Buoyed by my little friend’s magical appearance yesterday, and eager to put fresh eyes on the RF 800mm, I headed out for an afternoon walk. Critters were scarce, in this land where bird “photographers” often seem to outnumber their subjects.
Not surprisingly, though, the lightweight bazooka was clearly sharper than the RF 100-400mm/2X combo. The zoom/TC combo handles easier and focuses a good bit faster, though. Factor in the one-stop difference and it’s just a matter of which it’s convenient to carry.
As I used the 2X only sparingly during my recent travels, I don’t feel that I shorted myself by not taking the much larger RF 800mm. Would a few shots have been sharper with the prime? Yes, with every certainty; and I’m plotting my packing as much as my gear lineup for whenever I next have the opportunity to escape this dot.
While size is a consideration for travel these days, the weight of the two lenses and two teleconverters is nothing to fret about, especially considering the range they cover in a competent to excellent manner. I have a funny feeling the team who designed the zoom and two slow primes quietly chuckle at the folks who shell out five figures for maybe five percent more optical quality.
If I’m wrong about that, well, ignorance is bliss!
