Last update (Jan 29, 2010): Scott Bourne’s Mini Review of the Canon 800 f5.6L.
This post is a compilation of Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens professional and user reviews, owner opinions and comments on quality, reports and experiences, tests, conclusions, ratings and feedback.
Full attribution is given by linking to the source and where available, the author’s homepage or photo gallery.
Scott Bourne’s Mini Review of the Canon 800 f5.6L
Mr Bourne has been testing the lens on the new Canon 1D Mark IV, and writes:
It’s actually lighter than Canon’s 600 F/4 IS and every bit as sharp. It weighs less than 10 pounds and is made of magnesium alloy. Oh yeah did I mention it’s sharp? Edge to edge, corner to corner this baby is SHARP! At f/5.6 it’s amazing. At f/8 it’s only marginally better – actually not worth mentioning. To get top-quality sharpness wide open on a lens of this size is quite something. Color me very, very impressed. Oh yeah, and there’s no distortion. The color is very neutral. The 800 offers great CA and almost no flare to speak of.
Canon’s EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM; Super Telephoto Power — Review at Shutterbug
Stan Trzoniec, the reviewer, was fortunate to have this lens and the Canon EOS 1D Mark III and be able to take the combination to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland.
Stan concludes:
Canon’s new EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with Image Stabilization is a much needed product for the working pro and serious amateur photographer. The lens handles beautifully; all digital captures were crisp with more than adequate contrast. In sum, it opens the doors to images I could only dream about years back.