Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM

Took this out for birds in the backyard and the 5-stop stabilizer honestly surprised me — I got sharp shots handheld at 600mm, which I didn't think was possible. It's so light I forget it's in my bag until I need it.

I was worried a 600mm lens would be huge, but this thing is shockingly light and easy to handhold. The fixed f11 works fine in good light and the autofocus locks on quickly with my R5 II.

The 5-stop image stabilization is a game-changer for handheld wildlife shots—I can get sharp images even in dim light. Despite being a 600mm, it's so light I can carry it all day without fatigue. Exactly what I needed for my hiking trips.