Canon RF 75-300mm F4-5.6

Testers agree the lens is at its best in the shorter half of the range. Centre sharpness is reasonable from 75mm to around 200mm, while the mid-frame and edges are weaker and the 300mm end softens noticeably, so stopping down to about f/8 is advised. Colour fringing is the biggest optical flaw: slight at 75mm but strong from 200-300mm on high-contrast edges, though in-camera correction removes much of it. Distortion is close to zero at the wide end and turns mildly pincushion towards 300mm.

The DC motor is audible and slower than Canon's STM and USM designs, yet focus is consistently accurate and quick enough for some birds in flight. The rotating front element complicates polarisers, there is no weather sealing and no optical IS, which hurts most on bodies without in-body stabilisation. Views on the overall package range from a usable starter telephoto for beginners to a dated design with mediocre image quality; the RF 100-400mm is the usual step up.