Side by side
Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM vs Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
358 positive (82%) · 52 mixed (12%) · 25 negative (6%)
Trust + time weighted: +76%
AI summary — not a quote
The Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is highly regarded as a high-value, entry-level telephoto lens that exceeds expectations for its price point. Users frequently praise its lightweight design and surprisingly fast autofocus, which is capable of tracking small, quick subjects like insects and birds. While it is considered a 'dream team' lens for hobbyists on a budget, its narrow maximum aperture (f/8 at the long end) presents significant challenges in low-light conditions, leading to grainy images or lower keeper rates in overcast weather.
Pros
- Excellent value for the price, often cited as the best budget telephoto for the RF system.
- Remarkably lightweight and compact, making it ideal for travel and handheld use.
- Fast and capable autofocus that can handle challenging subjects like dragonflies.
- Sharpness is generally good, often outperforming older EF-mount equivalents.
Cons
- Slow maximum aperture (f/8 at 400mm) limits performance in low light or indoors.
- Image quality can become soft at the 400mm focal length.
- Performance degrades significantly in overcast or rainy conditions, resulting in high ISO noise.
- Reported issues with image quality degradation when using UV filters.
Top excerpts
The RF 100-400 is a light and (relatively) cheap tele.
It's oddly faster and cheaper than the RF 100-400 while theoretically keeping a good autofocus speed and IS, so there must be a catch, right?
I've heard good things about the RF 100-400. It's not that fast but the autofocus is good and it has IS.
I feel like selling it to get a 100-400 would make more sense, since those lenses fill a similar role.
I'd go with the rf100-400
Canon RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
59 positive (76%) · 14 mixed (18%) · 5 negative (6%)
Trust + time weighted: +73%
AI summary — not a quote
The Canon RF-S 18-150mm is widely regarded as the premier 'all-in-one' travel lens for Canon's APS-C mirrorless system. It is frequently recommended as a significant upgrade over the basic 18-45mm kit lens, offering a versatile zoom range, surprising sharpness for its class, and a compact form factor that pairs well with smaller bodies like the R50.
Pros
- Highly versatile 'Jack of all trades' zoom range for travel and general use
- Significantly sharper and more capable than the 18-45mm kit lens
- Extremely lightweight (310g) and compact for the focal range provided
- Good performance for close-up photography
Cons
- Narrow maximum aperture (f/3.5-6.3) limits performance in very dark scenes
- Insufficient focal length and speed for dedicated sports photography
- Limited to APS-C (crop sensor) cameras
Top excerpts
The 18-150 is an RF-S lens which can only be mounted on crop sensor (APS-C) cameras; the 24-105 f/4L is a full-frame lens which can be mounted on any R-series camera.
What is recommend is the 18-150 if you can find a kit with that.
By contrast, 18-150 is surprisingly small, pretty much an ideal lens for travel/general use, and a near perfect match for R50.
Being able to put rf-s 18-150 on it for versatility is great
For me, 18-150 is R50’s natural companion lens. Small, light, sharp and amazingly flexible.