19/03/2026 6:40 am
Topic starter
Notifications
Clear all
0
I just got the Canon R7 because the guy at the shop said it was great for animals but now im looking at lenses and im totally lost. I have no idea where to start or what these numbers like 100-400 or 600mm even mean. I'm going to the Smoky Mountains in three weeks to hopefully see some bears and birds but I only have the lens that came in the box and it doesnt zoom in very far.
My budget is around 800 or maybe 1000 dollars at most. Sorry if this is a dumb question but which lens should I actually buy so I can see the animals from far away without them looking like tiny dots?
4 Answers
12
19/03/2026 7:25 am
Totally agree, that 100-400 is the winner. Over the years I've found buying used saves cash for:
- Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
- Canon LP-E6NH Battery Bears drain power fast!
11
19/03/2026 6:40 am
The R7 is such an absolute beast for wildlife! You honestly made a killer choice picking that body up. Since you're heading to the Smokies soon, you definitely need some serious reach so you arent just squinting at tiny blurry dots of bears. The absolute best bang for your buck right now is the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM. It is super lightweight, focuses lightning fast, and fits right in your budget with plenty of room to spare! Because of your cameras sensor, it actually acts like a 160-640mm lens which is just fantastic for birds. If you want even more crazy zoom, you could check out the Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM, but it can be a bit tricky for beginners since it doesnt zoom. Stick with the 100-400 for your first trip, youll love it! TL;DR: Grab the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM. Its affordable, sharp, and basically made for what you need.
3
19/03/2026 6:55 am
I've been shooting wildlife for years and when I switched to the R7, that 1.6x crop factor absolutely blew me away. I took the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM to the Smokies and it was fantastic for bears! The Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM is a solid alternative for even more reach tho. Tip: keep shutter speed high, at least 1/1000, so birds dont blur!
1
23/03/2026 8:41 pm
Honestly, I'm struggling with the exact same choice right now and it is so frustrating. I spent weeks looking at charts but unfortunately, the real-world performance is where things fall apart. I had issues with the shorter zooms not having enough reach for owls, and it was such a letdown to miss those shots. I ended up getting the Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM but the f/11 aperture is so limiting in the deep woods of the Smokies, it drives me crazy. I've also had to deal with reliability problems. My last SD card couldn't keep up with the R7 burst rate and it lagged right when a bear came out of the brush. Tbh, you really need something like the SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC if you dont want the camera to freeze up. And don't even get me started on the neck pain from the stock strap... I had to upgrade to the Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap just to survive a four-hour hike. It's just a constant battle trying to get this setup to actually work like it should.
