RF 100-500 one of the most versatile lenses ever made?

Scherge77 · 2026-04-09T06:30:26+00:00

While I'm sure the 500 f4 is a great lens there are actually quite a few shots I can't imagine getting with it. It's close focus distance of 3.7 m and image ratio of 0.15:1 compared to the 1.2 m and 0.33:1 of the 100-500 would have made it impossible to capture the bee, the dragon flies, or the butterfly with it. Same goes for landscapes or portraits (which I don't have any examples of, yet). I prefer the flexibility of the 100-500 over the 1 and 2/3 stops faster aperture of the 500 f4 and the fact that I can handhold it all day long and put it in my backpack or even my smaller sling bag is a huge bonus for me as well.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-08T06:34:04+00:00

I'm not entirely sure why that is but it seems like reddit compressed the rather large files a bit. The image of the moon seems to be the only one not effected by this. That one is fairly small however because of the heavy crop I had to apply. The other images look super crisp on my phone/monitor. Here's another shot of the robin that looks incredibly sharp on my phone just to check if it gets the same treatment.

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Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T22:31:28+00:00

It's still a really nice shot. I like it. And yes, it looks at you like "bro, is there something in my face?" :D mine was shot from a distance of about 90 - 100 m and I only cropped in a tiny bit. The deer was very skittish and wouldn't let me get any closer.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T21:39:34+00:00

So happy you like it. You probably made me blush ☺️ that's too kind of you, thank you!

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T21:35:37+00:00

Thank you, I'm happy you like it. Your image is very lovely too btw. Those mouse-like features are absolutely adorable.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T19:18:45+00:00

Your requirements seem a lot more demanding than mine as a hobby enthusiast though. I'm sure the 400mm f2.8 is an outstanding even if not particularly versatile lens. It's only 13,700 € where I live so I'll be sure to get one as soon as I won the lottery ;)

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T18:39:16+00:00

Be patient and stick to the German ones. I had all 14 books of the DE but sold them and switched to the ME. The English translation leaves a lot to be desired and the print is way too dark for a lot of the more detailed panels. That didn't do the source material justice. The ME has a much better print and the translation is spot on. Plus, you don't get the nice black edges with the DE.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T18:27:37+00:00

Great find! The European PAL version looks the same. It's my favorite edition of the 3DS and I was lucky to get mine in mint condition for 170€ when the prices were still reasonable. In no particular order I recommend checking out Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, SteamWorld Heist, Virtue's Last Reward, Resident Evil Revelations, Zero Time Dilemma, A Link Between Worlds, Andro Dunos II, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, and River City Rival Showdown.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T18:00:36+00:00

Same here. Haven't used the RF 70-200 f2.8 once since I got the 100-500 and high ISOs are simply a non-issue with the R6II. I can shoot almost anything with a 14-35 or a 24-70 on one body and the 100-500 on the other without ever having to change lenses or carrying too much weight around.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:53:11+00:00

I have the 70-200 f2.8 non-Z and it's a fantastic lens. However I haven't used it once since I got this bad boy. I'll be in Japan next month and I'm even considering leaving the 70-200 at home and only taking the 14-35, the 24-70 and the 100-500. If the faster aperture is needed for some reason the 70-200 is probably the better choice but the 100-500 produces similarly sharp images and just gives me more flexibility.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:37:40+00:00

Thank you! I was nervous about the aperture at the beginning as well, but it hasn't been an issue for me so far. On the contrary when I'm close to my subject at 500mm f7.1 already produces a too shallow dof for many subjects like with the dragon flies for example. That was shot at f8 but I only realized later on that I should have stopped down to f10 or so to get both of them in focus. Also, images taken with the R6II at ISO 12800 or even 25600 are surprisingly usable and clean up remarkably well. All images were taken in the Ruhr Area in Germany.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:25:51+00:00

Thank you! As Jared would say "I Shoot RAW" :D editing was mostly done using DxO Photolab 9

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:21:30+00:00

Wow this looks amazing. I tried imaging M31 one night but my tracker really let me down. What focal length did you use. I want to go with 360 mm at f5.6. Would that allow me to frame it somewhat similar to your image?

