Canon RF 1200mm F8L IS USM vs Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| CanonRF 1200mm F8L IS USM | CanonRF 800mm F11 IS STM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 2022 | July 2020 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 1,200 mm | 800 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/8 | f/11 |
| Minimum aperture | f/64 | f/11 |
| Optical construction | Twenty-six elements in eighteen groups | Eleven elements in eight groups |
| Special elements | Two fluorite elements, one Super UD and one UD element | Gapless dual-layer diffractive optical element |
| Coatings | Super Spectra and ASC; fluorine coating on the front element | – |
| Aperture detail | Maximum f/8; minimum f/64 | Fixed f/11 aperture; cannot be stopped down |
| Diaphragm | Nine circular blades | No aperture blades |
| Angle of view | Full-frame diagonal 2°05′; horizontal 1°45′; vertical 1°10′ | 2°35′ horizontal, 1°40′ vertical and 3°05′ diagonal on full frame |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Canon RF | Canon RF |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Compatibility | Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras | Canon RF mount for full-frame and APS-C EOS R cameras; EOS R, Ra and RP require compatible firmware |
| 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 | RF 1.4× gives 1120 mm at f/16 and 0.19× maximum magnification; RF 2× gives 1600 mm at f/22 and 0.28×. Canon lists autofocus and stabilisation as supported with both; performance depends on camera and light levels |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 4.3 m | 6 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.29× | 0.14× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Lead-screw STM autofocus; Canon states approximately 40% horizontal × 60% vertical AF coverage in its original EOS R compatibility notes |
| 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 | Minimum focus 6 m; full-range or 20 m–infinity focus limiter (Cameralabs) |
| Magnification detail | 0.29× maximum magnification; approximately 241 × 161 mm subject fills a full-frame image at minimum focus | Maximum 0.14× without an extender |
| Stabilisation detail | Four-stop optical IS with EOS R, R5 or R3 under CIPA yaw/pitch conditions; modes 1, 2 and 3 | Up to four stops optical stabilisation under CIPA testing with EOS R |
| Video features | Aperture control in 1/8-stop increments; power-focus mode with two speeds selected by playback-ring rotation | – |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | No |
| Filter diameter | 52 mm | 95 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 168 mm | 101.6 mm |
| Length | 537 mm | 281.8 mm |
| Weight | 3,340 g | 1,260 g (better) |
| Controls | Focus and playback rings, AF/PF/MF selector, focus-speed and preset switches, and four lens-function buttons | Separate manual focus and customisable control rings; focus limiter, AF/MF and stabiliser switches |
| Zoom design | – | Prime lens with a retracting storage barrel; extend and lock the barrel before shooting |
| 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 | – |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with heat-reflective paint | No dust or moisture resistance; no rubber mount seal (Cameralabs) |
| Dimensions detail | 168 mm maximum diameter × 537 mm length | 101.6 mm maximum diameter; 281.8 mm retracted length or 351.8 mm when extended for shooting |
| Weight detail | Approximately 3,340 g excluding the tripod collar; Canon Japan states the collar weighs approximately 160 g | Approximately 1260 g lens |
| Tripod mount | Supplied tripod collar and support foot | Built-in tripod mounting thread; no rotating collar (Cameralabs) |
| Lens hood | ET-160 (WIII) included; shorter ET-160B optional | Optional ET-101 hood; not included |
| 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 | Lens, E-95 cap, RF dust cap and user manual kit |
| Release detail | First sale in Japan on 26 May 2022, stated by Canon Japan support; the original announcement promised late May | July 2020 marketed month in Canon Camera Museum |
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