The new RF lineup of lenses that Canon has been releasing are fantastic. I had the opportunity to rent the Canon EOS r6 recently, along with a variety of RF lenses, and I was very impressed with the footage they delivered. Now the 24-70mm is one of my favorite focal ranges to utilize for my photos and video, so I was excited to test out this new RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens from Canon. If you’re interested, you can check out the lens here: https://jerad.link/canonrf2470f28is
Lens Features
This lens has some great features that really make it stand out from other lenses I’ve used. Now, Canon is known for having outstanding glass, and this lens is no different. This lens comes with built-in internal stabilization which is just amazing.
It has a lock that allows you to lock the focal length in place so you can’t zoom in or out at all. It also comes with three rings. One ring is for zoom, one is for focus, and a third ring is actually programmable to adjust whatever you’d like.
This third ring is very forward thinking on Canon’s part. The ability to have as many adjustments as possible directly on the lens while you’re out shooting is an invaluable feature. I currently have my third ring set to adjust the ISO so that I can quickly change and perfect the exposure of a shot without needing to look down at my camera body and adjusting it there. I’ve also heard of people that prefer to set the third ring to adjust aperture instead, allowing them to gently feather the aperture while shooting instead of having digital stops by adjusting it in the camera.
The build quality and the ergonomics of this lens are also fantastic, in my experience. There is a really smart indent in rings that help you identify them quickly without needing to stop and look at the lens. It also just feels great to use and is overall a very enjoyable experience.
The only thing that I don’t love about this lens is that the third ring clicks as you turn it. Now, this is by no means a big deal, but as a video shooter, I prefer that everything on my camera is as quiet as possible. Unfortunately, there is no way to turn the click off for that ring.
Image Quality
Ergonomics and features aside, the true test of lens quality is in the quality of photo or video that it takes. Now, I drove out to Glacier National Park recently to test this lens and was very happy with the results. This is a perfect lens to take out for outdoor photography because the zoom range gives you so much more potential for great shots than if you were to use a prime lens. Here are some of the pictures that I took, all with varying focal lengths and apertures.
As you can see, this lens takes absolutely fantastic images. My only complaint is that the sky wasn’t very dynamic while I was taking these, but that has nothing to do with the lens quality. This lens took very sharp images, from the edges of the images all the way to the center. Even at the widest possible angle, the edges were still quite sharp, and I couldn’t see any noticeable warping at all.
My Personal Experience with the Lens
Overall, I loved this lens. I rented multiple lenses when I rented this one and had a hard time using any other lens but this 24-70mm. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a great first lens to go with their camera, or who are looking to expand their focal range with a nice wider zoom lens. Now, there are a ton of reviews out there that get really technical about the lens and talk about the specs and the details, but my goal for this article was to show you actual examples of images that this lens will give you, as well as provide some first-hand experience with the lens. Now, this lens isn’t cheap. Right now it costs $2400. However, if you are looking to get serious about your lens game and your photography/videography, I couldn’t recommend this lens enough to you. In my opinion, this is a must-own lens for photographers and even those who are shooting video as well.
Final Thoughts
So, there are my official thoughts on the RF 24-70mm. If you’re interested in learning more about the Canon EOS r6, or about other Canon RF lenses, check out these videos on the Gear and Light YouTube channel:
