Best Super Telephoto Lens in 2023 (Review & Buying Guide)

Sometimes it might be quite difficult to find the best super telephoto lens. With every niche market offering so many different products, it makes sense that this is the case.

Unfortunately, this very fact can make it incredibly difficult to find the item that best suits your needs, which is why we’ve put together this super telephoto lens buying guide.

Our 10 Recommendations:

#	Preview	Product
1		Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM Super-Telephoto Lens	Check Price
2		FE 600mm F4 GM Super Telephoto Lens (SEL600F40GM)	Check Price
3		Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens (SEL200600G)	Check Price
4		Pentax HD D FA 150-450mm f4.5-5.6ED DC AW Super-Telephoto Lens for Pentax KAF Cameras	Check Price
5		Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens (SEL200600G) (Renewed)	Check Price
6		Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm F/5.6E Pf ED VR Super-Telephoto Lens	Check Price
7		Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens Full Frame Super Telephoto Zoom SEL200600G Professional Lens...	Check Price
8		Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L is USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras	Check Price
9		Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Renewed)	Check Price
10		Canon EF 1.4X III Telephoto Extender for Canon Super Telephoto Lenses	Check Price

The 10 Top Super Telephoto Lens Reviews:

Bestseller No. 1

Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM Super-Telephoto Lens

• High Performance L-series versatile Super-Telephoto Zoom RF Lens.
• Optical Image Stabilization with up to 5 stops* of Shake Correction.
• Three Image Stabilization Modes (Standard, Panning, and during exposure only) Provided for Creative Versatility.
• High Speed, Smooth and Quiet Auto Focus with Dual Nano USM.
• Minimum Focusing Distance of 3.0 ft. / 0.9 m**.

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Bestseller No. 2

FE 600mm F4 GM Super Telephoto Lens (SEL600F40GM)

• World’s lightest1 600mm super-telephoto full frame  wide-aperture F4 lens
• Large XA (extreme aspherical) element suppresses spherical aberration
• 2x Extreme Dynamic - XD Linear Motors for fast, precise, quiet AF
• G Master quality with superior focusing speed up to 20fps3
• Balanced weight eliminates “front heavy” nature of similar lenses

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Bestseller No. 3

Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens (SEL200600G)

• Outstanding g lens resolution throughout the Zoom range
• 5x ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements Reduces flare & ghosting
• Direct drive Supersonic Wave Motor for fast, quiet, precise focus
• Aspherical lens element dramatically reduces spherical aberration
• Nano AR coating suppresses Reflections, flare and ghosting

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Bestseller No. 4

Pentax HD D FA 150-450mm f4.5-5.6ED DC AW Super-Telephoto Lens for Pentax KAF Cameras

• IN CAMERA SHAKE REDUCTION (SR): The PENTAX digital SLR K series cameras are equipped with the SR mechanism built into the camera body. Because shake reduction is applied in the camera body, this means that any lens compatible with the K Series cameras will benefit from image stabilization
• SUPER TELEPHOTO ZOOM: This zoom lens covers a super telephoto range from 150mm to 450mm. It is designed to be compact and light enough to hold during long range shooting of such subjects as wildlife, aircraft and sports
• OUTSTANDING IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Thanks to its state of the art optics featuring three ED (Extra low Dispersion) glass elements and one superlow dispersion glass element, this zoom lens effectively minimizes spherical and chromatic aberrations, while producing crisp, high quality images free of colour bleeding
• ALL WEATHER (AW): This lens features a dependable dustproof, weather resistant structure with eight special seals to prevent the intrusion of water and dust into the lens interior
• HD COATING TO ENHANCE IMAGING POWER: Produce high contrast images with edge to edge sharpness and free of flare and ghost images

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Bestseller No. 5

Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens (SEL200600G) (Renewed)

• Outstanding g lens resolution throughout the Zoom range
• 5x ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements Reduces flare & ghosting
• Direct drive Supersonic Wave Motor for fast, quiet, precise focus
• Aspherical lens element dramatically reduces spherical aberration
• Nano AR coating suppresses Reflections, flare and ghosting

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Bestseller No. 6

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm F/5.6E Pf ED VR Super-Telephoto Lens

• A fraction of the size of most full-frame 500mm lenses
• Specially designed Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element enables a compact design
• Vibration reduction (VR) image stabilization for sharper and steadier
• Durable construction with advanced weather sealing, internal focus and Nikon nonstick fluorine coating

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Bestseller No. 7

Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens Full Frame Super Telephoto Zoom SEL200600G Professional Lens Bundle with UV FLD CPL Filter Kit + Photo Video Editing Software Kit and Deco Gear Accessories Set

