When you’re shooting birds and K .91 anything else you can’t get close to, you really need to cover the distance. As versatile as it is, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens just won’t get you there. A popular option is to add a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter into the mix, but there’s usually some degradation in image quality and overall performance. One exception is coupling the fabulous Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S with the Nikon Z teleconverters, where the loss of quality is negligible. A more obvious exception is the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, which isn’t compatible with Canon’s RF ‘extenders’. Either way, the best solution is to get the proper tool for the job, which is where super-telephoto lenses come in.
For this group test, we’ve rounded up lenses for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and Sony mirrorless cameras that give you serious stretch without costing a fortune. The Canon and Sony lenses lead the group for telephoto reach
