For a lens whose manufacturer claims no weather resistance whatsoever, my 600mm f11 has already withstood a good bit of rain. But every time I adjusted the stratospheric ISO today, I couldn’t help but think of how much better it would be if I had glass that was faster by a stop or two.
Had I not grabbed the RF 1.4X extender last week, I probably would have already sourced a 100-400mm IS II and EF extender, both of which I’ve owned, shot with extensively, and found to capture superb images in almost all shooting situations. Knowing that f/10 (RF 100-500mm+1.4X) has resolution limitations even on the EOS R, even the rave reviews it gets haven’t completely put the older glass out of my mind.
Meanwhile, several of the less scrupulous local online dealers are claiming to have the RF 100-500mm in stock, offered either at full retail or as much as 25% over full retail. Fair market, you say? NO. When pressed, every single one of them so far has admitted they have no ready stock. But, hey, once they have your money in their pocket . . .
Anyway, shooting in steady rain got the ISO all the way up to 25,600 (useable only for an ID shot), and the image below was taken at ISO 10,000, well beyond what I would use for print unless the critter happened to be a rare endemic.
With monsoon season in full swing until the beginning of next year; and with critters a bit more active, I have to make some choices soon, not the least of which is finding some weather-resistant glass.