• SONY USA AUTHORIZED - Includes Full SONY USA WARRANTY
• Sony FE 200-600 mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom G Lens | Direct Drive SSM for quiet, highly precise focus lens control | Advanced optical design incorporating an aspherical element and five ED glasses for entire zoom range | Sony Nano AR Coating to eliminate flare and ghosting | Dust and moisture resistant design
• IMAGE STABILIZATION (STEADYSHOT): 3-mode Optical SteadyShot | MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 7.88 ft (2.4 m) | MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION RATIO (X): 0.66 | FILTER DIAMETER (MM): 95 | WEIGHT: 74.7 oz (2,115 g) | DIMENSIONS (DIAMETER X LENGTH): 4 1/2" x 12 5/8" (111.5 x 318 mm)
• LENS INCLUDES: Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens SEL200600G | ALC-SH157 Lens Hood | ALC-F95S Lens Front Cap | ALC-R1EM Lens Rear Cap | Tripod Mount (Detachable) | Soft Carrying Case | Lens Strap | Sony USA Authorized Warranty
• BUNDLE INCLUDES: 95mm UV, Polarizer & FLD Deluxe Filter Kit (Set of 3 + Carry Case) | Photo and Video Professional Editing Software Kit: Corel Paint Shop Pro 2019, Corel VideoStudio SE 2019 | Deco Photo All-in-One Photography Accessory Kit w/ Carry Case: Lens Blower, Lens/Sensor Brush, Lens Tissue Paper, Microfiber Cloth

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Bestseller No. 8

Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L is USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

• Product Type:Camera Lenses
• Package Dimensions :35.56 cm L X39.37 cm W X63.5 cm H
• Country Of Origin :Japan
• Package Weight :14.0 lbs

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Bestseller No. 9

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Renewed)

• Lens construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
• Diagonal Angle of View: 6� 10' .Fluorite and Ultra-low Dispersion-glass; internal focusing; full-time manual focus
• Closest Focusing Distance: 35m / 115 ft
• Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 400mm 1:56
• Filter size: 77mm

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Bestseller No. 10

Canon EF 1.4X III Telephoto Extender for Canon Super Telephoto Lenses

• Focal Length & Maximum Aperture Magnification: 1.4x
• Lens Construction of 7 elements in 3 groups
• Max. Diameter x Length - 2.8" x 1.1" (72.0mm x 27.2mm)
• Weight - 7.9 oz (225g)

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Last update on 2023-03-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How to find the best super telephoto lens?

Here, we’ll be going over a number of factors that you can use to ensure that you’re purchasing the best super telephoto lens for you.

Regardless of which type of item you’re looking to buy, chances are that there are existing buying guides on the internet, all of which aim to give you good super telephoto lens recommendations.

Despite these recommendations, however, it’s always a good idea to do your own research. In addition to this research, asking yourself the following questions is also super helpful:

• What features does the super telephoto lens need to have to be perfect for my needs?
• What is my budget?
• Do I need to purchase a certain brand?

Once you’ve answered these questions and have a good idea of what you’re looking for and the buying process becomes much easier. Keep in mind that when looking for the best product, there’s no need to rush. In fact, very rarely are the ideal products found by choosing the first one you see or by basing your decisions on only one factor. Take your time and enjoy the process!

Now, with the answers to the previous questions in mind, we urge you to use our upcoming buying guide for super telephoto lens to find what you’re looking for:

Brand

In some cases, the brand of super telephoto lens is very important. For example, if you’re looking for an item that works in tandem with another, you might very well need both products to be the same brand. If this is the case, it’s vital to pay attention to this factor, as choosing the wrong product can mean the difference between wasting your money and buying a great product that functions as it should.

Features

The features in any given super telephoto lens are important because they can dictate which version of an item you need and how much money you need to spend. Consider all the key features that you want your item to have and don’t settle for anything that doesn’t check at least ¾ of your boxes.

Reviews

Customer reviews about super telephoto lens are crucial – especially when you’re buying a product that costs a lot of money or serves a big importance. Luckily, most products can be found online, which means that it’s common for there to be scores of customer reviews from those who have already purchased any given product.

Pay attention to these reviews. Take note of the pros and cons that they mention, and factor these into your big decision. In some cases, you’ll be forced to sacrifice one con in order to gain a particular pro, but being aware of the potential con is going to be beneficial in either case.

Quality

Of course, quality is key. You don’t want to purchase a low-quality product. If you do, you run the risk of your item breaking, not working properly, or otherwise proving to be very disappointing, as well as a waste of money.

You can compare super telephoto lens quality by researching what your potential purchases are made from, contrasting the individual items against each other to discern which one is made of the best materials.

Warranty

Warranty isn’t always going to be important, but it definitely can be. This is especially true if the item in question is tech-related or expensive. A good warranty will be valid for an extended time after purchase and cover a variety of problems ranging from item defects to random accidents, water damage, and other miscellaneous events that could ruin your product.

Conclusion

The quest to find the best super telephoto lens can be daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. It can be made much easier by asking yourself a few simple questions and then thinking critically about the items you want to buy. Consider their features, quality, brand, warranty, and customer reviews and you’re more likely to make a great purchase.