$499 for the 100-400!

As alerted in another thread, you can currently get the RF 100-400 for $499. I thought it was amazingly cheap at $599, but now I wish I'd waited! This is a great little (comparatively speaking) lens. I took it on a walk this morning on my R7, and it felt barely any heavier than the kit lens (18-150). A few examples:

My wife was running circles around me (I am nursing a slight injury, so just walking)

These guys were having fun chasing each other

On the lookout for the other one to chase

I think he spotted him

I didn't have the shutter speed quite high enough for the running squirrel, but I reprocessed that one using Topaz AI, with a bit of motion blur correction. It doesn't work miracles, but it does improve things a bit. This is the version run through Topaz:

Testing the tracking on a cyclist

I think this is the same woodpecker I spotted in my backyard last week (this is the front yard, at the end of my walk)

I love this lens. It pairs really well with the R7 (and the R). If you don't have it yet, and you live in the US, you should jump on it for $499.

Wonderful shots! I got mine for a little less than $499 at B&H used dept. Love it on my R7!

Yes, it's an amazing value at that price. I have written on this site before that this lens is much more valuable than its selling price would make one expect - wonderful image quality, just at smaller maximum apertures, but not so small as to pose any problems for a great majority of situations.

In my own situations, I have used it very well for personal nature imagery, a specialized type of architectural work, and a lot for symposia and conference work - capturing speakers at longer distances where otherwise it would not be possible or to enhance a certain perspective - and all of these with a very small and light, very fast auto focusing, and inexpensive package. Bravo Canon!

Agreed!  I have this lens and it works well on the R7.  And, as you said it's nice and light.  The 100-400 is nice when you don't want that extra weight.  At $499 it is a really good buy!

Thanks gossamer. Your shots look great. I notice that the first is by far the highest ISO (6400), but also looks the cleanest. Did you process that with Topaz, or DXO (or both)? Whatever you used worked really well.

Great shots. Those shutter speeds are amazingly low. I would have been nervous of subject movement. Were they from bursts where some of the others were blurry? They are also great illustrations of the combined IS and IBIS. 1/20 at 400mm (640mm FF equivalent FOV) is really impressive. The light must have been pretty dim for that one especially.

Alastair Norcross wrote:

Thanks gossamer. Your shots look great. I notice that the first is by far the highest ISO (6400), but also looks the cleanest. Did you process that with Topaz, or DXO (or both)? Whatever you used worked really well.

Yep, Topaz DeNoise. Its become part of my workflow especially with this lens and my 600F11.

gossamer88 wrote:

Alastair Norcross wrote:

Thanks gossamer. Your shots look great. I notice that the first is by far the highest ISO (6400), but also looks the cleanest. Did you process that with Topaz, or DXO (or both)? Whatever you used worked really well.

Yep, Topaz DeNoise. Its become part of my workflow especially with this lens and my 600F11.

Thanks. Great result. I just got Topaz AI, which includes DeNoise. I find that DXO Pure RAW does a great job too. I can see myself occasionally using both, for really high ISO shots (initial processing with DXO, then sending the JPEG or maybe DNG to Topaz).

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

Askeladden wrote:

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

I'm sorry about that. My Swedish friends tell me that Norway is an expensive place. But I also read that the median household income in Norway is considerably higher than it is in the US, so maybe, adjusting for different income levels, 8258NOK is not really more expensive than $599 here, which is the normal price of the RF 100-400.

BobKnDP wrote:

Askeladden wrote:

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

Is that with VAT?

Yes. Fun fact.. the VAT in Norway was introduced as a temporary tax in 1935 at 1%. Today it is 25% and permanent.

Askeladden wrote:

BobKnDP wrote:

Askeladden wrote:

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

Is that with VAT?

Yes. Fun fact.. the VAT in Norway was introduced as a temporary tax in 1935 at 1%. Today it is 25% and permanent.

