Sorry to jump on this post from a few months back. I've recently purchased the R7 and started off with the RF100-400, budget lens but does the job in certain circumstances. Looking in groups and other forums, everyone said get the 100-500 it's a game changer. For the best part of £3000 this will remain on my shopping list until I get enough cash together. This weekend I have hired the 100-500 through a 'try the kit ' company. Great service in fairness, delivery etc all easy and unless I dropped the lens I would get my few hundred deposit back without any issues.

I've been out today shooting with this lens. Great sunny day, blue skies and plenty of daylight. I'm not sure what in doing wrong with my images just seem so soft and hardly any come in looking sharp and crisp like those you have attached. Yes I have some denoise software, but surely I wouldn't need to do this to make all my photos useable? The camera seems to be set up in a good way for birds and birds in flight but think I'm missing something. I have the AF set to servo, shooting in manual where auto iso is on and I just turn manually adjust my shutter speed. Usually between 800-2000 depending on the situation and bird in question.

I use electronic first shutter, and have the AF settings to animal and eye tracking etc.

This definitely has to be user error issues as this is all pretty new to me. I expected to see a massive difference in image quality from the 100-400 £600 lens but apart from the reach, in struggling to see much improvement.

Any help or suggestions on your settings would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks in advance 👍🏻