Testing the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens at Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra
Part of the Canon RF range of lenses includes the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens. With this lens Canon is making an 800 mm zoom lens available to its mirrorless camera users at a price point for the hobbyist and someone new to wildlife photography. The lens covers the 200 to 800 mm focal range so has good reach but it only opens to F/9.0 at 800 mm, not making a great lens for low light, such as early morning shooting. I had already photographed with the lens a little but I wanted to try it at a location where I could use its range. I also wanted a place where I could find a steady rest for the lens because hand holding the lens is frustrating, with the view through the camera swinging wildly while I try to control the lens. I decided to visit Jerrabomberra Wetlands and sit in one of their permanent hides for a few hours while the sun rose. The hides had ledges where people can rest binoculars and cameras to give them a steady view. I am glad that I visited the wetlands because I had a wonderful time and enjoyed taking photographs there. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Jerrabomberra Wetlands is a real asset for the people of Canberra. Sitting there in one hide for several hours, I was not only able to observe the wildlife going about their lives, but also so many people from Canberra. They were walking, running and cycling through the wetlands, enjoying a natural environment. Some people looked to be commuting to work and the ride through the wetlands is surely a wonderful way to start the day.
Rakali
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 3200, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/200])
I was very happy to take my first photo of a Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster). While I have seen them before, I haven’t been in a position to photograph one. This time, I saw a disturbance in the water to the right of the hide, with the top of a head breaking the surface every now and then. The rakali swam in a weaving way, not following a straight line. I was worried that it was going to swim past the hide almost completely submerged but it crawled onto the log in the photograph for a few minutes. It didn’t preen itself or eat anything, it just stayed on the log and looked around before slipping back into the water and swimming away. Europeans originally called the Rakali a water rat, which it is. However, in the 1990s, in an effort to improve the animal’s image, its common name was also recognised as Rakali, one of Aboriginal words for the mammal. The Rakali is a native of Australia that European settlers hunted for its fur and because they saw it as a pest. Now its numbers are returning and it is seen as a bit of an ally in the fight against cane toads because it appears to be able to eat them without succumbing to the poison. I prefer the name Rakali to water rat, because I think these are a beautiful animal - and quite cute.
Australian Pelican swimming through the floating weeds at Jerrabomberra Wetlands
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1250, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/400])
Australian Pelican pairs fighting over a perching spot
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 640, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) always make wonderful subjects to photograph because they are such large, impressive looking birds. The top photograph was still in the half-light but I like the image of the pelican swimming through the floating weeds, with the route that it has travelled immediately obvious from the water behind it.
The second photo of the pelicans happened later in the morning. A group of pelicans had been been occupying a couple of logs out in the middle of the wetlands. They had been there since dawn, when a slight mist still hung over the area. The pelican on the log, may well have been the same bird that I had seen on that log since I arrived before dawn. However, when two other pelicans approached, there was a brief altercation and the two pelicans already there departed to the right. They joined two other pelicans on the other log, without any fuss. It was not clear what cause the initial fight, and why the two pelicans departed without much resistance.
Royal Spoonbill flying
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 640, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
There were at least three Royal Spoonbills (Platalea regia) in the wetlands. They were on the eastern side of the main lake, with possibly one mature bird and some juveniles. They didn’t stay in one place for long, often flying off to a different location within the wetlands.
Great Egret
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 400, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
A Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta) settled into a tree not too far away from the hide. Unfortunately, there was often an inconvenient shadow from a branch on it, but the bird was still mostly visible. It, or another individual, might have been hunting earlier in the morning near the hide. The bird in the photograph still had some of its long breeding feathers, as well as its black legs.
Great Cormorants flying
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1000, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
Two Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) flew over the wetlands, generally passing over the top of the hide. They didn't land nor turn so I am not sure where they were flying to. There were other Great Cormorants further out in the wetlands but I was pleased with the photograph of these two flying.
Eurasian Coot taking off
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1000, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
Eurasian Coot showing its red eye
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 800, 800mm, f/11 and 1/800])
A number Eurasian Coots (Fulica atra) were in the wetland. They are a very common bird so I tend to not take many photographs of them, also I often don’t photograph them because of their monochrome colour. That said, when the light can caches their red eyes, the effect is stunning. Unfortunately, it also tends to give them a slightly sinister look. And these birds can show tough love. If there is not enough food, they will drive away the weakest of their brood so that the other chicks have enough to eat. I also made an exception to photographing these birds when a coot took off away from where the hide was. I liked the track the bird left in the floating weed as it ran across the water to take off. There well-padded feet help propel them across the water when they are taking off.
The Jerrabomberra Wetlands was a good location for the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens because there was a place in the hide to steady it while photographing, and because there were plenty of subjects to photograph. I generally use it on a monopod so that I can steady it in the field, because I think a tripod would be over complicating a lens that is designed to be more mobile than a large prime lens. Despite the stabilisation in the Canon EOS R5 Mk II and the lens, I still shoot at a 1/800 shutter speed, meaning that I am often pushing the ISO up to a higher level than I would normally use. Despite that, I do like the lens in the right conditions. I still think that the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Zoom is the better choice for everyday shooting when I am not sure what I may encounter, but I plan to keep both and use them as much as possible.
Overall, the morning at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands was wonderfully relaxing, and a chance just to slow down to watch nature go past. I wasn’t looking for any particular photographs, I was just looking to enjoy the experience, which I did. I was also able to take my first photograph of a Rakali, and I also took some other photographs that I liked.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.
