Clifton Cameras

£3159

Check on Clifton Cameras →

Wex Photo Video

£3159

Check on Wex Photo Video →

Amazon

—

Check on Amazon →

Used

Wex Photo Video used

£1929

Check on Wex Photo Video →

Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.

Value & Depreciation

£2900

Launch price

→

£2799

Today

Value drop

Over ~6 years, this lens has cost roughly £17/year to own (buy at launch price, sell today). That's one of the lower cost-per-year lenses in its class.

Core

Released

2020

Focal Length

100–500mm

Aperture

f/4.5-7.1

Compatible Mount

Canon RF

Dimensions

93.8mm diameter × 207.6mm length

Weight

1530g

Weather Sealed

Yes

Optics & Focus

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)

Min. Focus Distance

90cm minimum focus distance

Select up to 2 cameras to compare against the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. It's always pinned as the baseline.

Select 1–3 cameras to compare

4 cameras compatible with the Canon RF mount.

GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre

Base score — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. Camera Match adjusts it for your skill level and priorities.

Portrait

6.4

Street

3.5

Travel

4.9

Wedding & Events

7.2

Filmmaking

4.9

Documentary

6.0

Sports & Action

8.0

Landscape

5.6

Wildlife

7.6

Casual

4.6

Food

5.9

Macro

6.1

Architecture

5.7

Underwater

5.8

✅ Great For

⚡

Sports & Action 8.0 Strong on autofocus, focal length and burst-speed support. Dual Nano USM subject tracking handles fast-moving sports subjects from 100mm to 500mm.

🦅

Wildlife 7.6 Strong on focal length, autofocus and optical stabilisation. 500mm L-series reach with IS — birds, safari, and any distant wildlife subject. Extender compatibility extends reach further.

💍

Wedding & Events 7.2 Strong on autofocus, optical quality and weather sealing.

⚠️ Not Ideal For

🌆

Street 3.5 Held back by portability and focal length.

📷

Casual 4.6 Held back by focal length and portability.

✈️

Travel 4.9 Held back by portability and focal length.

📝 How suitability scores are calculated GearScore™ genre scores are calculated from this camera's verified specifications — autofocus, sensor, weight, weather sealing and more — weighted by what matters for each type of photography. Where a spec sheet misses something (e.g. a manual-focus rangefinder for street), we apply a documented editorial adjustment. Scores are not based on customer reviews. See our full methodology →