The Ultimate DREAM LENS Shootout | Do Version 1 Lenses Still Hold Up? | 600mm Battle!

Amazing sharpness, great details, beautiful out of focus backgrounds. That's what these remarkable lenses promise to deliver. But which one is the best of the bunch? Do you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a brand new 600mm lens or can you get a bargain & still get stunning results?
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Dream Lens!
0:32 The Contestants
0:52 Image Quality
1:38 Image Stabilisation
3:46 Autofocus
5:27 Teleconverters
7:59 Weight & Handling
10:02 Which one is Best?
10:24 The Risks of older lenses
11:36 Best Value for Money
12:28 Piece of Mind
13:15 What's Next!?
13:49 Zoom vs Prime
14:19 Sony & Nikon

[simon_dentremont]

Thanks Jan. I just picked up the RF 600 and for sure it’s weight and handholdability are amazing!

[DaneASmith]

Hey Jan! Excellent review! Your note about spare parts availability is spot on and one was one of the major factors that led to me going with the EF version 2. As a note for you (or anyone else that's interested): I called Canon Pro Services to ask when they expected the spare parts / service end of life to be for the version 2 and they told me it would be around 8/31/2025. While that isn't close, it's definitely something to be cognizant of. Hope that helps!

[texmex]

Thanks so much for this. I have a EF 600mm F4 IS II and the the two VIII extenders, which makes for a Wonderfull set. I use them with an R3. Recently I purchased an RF 2X extender with a modified adapter. The claim was this offered some sharpness over the 2X VIII, but I did not see any improvement, and the Meta data no longer shows the teleconverter. It does however make possible shooting at 2400mm using both 2X extenders. Not very practical, but a bit of fun.

[AtaBoraBasar]

I have the canon ef 300mm f/2.8L IS USM II lens. I can say this much. Canon has achieved optical perfection in versions 2 of the 300, 400, 500, 600, 800mm lenses. In the following versions, it made minor coating additions and improvements especially for weight reduction. Also, another example, there is no difference in optical quality between the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II and III. The only difference is the Air Globe Coating (ASC).

[fy]

Maybe this will sound crazy but I have a speedbooster adapter from metabones for EF lens to RF body. And that's why I'd probably go with the EF version 3 because believe it or not, once the speedbooster is attached, it produces a sharper image, I'd want to have a 412 mm F2.8 lens too therefore the EF version 3 will probably be the best for me but I'll have to test both and see of course and I'm not sure if anybody will let me test those since those lenses cost a fortune but that's like a next year thing for me. Great video by the way because as far as I can tell, nobody has made this comparison with all the versions.

[TheWildlifeGallery]

I just recently purchased the V2 Lens and have it adapted to my R5 - While very heavy, I'm blown away with the difference in image quality and sharpness of this lens over the 100-400 v2 Lens I was shooting, it is well worth the money, as you said half the price of a new V3 or RF version.

[geoffn]

The Canon 600II was my first super telephoto and I loved that lens and used it for 6 years. I've borrowed the 600III and 600RF from Canon and both are great because of the weight savings. But I agree the 600II had a little something special with the IQ.
I now use the Sony 600GM as my main lens (also own the 400GM). It is right on par with all the Canon lenses but balances better in the hand than the 600III/RF. The Canon lenses are just a little bit more front heavy and it is noticeable when shooting them back to back as I did during my time testing the latest Canon lenses. One interesting thing I found is the Canon III/RF has slightly more magnification than the 600GM even when shot at distances closer to infinity. Sony is fudging the focal length a bit more than Canon.
But all of this is nitpicking as any of these lenses are amazing.

[travishenry]

Great video, love the comparative analysis. I’ve used an R5 with a 100-400 L with adapter for years and loved the setup. But I recently purchased the RF 600 f/4 and I’m blown away by its sharpness and clean backgrounds. I run the R5 600 combo on a monopod now for good mobility. Good technique is necessary to ensure everything in the image is in focus especially with water birds with longer bills. But, the sharpness of the lens is truly incredible.

[wellingtoncrescent]

Awesome review, and timely, as someone offered me an EF IS -1 today, and I was tempted 😊. Thanks, too, for mentioning the issue of focus breathing, which is often ignored with these long telephotos.

[MarkReese]

Super helpful rundown of all the Canon 600mm versions, thank you! 💯

[DanBetty]

I picked up that flex shooter and I love it. Also got a deal on a used EF 600 III. I would have preferred the RF but would have cost me $3, 000 more. I am very pleased with the 600.

[jeffolson]

Really nice video with great information. I wouldn't have thought about spare parts for older lenses. It makes a lot of sense but I bet that is something a lot of people miss while in search of a good deal.

[GlennBartley]

Lot's of great info here. Very comprehensive and honest assessment of the options out there.

[fpl]

I don’t have the 600 but the 500 L IS version II. It had a little less reach but is smaller and easier to take photos from hides.

[dglatz]

One other benefit for EF 3 lens if shooting video on RF mirrorless - you can get Variable ND via the RF-EF mount adapter. There are other ways to get ND for video but this is the cleanest solution I’ve seen shooting RF mirrorless.

[jasyamaha]

That was truly a dream review. While I have an R3 and a 100-300mm for work, a 600mm lens will always be a out of reach but at least now I know the fine differences between them. I did use the version 2 for a day at the tennis a decade ago and I'll never forget just how good it was.

[przybylskipawel]

One upside of using EF lenses on RF bodies is that you can use adapter with drop-in VND filter. It is great for video. However if you need to use VND then perhaps you don't need f4 prime lens and you can go with f6.3 zoom instead anyways.

[axelhildebrandt]

Great summary, Jan! I went from an EF500 to RF600, which is not only 1.7 pounds lighter but also works amazingly well with the 2x converter. The only thing I had to get used to is the shallower DOF.

[mikebrownhill]

Thanks Jan - this video is very useful for me. I'm still using an EF mark 1 600mm but I'm planning to upgrade soon. The Mk1 has served me well - but it's starting to bother me. I've recently injured my shoulder so hand holding is out of the question as this lens is VERY heavy. Even before my injury I couldn't hand hold it for more than a few seconds and I'm not a weak man. Also, the autofocus is slow and the IS isn't great. I was thinking of getting the EF Mk3 but after watching your video I think I'll go the whole way and get the RF version because of your recommendation regarding teleconverters. I don't like that the RF version has no control ring but I do use teleconverters and if I can squeeze a bit more image quality by going RF then that's going to clinch it for me. Now my only problem is telling my wife that I'm about to drop £13, 000+ on some chunks of glass...!

[deekelly]

Great lens review Jan. I have great respect for you and having had the privilege of shooting with you and using your EF600 II, I dreamt of owning that lens, but the weight was just too much for me to seriously consider it. However, I was extremely fortunate to find possibly the only RF600 in Melbourne shortly afterwards and I bit the bullet and bought it. It now lives almost permanently on my camera. You will remember what I look like, so that will give you an idea of how manageable this lens is. I use it primarily with a monopod and have no issues carrying it around at all. It is a dream lens and I love the focal length limiter which I use often. It is really thanks to your advice that I bought it, and I haven't regretted that decision for one minute. 👍