The price here doesn't include sales tax (which is different in different states), so the difference in price isn't as big as it first appears. In fact, if you're looking at the regular price, which is $599, and adding on 8%, which is similar to what a lot of states charge (some a bit more, some a bit less), that's $647. Given the generally higher earnings of people in Norway, the lens might actually be cheaper (in terms of purchasing power) for most Norwegians most of the time than it is for most people in the US.

Alastair Norcross wrote:

Askeladden wrote:

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

I'm sorry about that. My Swedish friends tell me that Norway is an expensive place. But I also read that the median household income in Norway is considerably higher than it is in the US, so maybe, adjusting for different income levels, 8258NOK is not really more expensive than $599 here, which is the normal price of the RF 100-400.

Seems to be higher in the US actually. $42800 in the US vs $40649 in Norway. Only Luxemburg ranking higher at $43768. Statistics were from 2019 though.

We do have some seasonal Canon Cashback offers where we can get a discount from Canon by mailing in order details to them from the retailers, but that is usually less than 10% off retail, but the rf100-400 is not on that list this time around.

Costly to live here for sure, but i shouldn't complain. I just wanted to point out what a great deal $499 is.

I really want that lens, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait until next year.  The Woodpecker is a Red-shafted Northern Flicker, and that is a great photo.  Out here in Ohio, they are Yellow-shafted, and I've been trying for years to get a good shot of one.

Askeladden wrote:

Alastair Norcross wrote:

Askeladden wrote:

8258NOK which equals $775 here.

I'm sorry about that. My Swedish friends tell me that Norway is an expensive place. But I also read that the median household income in Norway is considerably higher than it is in the US, so maybe, adjusting for different income levels, 8258NOK is not really more expensive than $599 here, which is the normal price of the RF 100-400.

Seems to be higher in the US actually. $42800 in the US vs $40649 in Norway. Only Luxemburg ranking higher at $43768. Statistics were from 2019 though.

I think that's average wage, not median household income, which is in the $70,000 range in both countries, but higher in Norway, according to the site I looked at (figures for 2021).

We do have some seasonal Canon Cashback offers where we can get a discount from Canon by mailing in order details to them from the retailers, but that is usually less than 10% off retail, but the rf100-400 is not on that list this time around.

Costly to live here for sure, but i shouldn't complain. I just wanted to point out what a great deal $499 is.

Understood. And it certainly is.

Alastair Norcross wrote:

As alerted in another thread, you can currently get the RF 100-400 for $499.

I had to dig around to find the thread, so as a service to others, I include the link to the thread and the other lenses that are on sale. It looks at at least B&H, Adorama, and Amazon are all offering the deal. Unfortunately, I bought the RF100-400 for $549 from B&H two weeks ago and thought it was a good deal and a very good lens for the prices.

There are some relatively good deals with as much as $400 off on some of the lenses.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66516015

From Canon Price Watch:

• RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM: new price of $1299 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM: street price of $1899, or $1999 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM: street price of $1449, or $1499 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM: new price of $499 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM: new price of $399 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 50mm F1.2 L USM: street price of $1949, or $2099 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM: street price of $2449, or $2599 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS: street price of $2699, or $2899 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM: new price of $999 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon

Karl_Guttag wrote:

Alastair Norcross wrote:

As alerted in another thread, you can currently get the RF 100-400 for $499.

I had to dig around to find the thread, so as a service to others, I include the link to the thread and the other lenses that are on sale. It looks at at least B&H, Adorama, and Amazon are all offering the deal. Unfortunately, I bought the RF100-400 for $549 from B&H two weeks ago and thought it was a good deal and a very good lens for the prices.

There are some relatively good deals with as much as $400 off on some of the lenses.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66516015

From Canon Price Watch:

• RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM: new price of $1299 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM: street price of $1899, or $1999 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM: street price of $1449, or $1499 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM: new price of $499 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM: new price of $399 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 50mm F1.2 L USM: street price of $1949, or $2099 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM: street price of $2449, or $2599 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS: street price of $2699, or $2899 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon
• RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM: new price of $999 at B&H, Adorama, Amazon

Thanks Karl, very useful. Maybe I should think about selling my EF 100 F2.8L macro, and getting the RF version.