Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM vs Canon RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ

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RF 1200mm F8L IS USM compared with RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ

	CanonRF 1200mm F8L IS USM	CanonRF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ
Overview
Released
Released	May 2022	June 2026
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	1,200 mm	20–50 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/8	f/4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/64	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	Twenty-six elements in eighteen groups	13 elements in 11 groups
Special elements
Special elements	Two fluorite elements, one Super UD and one UD element	Two glass-moulded aspherical and three UD elements
Coatings
Coatings	Super Spectra and ASC; fluorine coating on the front element	ASC and Super Spectra; fluorine coating on the front element
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Maximum f/8; minimum f/64	Constant maximum f/4, minimum f/22 throughout the range
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine circular blades	Nine aperture blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	Full-frame diagonal 2°05′; horizontal 1°45′; vertical 1°10′	Horizontal 84°–40°, vertical 62°–27° and diagonal 94°–46° on full frame
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Canon RF	Canon RF
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras	Canon EOS R cameras; full-frame image circle; power-zoom control from camera body or remote devices depends on compatible model and firmware
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	RF 1.4× gives 1680 mm f/11 with 0.41× magnification; RF 2× gives 2400 mm f/16 with 0.60×; AF and IS operate with either extender	Canon RF extenders not compatible
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	4.3 m	0.24 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.29×	0.33×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Ring-type USM; electronic full-time manual focus requires compatible body settings; original EOS R, RP and Ra are unsupported, and R5/R6 require firmware 1.3.0 or later	Nano USM autofocus; full-time manual focus; maker rear-focus design retains length during focusing
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	4.3 m minimum focus; full range, 4.3–30 m and 30 m–infinity limiter settings; three manual-focus speeds and two stored focus presets	–
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	0.29× maximum magnification; approximately 241 × 161 mm subject fills a full-frame image at minimum focus	Maker maximum magnification 0.14× at 20 mm or 0.33× at 50 mm; no AF/MF mode specified in the table
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Four-stop optical IS with EOS R, R5 or R3 under CIPA yaw/pitch conditions; modes 1, 2 and 3	Maker six-stop optical IS or combined camera/lens eight stops at centre and corners under CIPA-2024, at maximum focal length with its specified camera; not guaranteed in every shooting setup
Video features
Video features	Aperture control in 1/8-stop increments; power-focus mode with two speeds selected by playback-ring rotation	Internal multi-speed power zoom and optically suppressed focus breathing; zoom ring switches between powered and conventional manual operation
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	52 mm	67 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	168 mm	79.9 mm
Length
Length	537 mm	98.4 mm
Weight
Weight	3,340 g	420 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Focus and playback rings, AF/PF/MF selector, focus-speed and preset switches, and four lens-function buttons	Customisable control ring, focus ring and zoom ring; PZ/MZ selector, custom button, AF/MF and stabiliser switches (Digital Camera World; ePHOTOzine)
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zoom/focus keeps barrel length fixed; ePHOTOzine describes conventional mechanical manual zoom, while Digital Camera World's prose calls it fly-by-wire; no silent choice between those reviewer descriptions
Filter detail
Filter detail	52 mm drop-in screw-type holder 52 (WIII), supplied with a clear Protect filter; compatible with optional drop-in polariser and gelatin holder	67 mm front screw-in filter thread
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with heat-reflective paint	Dust and moisture resistant with mount gasket; maker warns camera attachment is required and protection cannot prevent all dust or water ingress; no waterproof/IP rating inferred
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	168 mm maximum diameter × 537 mm length	Approximately 79.9 mm maximum diameter × 98.4 mm length
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 3,340 g excluding the tripod collar; Canon Japan states the collar weighs approximately 160 g	Approximately 420 g lens
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	Supplied tripod collar and support foot	–
Lens hood
Lens hood	ET-160 (WIII) included; shorter ET-160B optional	ES-73B; maker lists E-67 II cap, Lens Dust Cap RF and LP1219 pouch as accessories
In the box
In the box	Lens, drop-in screw-type filter holder 52 (WIII) with 52 mm Protect filter, E-185C cap, RF dust cap, ET-160 (WIII) hood, LS1200 soft case, Lens Wide Strap B and user manual	–
Release detail
Release detail	First sale in Japan on 26 May 2022, stated by Canon Japan support; the original announcement promised late May	Canon Japan's 11 June 2026 notice confirms first sale from 26 June 2026, resolving the earlier late-June launch wording