Canon RF 600mm f11 IS STM Lens Overview

The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM lens is a super-telephoto prime lens that’s designed to capture far-away subjects like wildlife and sports. As a beginner photographer, this lightweight and affordable lens gives you the reach to photograph distant animals, birds in flight, athletes on the field, and more.

At 600mm, the lens has a very narrow field of view which makes small, far-away things appear much larger and closer in your photos. This allows you to fill the frame with subjects like birds that would normally be tiny dots in the distance. The ‘IS’ refers to image stabilisation which helps reduce blur from camera shake when handholding the camera. This makes it easier to get sharp shots.

With an f/11 aperture, you can let in enough light for daytime photography while blurring backgrounds softly. This draws attention to your subject. The aperture stays fixed at f/11 so you don’t need to worry about changing it, just point and shoot. The ‘STM’ focusing motor means the lens silently and smoothly focuses on subjects – perfect for not startling wildlife.

As a compact super-telephoto lens that’s easy to handhold and carry around, it opens up creative possibilities that larger professional lenses don’t offer. You can capture frame-filling shots of distant animals and athletes without needing a tripod or monopod to support a heavy lens. It’s great for beginners starting in wildlife, bird, sports, and action photography.

Weighing only 930g, the lens is light enough to use handheld for a whole day of photography. The fixed aperture and focus motor simplify shooting by removing complicated aperture and focus controls. So you can concentrate more on composition and capturing the best moment.

With its incredible 600mm reach in a highly portable and affordable package, the RF 600mm F11 lets budding photographers easily tackle subjects previously very challenging to photograph without professional gear. From backyard birds to your kid’s soccer games, it’s a versatile lens to fuel your passion for wildlife and action

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Key Features:

• Lightweight 930g design
• 600mm super-telephoto prime lens
• Compact retractable barrel
• 5-stop optical image stabilisation
• STM focusing motor for smooth AF
• Close 4.5m minimum focus distance
• Fixed f/11 aperture
• Compatible with RF mount cameras
• Affordable super-telephoto pricing

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens User Benefits:

• Easy handholding for extended shooting
• Incredible 600mm reach for distant subjects
• Highly portable super-telephoto package
• Sharp handheld shots and stable video
• Silent autofocus performance
• Unique close-ups of wildlife and action
• Soft background blur for subject isolation
• Leverage RF mount technology features
• Great value way to reach distant subjects

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Features In Detail

Incredible 600mm Telephoto Reach

The standout feature of this lens is the incredibly long 600mm telephoto focal length, which provides an extremely narrow field of view ideal for photographing distant subjects. The powerful level of magnification lets you fill the frame with far-away animals, birds, athletes and more, allowing you to capture frame-filling shots you wouldn’t normally be able to achieve without heavy and expensive professional super-telephoto lenses.

Lightweight 930g Design

Weighing just 930g, the RF 600mm F11’s lightweight and portable retractable design is uniquely suited to handheld super-telephoto photography. The compact size and low weight allow you to comfortably carry and shoot with the lens for extended periods. This lets you react quickly to capture wildlife and sports action and makes it easy to travel with.

5-Stop Optical Image Stabilisation

The RF 600mm lens is equipped with 5-stop optical image stabilisation that steadies the viewfinder image to enable sharp handheld shots. This makes it more practical to photograph at the 600mm telephoto focal length without needing a tripod or monopod to avoid camera shake-induced blur. The stabilisation also helps smooth out video recording when filming distant moving subjects.

STM Focusing Motor

The virtually silent STM autofocus motor has been optimised for both stills and video use. It provides quick, smooth and near-silent autofocus that suits photographing easily disturbed wildlife, as well as preventing focus noise from being picked up in videos. Full-time manual focusing is also available for fine-tuning focus.

Close Focusing to 4.5 Metres

While specialised for shooting distant subjects, a minimum close focusing distance of 4.5 metres allows unique perspective when photographing nearby wildlife, birds, plants and objects – bringing out fine details not normally noticeable. Compared to other super telephotos, this versatility expands creative possibilities.

Fixed f/11 Aperture

The bright f/11 aperture strikes a balance between providing enough light for viewfinder brightness and autofocus operation, while still enabling softly blurred backgrounds to isolate subjects. The fixed aperture removes the need to adjust it during shooting – one less thing to worry about.

Compact Retractable Design

When not in use, the RF 600mm F11 lens retracts to just 219mm long for easy storage and transportation. This compact form factor suits carrying in camera bags and backpacks when on the go. Quickly extend to shooting position with a simple twist of the barrel – no need to fumble with attaching segments. Weather sealing also adds protection when shooting outdoors.

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Compatibility

The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens is compatible with the following Canon EOS R series mirrorless cameras:

• EOS R
• EOS RP
• EOS R5
• EOS R6
• EOS R3
• EOS R5 C
• EOS R7
• EOS R8
• EOS R10
• EOS R100
• EOS R50
• EOS R6 Mark II

Photography Styles For The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM lens:

• Wildlife Photography – Lightweight enough to trek with for hours and 600mm range lets you isolate and capture skittish animals from afar before they notice you.
• Sports Photography – Discreet so players won’t notice you on the sidelines, whilst 600mm reach picks out all the emotion and action up close across the field.
• Bird Photography – Compact size you can wield all day as you track flighty subjects across the sky, filling frames with beautiful details not visible to the naked eye.
• Safari Photography – Easy for planes and jeeps with 600mm to reach spot-shy predators miles away, whilst fast STM AF keeps pace with scenes quickly unfolding.
• Aviation Photography – Swiftly ascends skyward views keeping fast jets and soaring gliders framed up thanks to a rotating tripod collar and bright daylight aperture.
• Astrophotography – Incredible magnification isolates celestial bodies and stabilisation prevents star trails during long exposures on nights.
• Action Photography – Reveal motocross high-flying feats, surfers riding barrels and parkour athletes’ gravity defiance from a distance through the super telephoto field of view.

The RF 600mm F11’s unmatched combination of mega magnification in a handholdable package makes photographing distant wildlife, aircraft in flight, heavenly bodies and outdoor athletes more easily achievable than ever.

What We Think The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Review

The RF 600mm F11 IS STM offers incredible super telephoto reach at a truly affordable price point. For capturing subjects like birds, wildlife, sports and action handheld from afar, no other current lens delivers the same combination of focal length, stabilisation, portability and value for money.

While the aperture is slower than higher-end telephotos, the image quality, autofocus and stabilisation performance still excel for outdoor daylight use. When the light dims, high ISOs maintain speedy shutter speeds to continue leveraging the extraordinary magnification power.

Despite compromises like the fixed aperture and plastic construction keeping size, weight and cost down, the optics and focusing systems are very competent. When your priority is the easy-to-wield super telephoto capability on a budget, nothing else compact can surpass this for action-packed handheld shooting.

RF system owners wanting to add powerful magnification should give the diminutive RF 600mm serious consideration. It redefines what’s possible shooting subjects from a distance without professional budgets or Sherpa assistance in the field. For bringing distant action up close at home or away, it’s our compact telephoto of choice right now.

What’s in the box

• RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens
• Lens Cap E-82II
• Lens Dust Cap RF
• User Manual Kit

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Sample Images

Product Specification Of The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens FAQ