Group Test Super-tele zooms

Here are the best-buy super-telephoto zooms for shooting action, sport, wildlife and more

Allowing you to punch right in on distant subects like this hungry puffin, super-telephoto zooms are go-to lenses for capturing wildlife.

There are often times when we can’t get as close as we’d like to. If you’re shooting anything from small timid birds to planes at an air show, from athletes to motor sports, or wildlife on safari, you’ll need a lens that really covers the distance. A super-telephoto lens will get you there, and a zoom beats a prime for flexibility when your movements are limited. That’s especially true if you’re confined to a hide for shooting wildlife, or in a spectators’ area at a sporting event.

A super-telephoto zoom can also come in handy for shooting candid portraits at events, so you can be unobtrusive and pick people out from a distance, while also blurring the background with a fairly tight depth of field. They can even give a creative alternative for landscape photography, giving a different look by compressing perspective. All in all, it’s an extremely versatile bit of kit.

Matthew Richards

The contenders

1 Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM £669/$649

2 Fujinon XF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR £1,549/$1,899

3 Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S £2,699/$2,697

4 Panasonic Leica DG 100-400mm f/4-6.3 £1,149/$1,598

5 Pentax 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW HD £1,979/$1,897

6 Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1,329/$1,999

7 Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS £1,599/$1,998

8 Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 £1,249/$1,399

Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM £669/$649

Compact and affordable RF zoom

Less than a quarter of the price of Canon’s RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM zoom and much more compact, this is a tempting proposition. Typical of Canon’s non L-series lenses, the RF 100-400mm doesn’t have any weather-seals, but there are plenty of enticing features.

Autofocus is driven by a Nano USM motor that is super-fast for stills and delivers smooth focus transitions. There’s a 5.5-stop optical stabiliser, boosted to 6-stop effectiveness with R system cameras that feature IBIS, and an additional control ring. Upmarket glass includes one UD element and one precision-moulded aspherical element.