Canon's RF lens launch: RF 24mm f1.4, RF 50mm f1.4, RF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM Z

Canon fans can finally look forward to many long-awaited Lens this year, which finally improve the Canon RF system significantly! The new Canon Lens offer plenty of scope and new potential - especially for videographers!

The new Canon RF 24mm f/1.4 L VCM

The 24mm is a focal length that many like to cover with a 24-70mm Lens, but the 24mm fixed focal length with its open aperture is also becoming increasingly popular with portrait photographers. The 24mm fixed focal length is also popular with landscape and architectural photographers, but there are also many astrophotographers who shoot with a 24mm Lens.

With 15 lenses in 11 groups, the Canon RF 24mm offers a very good basis for sharpness and high-contrast photos. If you first compare the MTF charts of the new Canon RF 24mm f/1.4 L VCM with the old Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM, you can immediately see the difference. We can say that the sharpness across the entire image is impressive. Both in the center of the image and at the edges. The new Canon RF 24mm shows significantly more contrast, especially in fine structures. Overall, the images with the new Lens look less like there is a haze on the optics, which leads to a reduction in coma, which means something like a tail, especially in astrophotography.

The closest focusing distance is 24cm, which is also known from other 24mm Lens, the 11 built-in aperture blades also ensure a soft and pleasant bokeh with the 24mm. Together with the IBIS in the camera, the combination offers a stabilization of 6.5 f-stops, which provides very good stabilization, especially in moments with somewhat longer exposure times.

One last point we would like to mention with the new 24mm is the filter holder on the back for using filters. This is often used in astrophotography and will certainly please one or two astrophotographers. We also find this filter holder in the 35mm Lens, which we think is very good!

The new Canon RF 50mm f/1.4 L VCM

At last the Canon RF system has a 50mm with an aperture of f/1.4! The most popular standard in portrait photography is now also available in the RF mount. We've probably already heard one or two photographers say: "But there's even a 50mm f/1.2?" That's right, but the new RF 50mm f/1.4 has been optimized once again for performance. It is equipped with an even faster autofocus and is already richer in contrast at open aperture than the f/1.2, which is also reflected in the sharpness in the image corners of the 50mm.

Like the 24mm, the 50mm has 11 aperture blades, which makes the bokeh very pleasantly soft for the viewer. With a weight of 580g, it is also 370g lighter than the f/1.2. The Canon RF 50mm offers image stabilization of 7 f-stops when IBIS is switched on the camera.

What do the new fixed focal lengths from Canon have in common?

Similar to other system camera manufacturers, Canon's RF fixed focal lengths offer a balanced combination of form factor and weight, making the lenses very suitable for videography. By unifying size and similar weight, they help videographers to change lenses without having to recalibrate the gimbal.

This is also supported by the new aperture ring, which is aimed more at videographers than photographers. This is because it can currently only be used in video mode.

The filter threads of the three Lens are also the same: with 67mm, you only need to buy one filter without having to worry about different sizes. Another advantage is the price of the 67mm filters, as they are usually much cheaper than the larger filter equivalents.

The three f/1.4 fixed focal lengths also have a freely programmable pair of buttons with which you can further optimize your workflow.

What exactly is this VCM?

This technology enables Canon Lens to achieve very fast autofocus with almost no focus breathing. This comes with the small disadvantage that the Lens clicks when the camera is switched off. VCM stands for Voice Coil Motor. However, this is not only characterized by minimal focus breathing, but also by a very high precision, which is particularly beneficial for fast Lens. The VCM system also works very quietly and is therefore perfect for video recordings. But the energy consumption is where it gets exciting: the voice coil motor has a low power consumption.

The hybrid RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z telephoto zoom lens

With the new 70-200mm, