Canon RF 100–500mm F4.5–7.1L IS USM vs Canon RF 75–300mm F4–5.6

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RF 100–500mm F4.5–7.1L IS USM compared with RF 75–300mm F4–5.6

	CanonRF 100–500mm F4.5–7.1L IS USM	CanonRF 75–300mm F4–5.6
Overview
Released
Released	August 2020	May 2025
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	100–500 mm	75–300 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/4.5–7.1	f/4–5.6
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/32–51	f/32–45
Optical construction
Optical construction	20 elements in 14 groups	Thirteen elements in nine groups; Canon states the optical design is adapted from the EF 75–300mm F4–5.6 III
Special elements
Special elements	Six UD elements and one Super UD element	–
Coatings
Coatings	ASC anti-reflection coating, fluorine coating and heat-shield barrel paint	Super Spectra; no fluorine coating
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Maximum f/4.5 at 100 mm to f/7.1 at 500 mm; minimum f/32 at 100 mm to f/51 at 500 mm. Digital Camera World's f/54 table entry is inconsistent with maker specifications and is not used	Maximum f/4 at 75 mm and f/5.6 at 300 mm; minimum f/32 and f/45 respectively
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine blades with circular aperture	Seven blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame horizontal 20°–4°, vertical 14°–2°45′ and diagonal 24°–5°	Full-frame diagonal 32°11′–8°15′; horizontal 27°–6°50′; vertical 18°11′–4°35′
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon RF	Canon RF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon EOS R cameras; full-frame image circle. Distinct from EF100–400mm F4.5–5.6L IS II USM and RF100–400mm F5.6–8 IS USM	Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras; 120–480 mm equivalent field of view on Canon APS-C
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	RF1.4× and RF2× compatible only with lens set to 300–500 mm; maker RF2× FAQ requires extension beyond 300 mm before attachment and restricts subsequent zoom operation to 300–500 mm	Not compatible with RF extenders (The-Digital-Picture)
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.9 m	1.5 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.33×	0.25×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Dual Nano USM autofocus with electronically controlled floating focus; full-time manual focus. Digital Camera World's initial EOS R action test preceded the firmware improvements it identifies, and its EOS R5 tracking test was substantially better	DC motor autofocus; no full-time manual focus override (Digital Camera World)
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Maker minimum focus distance 0.9 m at 100 mm; Photography Blog reports 1.2 m at 500 mm. AF/MF mode distinction unpublished and omitted	1.5 m minimum focus; front element and focus ring rotate during focusing (Digital Camera World and The-Digital-Picture)
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	Maker maximum magnification 0.33× at 500 mm; no unpublished AF/MF distinction inferred	0.06× at 75 mm and 0.25× at 300 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Lens optical IS rated five stops with EOS R at 500 mm under CIPA; coordinated EOS R5 body and lens IS rated six stops with required firmware, separately from lens-only rating	No lens optical stabilisation
Video features
Video features	–	Substantial focus breathing in The-Digital-Picture's test
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	–
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	77 mm	58 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	93.8 mm	71.2 mm
Length
Length	207.6 mm	146.1 mm
Weight
Weight	1,370 g	507 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Zoom and focus rings, customisable control ring, adjustable zoom torque, AF/MF switch, Full or 3 m–infinity focus limiter and IS on/off/mode switches	Manual focus and zoom rings, AF/MF switch; no custom control ring (The-Digital-Picture)
Zoom design
Zoom design	Extending zoom barrel; dimensions measured retracted	Extending zoom barrel; further extension and front rotation during focusing (Digital Camera World)
Filter detail
Filter detail	77 mm front filter thread	58 mm front thread rotates during focusing
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust and moisture resistant construction requires attachment to a camera; does not completely prevent dust or water ingress and is not waterproof	Canon UK's table lists dust/moisture resistance, but Digital Camera World and The-Digital-Picture both report no weather sealing
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Approximately 93.8 mm maximum diameter × 207.6 mm length, retracted	71.2 mm maximum diameter × 146.1 mm retracted length
Weight detail
Weight detail	Maker Japan gives 1,370 g excluding tripod collar, which weighs approximately 160 g. Photography Blog and Digital Camera World list 1,530 g with collar; UK store's unexplained 2,250 g conflicts with the complete maker table and is not used	Approximately 507 g lens
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	Removable rotating tripod collar, approximately 160 g; shown attached in the maker press photograph	–
Lens hood
Lens hood	ET-83F (WIII)	Optional ET-60 hood, not included
In the box
In the box	UK maker store lists lens, ET-83F (WIII) hood, E-77 II front cap, Lens Dust Cap RF and LZ1328 case	Lens, E-58 II lens cap, RF dust cap and user manual
Release detail
Release detail	Canon Japan's updated original announcement gives first sale 27 August 2020, consistent with Camera Museum marketed August. Region-specific retail day; exact UK first sale not inferred. Co-sold telephoto zooms are alternatives, with no inferred successor link	May 2025 release confirmed retrospectively by Canon's February 2026 press release and Canon Camera Museum