Telephoto lenses tend to be both pricey and large, but Canon has just launched a new budget-friendly telephoto zoom lens. On Tuesday, April 29, Canon announced a new entry-level telephoto zoom lens. The Canon RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 is a telephoto lens that Canon describes as a flexible entry-level lens for nature and sports photography.
With a £289 price in the UK, the lens is the cheapest native telephoto lens for RF mount so far, although a price has not yet been announced for the US. The only native RF lens listed on Canon's website for less right now is the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM.
The Canon RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 is a full-frame lens compatible with EOS R cameras. While the lens brings an entry-level telephoto to affordable full-frame cameras like the Canon EOS RP, the lens is also compatible with Canon’s crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. On those crop-sensor cameras, the lens serves as a 120-480mm lens with the crop factor applied.
Despite the telephoto reach, Canon also describes the lens as a lightweight option, with specs listing a 507g / 17.9 oz weight. When retracted or nestled in a camera bag, the lens will take up 146.1mm / 5.75 inches of space.
The lens is designed with 13 elements in nine groups, along with a seven-blade aperture to create circular-shaped bokeh. Canon says the lens’ Super Spectra coating helps reduce ghosting and flare. It uses a DC motor autofocus that’s capable of focusing as close as 1.5 m / 4.9 feet from the front of the lens. It is worth noting, there is no in-built image stabilization.
The Canon RF mount is no stranger to affordable telephoto optics. The Canon RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 joins a handful of other telephoto lenses that sit below the four figure price point, including the RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM, the crop sensor RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM, the RF 600mm f/11 IS STM, and the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM.
The RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 itself carries a similar zoom range and aperture rating of one of the company's DSLR lenses, the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III.
Canon UK says the lens is expected to be available at the end of May 2025. The lens is already listed for pre-order in the UK for £289 (roughly US$387), and in Australia for AU$399.
Canon US has yet to share any price or availability information on the lens, which could be impacted by tariffs in the former country.
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