topic Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5 in EF & RF Lenses

Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

roush6ny — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:55:21 GMT

Hi all

Noticing vignetting when viewing in equalize mode in almost all my photos. I’ve been using the same settings for 15 years with my aviation photography and I never saw this with my old 100-400 paired with the 70D

any input would be appreciated it.

some sample photos attached (vignetting shows prior to editing)

Thank you

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

kvbarkley — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 05:00:46 GMT

What is your workflow? Are you using the Canon corrections?

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

jrhoffman75 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:14:02 GMT

Website the-digital-picture.com has a vignette tool.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 13:01:07 GMT

Modern lenses often rely on software to correct faults(like vignetting). You've got to use the right software and/or profile for the lens.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

johnrmoyer — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 15:19:08 GMT

"I never saw this with my old 100-400 paired with the 70D"

A crop sensor only uses the best part of the lens which is in the center. Have you tried the old 100-400 on the EOS R5?

For processing images I usually use Canon DPP on macOS or Rawtherapee on Debian Linux. I use the "digital lens correction" in DPP or the similar "capture sharpening" in Rawtherapee. Recently, I often save a 16 bit TIFF from DPP and use gimp to add a second unsharp mask with a different radius and small amount. Gimp 3 is linked with a new JPEG compression algorithm that achieves both smaller file size and higher quality than the old algorithm used by DPP and much older Linux software.

https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Nov25_Salt_Plains_NWR/2025nov25_web_IMG_5079c.html

Spider web at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States on November 25, 2025 ; EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +2x III

The above spiderweb was not cropped, but usually I crop.

https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Nov25_Salt_Plains_NWR/2025nov25_eagle_IMG_5100c.html

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States on November 25, 2025

Camera Model Name	Canon EOS R5
Lens Model	EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +2x III
Focal Length	800 mm
Exposure Time	1/400
ISO	500
F Number	13.0
Camera Temperature	34 C
Measured EV	13.75
Measured EV 2	30
Focus Distance Upper	164.68 m
Focus Distance Lower	81.91 m

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

shadowsports — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 16:58:03 GMT

Greetings,

Was this lens purchased new or used? What was the source?

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

ebiggs1 — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:10:12 GMT

"I’ve been using the same settings for 15 years ... and I never saw this ..."

Something changed. Plain and simple. We know your gear has changed but what else. Are you using the same photo editor for instance? The same lens profile or correct lens correction profile?

It is difficult to understand when you say, "I’ve been using the same settings for 15 years...", then such a drastic equipment upgrade has occurred so an adjustment to your 15 year old settings may be in order.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

Waddizzle — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:46:35 GMT

“ Noticing vignetting when viewing in equalize mode in almost all my photos. I’ve been using the same settings for 15 years with my aviation photography and I never saw this with my old 100-400 paired with the 70D “

———-

What is “equalize mode”?

It sounds like a third party app that I am not familiar with.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

johnrmoyer — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:50:02 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:

“ Noticing vignetting when viewing in equalize mode in almost all my photos. I’ve been using the same settings for 15 years with my aviation photography and I never saw this with my old 100-400 paired with the 70D “

———-

What is “equalize mode”?

It sounds like a third party app that I am not familiar with.

Just guessing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histogram_equalization

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

ebiggs1 — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:25:08 GMT

I love eagle shorts.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

johnrmoyer — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:00:28 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:

I love eagle shorts.

Thanks. It was handheld from my car window. I included the eagles in this ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S286148072

It is also at: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/645908256

I have very little skill at video, but the 2 Eagles are at: https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Nov25_Salt_Plains_NWR/IMG_5086.MP4

The tree they nested in last year was knocked down by a storm, so they are rebuilding in a different tree about 130 meters from the road. One is not permitted to leave the road in this area of the wildlife refuge.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

shadowsports — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:59:32 GMT

Nest shot looks great. I agree.

OP's issue is likely a camera settings, software issue (no lens profile) or other (less likely) if the lens was purchased used and had another issue. We'll see if he replies.

Re: Visible Vignetting with RF100-500 + R5

johnrmoyer — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 19:43:49 GMT

@shadowsports wrote:

Nest shot looks great. I agree.

OP's issue is likely a camera settings, software issue (no lens profile) or other (less likely) if the lens was purchased used and had another issue. We'll see if he replies.

In addition to lens profile, "presets" in some software will not work the same with a different camera. But this just a guess.

If the OP is in fact using histogram equalization, then that is likely the problem. But this is just a guess. I used histogram equalization 35 years ago because it does not require much computation and computers were much slower then. Now I would adjust the gamma curve or apply curves to a histogram. Histogram equalization will exaggerate the vignetting. But the biggest difference is the switch from crop sensor to full frame sensor. With the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM on EOS 70D, all of the vignetting would have been cropped. Also, the RF 100-500 F4.5-7.1 IS lens has more measured vignetting than does the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM.

Measured vignetting for this lens: https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Vignetting-Test-Results.aspx?FLI=0&API=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0&Lens=1510&Camera=1508&LensComp=972 https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Vignetting-Test-Results.aspx?Lens=1510 Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens Vignetting

From 2022: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/vignetting-profile-correction-for-canon-rf100-500-makes-it-even-worse/m-p/12849351

I no longer use Adobe software, but doubt that combining a lens profile with histogram equalization is a good idea.