R6II with RF 100-400 for field sports

I recently replaced my R with an R6II, and have been enjoying testing it out on various subjects. I got a chance to try it on field sports yesterday, with the RF 100-400. The Colorado women's lacrosse team was playing San Diego State, and, unlike for men's football or basketball, attendance is free. Anyone can just walk up to the outdoor field and take shots from the sidelines. I watched most of the second half, and found the combination of R6II and RF 100-400 to be excellent. It's so small and light (and cheap) that I felt comfortable holding it unaided the whole time. The official photographers were using big white lenses, and needed monopods to hold them up. The weather was good, so my ISO stayed in the 200-800 range, with a shutter speed of 1/2000 (I shot manual with auto ISO). The AF is simply amazing on this camera, and the speed is almost unbelievable. I stayed at a mere 20fps shooting in e-shutter, and had to cull a huge number of shots. From watching one of Jared Polin's test videos I got the idea of using single point with 4 surrounds to initiate AF, and had it set to human face and eye detect. It grabbed the eyes almost instantly, unless they were obscured, in which case it usually grabbed the head. Even in much darker conditions, this combination would be fine. Shooting cRAW and processing with DXO Photolab 6, I'm happy going all the way up to ISO 51,200 on the R6II. Here are a few samples:

A big white would give more background separation, but I actually like having enough DOF that you can make out the expressions on the other players' faces. I think the 100-400 on full frame is pretty much a perfect range for field sports like lacrosse or soccer, when you can be close to the sideline. I used it on my R7 a few months ago to shoot an informal soccer game, and it was actually a bit too long at times, even at 100mm. In case you're interested, Colorado won the lacrosse game 17-4.

Great shots and a performance summary!
I have the RF 100-400 on the shelf, waiting to pair it with the R8.

Love the action shots! Very nice and crisp images.

Nice sport images. What lens do you use for day to day shooting, 24-105 f4 lens kit, 24-240 f4-6.3 or the others?

Thanks. For everyday shooting with the R6II, I mostly use the 24-105 F4L, the 50 F1.8, and the 35 F1.8 (all RF versions). The more I use the cheap little 50, the more impressed I am by it. Here's One from last night with it:

Did you own the EF 50 f/1.8? Wondering if the RF version better in the key f/1.8-/f2.8 zone?

Yes, I owned the EF 50 F1.8. Two versions, actually (the EF 50 F1.8 II, and the more recent 50 F1.8 STM), and the EF 50 F1.4. The RF 50 F1.8 is better than all of them. The RF version is sharp from wide open, or at least from F2, which is what I shoot it at most of the time. It's also sharper than the previous version closer to the edges. It is sharp at least to the rule of thirds points, and further, at F2. Only the extreme corners are a little soft wide open, but I never have anything important in the extreme corners when I'm shooting wide open. I don't use it as a landscape lens, but if I did, I would be shooting it stopped down.

Nice shots Alastair! That RF100-400mm is a nice lens, especially when you don't want to carry something heavier. I use it for birds on the R7 with a 1.4 extender and it does a great job. I almost bought an R6ii but held off since I already have the R5. The R6ii seems like a sweet camera.

Thanks Tommy. I use the 100-400 with extender on my R7 for birds too. It's amazing how we can get 900mm full frame equivalent reach in such a light package.