Year in Review: Super Telephoto Lenses

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Year End Review on Super Telephoto Lenses

Designed primarily for sports and wildlife photography, super telephoto lenses let you take advantage of long focal lengths, a narrow field of view, and shallow depth of field to fill the frame with distant subjects that are more isolated from the background. The narrow field of view also creates a compression effect, making the subject seem closer to the background than it is. With focal lengths that go past 200mm, super telephoto lenses may also be used for specialized portrait and landscape photography. Here are some of our favorite super telephoto lenses of the year.

Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM

Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM Lens
Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM Lens

Built for their R series of mirrorless cameras and the RF mount, the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM is a full-frame lens that covers an expansive zoom range of 200 to 800mm, which is ideal for situations where you can't get closer to your subject without compromising your shot. Although this lens has a variable aperture of f/6.3 to f/9 – meaning that as your focal length increases, your maximum aperture decreases and reduces the amount of light entering the lens – 5.5 stops of image stabilization help to offset this, which is especially useful if you're shooting handheld, or if you want to shoot at a lower ISO or longer shutter speed. A perk of a slower maximum aperture is that it allows for a more compact build and greater mobility, which is something you won't find in f/2.8 telephotos. Rounding things out are Canon's Nano USM drive system, a focus/control ring, two lens function buttons for greater control over settings and adjustments, three ultra-low dispersion elements, and a Super Spectra coating.

Sample images taken with Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM Lens

Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens

Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens (Nikon Z)
Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens (Nikon Z)

The full-frame Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD is available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts and covers a focal range of 50 to 400mm, making it an ideal choice for photographing landscapes, wildlife, sports, portraiture, and more. On the 50mm end, the minimum focusing distance is a mere 9.8", making it a suitable for closeup shooting with half life-size magnification, while a length of just 7.2" makes it the same size as conventional 100-400 zoom lenses. Also featured are a VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism for fast, quiet, and precise autofocus, and a VC (Vibration Compensation) system that helps reduce camera shake.

Sample images taken with Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens (Nikon Z)

OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens

OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens

Built for the Micro Four Thirds system and designed for bird and wildlife photography, the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens delivers a full-frame equivalent zoom range of 300 to 1200mm, which can be increased to 2400mm when used with a teleconverter. However, be aware that teleconverters reduce the amount of available light, so you'll need to compensate by opening the aperture, using a longer shutter speed, or increasing the ISO. While this lens does have a variable aperture of f/5 to f/6.3, this helps keep the size more compact, and lens image stabilization helps minimize blur. Also featured are various control switches, four Super ED and two ED elements, which help create sharper images with reduced chromatic aberrations.

Sample images taken with OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens

Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens

Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens
Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens

So far, we've looked at two telephoto zoom lenses with a variable aperture, but the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens features a fixed focal length of 500mm and a constant aperture of f/5.6. Available for Leica L and Sony E mounts, this lens is designed for sports, wildlife, and aviation. It retains a compact build with high-speed autofocus and 5 stops of optical image stabilization, including Sigma's Intelligent OS algorithm for effective stabilization when the camera is moved vertically or diagonally, regardless of its orientation. If you prefer, the aperture may be controlled using the integrated aperture ring with click and lock switches, while a built-in tripod socket helps to ensure that weight is distributed evenly when secured to a tripod.

Sample images taken with Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens

FUJIFILM XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens

FUJIFILM XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens
FUJIFILM XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens

The FUJIFILM XF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens is currently FUJIFILM's longest prime lens, offering a range of 500mm for X-series APS-C sensors, or a full-frame equivalent of 762mm, allowing it to bring distant subjects like sports, birds, and other wildlife into your reach. Its focal length, combined with a constant maximum aperture of f/5.6, offers sharp, continuous focus with good subject separation and blurred backgrounds. The lens is further bolstered by 5.5 stops of image stabilization, five extra-low dispersion elements, two super extra-low dispersion elements, a 9-blade diaphragm, a Linear Motor autofocus system, and weather sealing. For added reach, this lens is fully compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, which increase the focal length to 700mm and 1000mm respectively, although you'll have to compensate for the accompanying light reduction that comes with using teleconverters.

Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

Made for their E-mount cameras, Sony's FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens is a dream come true. Designed with a fixed focal length of 300mm, this prime lens features a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, which not only lets you work in situations with less available light, but also nicely blurs backgrounds to deliver the creamy, smooth bokeh that we expect from a lens of this caliber. While this lens performs beautifully at f/2.8, stopping it down to f/4 will help make out-of-focus highlights more circular. If you're concerned that a 300mm f/2.8 prime lens comes with heft and weight, don't be, as this lens weighs in at 3.2 pounds and measures 10.4" in length, making it lightweight and portable. Compared to Sony's FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS, this lens is around 50% lighter and 43% smaller.

Sample images taken with Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

This lens is also part of Sony's G Master series with Super ED and ED glass elements, Nano AR Coating II, a dual XD Linear Motor System, Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, weather sealing, a rotating tripod collar to easily switch between portrait and landscape orientations, and more.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens
Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens

Housed in a body that is 10.9" long and weighing 3.24 pounds, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens excels within sports, wildlife, and action photography. Half the weight of its predecessor, this lens is powered by a size-reducing Phase Fresnel element and delivers a fixed focal length of 600mm with a constant maximum aperture of f/6.3. The premium optical resolution of this full-frame lens is backed Nikon's Stepping Motor, a near-silent AF drive system, and 5.5 stops of image stabilization, with an extra half stop gained on cameras that support Synchro VR, such as the Zf, Z8, and Z9. In addition to using Z-series teleconverters to extend the focal length up to 1200mm, using this lens in DX Crop mode further increases the angle of view by 1.5x.

Sample images taken with Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Lens
Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Lens

Also made for full-frame Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameras, the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Lens caters to the demanding needs of sports and wildlife photographers with its compact and lightweight design. As with many zoom lenses, its maximum aperture varies between f/5.6 and f/6.3, while its minimum aperture goes between f/32 and f/36, but Nikon's optical Vibration Reduction (VR) system helps compensate with up to 5.5 stops stabilization. To provide sharpness across the entire zoom range, Nikon built this lens with six ED (extra-low dispersion) elements, a single aspherical glass element, and an FLC fluorine coating. Further enhancements include weather sealing, a rotating tripod collar, and a zoom ring that moves from 180 to 600mm in only 70º. If you'd like to get even more range out of this lens, it's compatible with Nikon's 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.

Sample images taken with Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Lens

There you have it. While this list certainly does not encompass all available super telephoto lenses, it provides a good overview of solid options that encompass sharp optics, a wide telephoto range, and user-friendly ergonomics for a wide array of lens mounts. If you have a favorite telephoto lens or feel we missed one, please let us know down below!

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