Review: Budget Camera With Casper de Jager and the Canon RF 100-500 Extender

Nature photographer Casper de Jager shares all about his experience with the Canon RF 100-500mm and Canon 2x Extender.

Nature photographer and Kamera Express ambassador Casper de Jager traveled to Slovenia in 2024. For this trip, Casper was provided with the Canon RF 100-500mm and a Canon Extender in collaboration with Kamera Express and Kamera Express Rental (formerly Budgetcam) . In this article, he gives us an honest review of this gear!

The journey began at Kamera Express Rental

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Slovenia and I can't wait to share my experience with the Canon 100-500mm lens. The combination of this lens with the Canon 2x Extender was ideal for this trip, especially because it allowed me to capture birds from a great distance.

My experience with the Canon 100-500mm naturally began at Kamera Express Rental. Thanks to the partnership with Kamera Express Rental, I had the opportunity to use the Canon RF 100-500mm and the Canon 2x Extender during this trip. I personally find it ideal to rent equipment for a trip from Kamera Express Rental, because you don't have to buy an expensive lens and can still enjoy high-quality gear. This is not only convenient for saving costs, but also if you want to try out equipment that you might want to purchase later. I was able to pick up the Canon lens and extender at the nearest Kamera Express store, where everything was already ready.

Casper's first impression of the Canon 100-500mm

When I first held the Canon RF 100-500mm lens in my hands, I was immediately impressed by the build quality. At the same time, this lens is surprisingly compact and lightweight. This makes it ideal for traveling or when you are out for a long day. I was a little apprehensive about the 7.1 aperture, because in nature you naturally don't get to choose the light. But during shooting, this turned out not to be a problem at all. Additionally, there are various ways nowadays to remove noise from photos after the fact, meaning high ISO values ​​are no longer an issue.

The sharpness of this lens is, simply put, fantastic. During my trip, I photographed various types of birds, including a hoopoe. The details I was able to capture were incredibly sharp. Additionally, the autofocus was fast and accurate, even with moving subjects. Due to the relatively high aperture of 7.1, it is sometimes difficult to shoot good images on a dark morning, but during the day, this lens is ideal.

Canon 2x Extender: A perfect addition

The Canon 2x Extender proved to be the perfect complement to this lens. This accessory came in very handy during my trip. Birds can sit at a great distance from the lens, and the extender effectively doubled my focal length without noticeable loss of quality. The combination of the Canon 100-500mm with the extender gave me a range of up to 1000mm. This is perfect for the shyer birds I encountered. On the other hand, you do double the aperture, which can be a bit of a challenge with this lens. Shooting at an aperture of 14 is really only possible during the day with sufficient light.

Practical experiences in Slovenia

One of the highlights of my trip to Slovenia was the moment we saw a Ural owl high in the trees. This was exactly a situation where the Canon 2x extender really came in handy. With the extender on the 100-500mm lens, I was able to capture the owl in sharp focus, even from a great distance. What struck me most was that there was no noticeable degradation in image quality, which can sometimes be a problem when using extenders.

Conclusion: 'This lens with extender is a golden combination for a nature photographer'

After two weeks of intensive use, I can say with certainty that the Canon 100-500mm lens and the Canon 2x extender are a golden combination for every nature and bird photographer. The lens is sharp, fast, and reliable, even at an aperture of 7.1. And the 2x extender offers extra flexibility without having to compromise on quality. Additionally, the lens is compact and lightweight. This makes it easy to take this lens with you on trips or for long days in nature. If you are looking for a setup that gives you all the freedom to capture distant subjects razor-sharp, then these two are definitely highly recommended.

Slovenia proved to be the perfect testing ground for this equipment, and I am extremely pleased with the results. Whether you are a professional photographer or an enthusiastic amateur, this lens and extender will not disappoint you.

Rent gear yourself too?

Are you curious about this Canon 100-500mm lens in combination with the Canon 2x Extender? We completely understand! Be sure to stop by one of our stores for the best advice or simply rent the gear from Kamera Express Rental.

Are you curious to see more of Casper's work? We interviewed him, along with his brother Joren, also a Kamera Express ambassador, about their passion for nature photography. In this article, they tell us all about the animals in front of their lenses and, of course, share some handy tips. Read the interview here.

Read all about nature photography here