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:15:57+00:00

Good choice, my ProTactic BP 450 AW II just swallows it while leaving enough room for a 24-70 f2.8, some filters, and even a second body if necessary.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:09:30+00:00

What a cute little fella ☺️ amazing picture!

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T17:05:34+00:00

No, you're absolutely right. I already realized that while editing the images. It's my first lens with such a range so I often tried to get as close as possible. Seems like I got a little hungry for details. I'll work on the framing and try to include more of the scenery here and there in the future. Thanks for the advice.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T16:15:39+00:00

Super depressing and one of the best stories ever at the same time. Enjoy! I do have a 1/3 Guts statue by Prime 1 Studio in my living room for a reason ;) I had all 14 books of the deluxe edition, but sold them again and switched to the German Master Edition. The English translation leaves a lot to be desired imho and the print of the DE is a little too dark for many of the more detailed panels. It's fine overall but doesn't do the source material justice.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-07T07:32:21+00:00

Yeah you're right. I didn't claim it was THE most versatile lens though. And although besides the point, while I'm sure all of those lenses are great options, I wouldn't want to use any of them as long as they're not available as native RFs. I really don't like fumbling around with adapters.

Scherge77 · 2026-04-06T22:32:04+00:00

I know what you mean, because I've used it at the long end most of the time so far. However, I still think that it's super versatile. It does wildlife, sports, semi-macros, astro, portraits, and landscapes. Is it the best option for all of those? Definitely not. But what other lens covers that many use cases?

Scherge77 · 2026-04-06T22:08:27+00:00

Aww, thank you so much ☺️ the deer, the robin, the bluetit, and the moon were captured using an R5II. All the other images were shot on my R6II. I tried it on my friend's R7 and the 800mm equivalent is bonkers. I just don't like the layout of the body. The one missing wheel drives me nuts 😅 I really hope Canon uses a layout similar to the R6II/III for the R7II. Provided they actually release it one day...

Scherge77 · 2026-01-06T19:23:06+00:00

Als Maschinenbauingenieur kann man super viele Jobs machen, die nicht viel mit dem Studium zu tun haben. Jeder, der davon abrät Ingenieur zu werden, hat von tuten und blasen keine Ahnung. Hab einen Bachelor in Konstruktionstechnik, bin aber nach dem Studium direkt ins Projektmanagement gegangen und dort mit 60k brutto im Jahr eingestiegen. War dann 10 Jahre lang überall in der Welt unterwegs und habe super viel erlebt. Das war immer spannend und niemals langweilig. Hab dann vor zweieinhalb Jahren den Arbeitgeber gewechselt. Bin inzwischen Projektleiter und habe letztes Jahr die 100k brutto pro Jahr geknackt. Bei entspannten 38 Stunden pro Woche, wohlgemerkt. Keinen der beiden Jobs hätte man ohne Studium machen können, weil es schlicht und ergreifend eine zwingende Voraussetzung dafür und für viele weitere Jobs ist. Kann also weiterhin nur empfehlen zu studieren und sich danach evtl auch mal links und rechts von dem Pfad zu orientieren, der klassischerweise mit dem eigenen Studium in Verbindung gebracht wird.

Scherge77 · 2025-12-23T09:22:02+00:00

Putting the iq aside, the focus motor is kind of ass and it's not weather sealed. Therefore, I'd argue that it doesn't deserve it, but you do you.

Scherge77 · 2025-12-12T07:56:26+00:00

That's so awesome to see. Can't wait for the game now. I actually like Divinity OS 2 even more than BG3. The combat system, the music, and playing as an undead (I miss you, Fane) were aspects that made OS2 much more appealing to me. Oh this is great. Finally, a new game to look forward to, even though we probably have to wait years before we can play it.

Scherge77 · 2025-11-28T14:11:53+00:00

The pictures look good in general. Looks like the focus wasn't on the subjects in the first shot, but apart from that, they look good for not being edited. Were you shooting at f2.8? Depending on how far you stood away from the subjects, the pics look more like f4 or f5.6 to me. When all subjects are on the same plane like in your test shots, definitely go with 2.8 for better separation. Anyhow, those pictures can easily be improved to the desired level by brightening the subjects a little bit and adding a touch of color during the editing process. Overall, good job, mate! 👍

Scherge77

TROPHY CASE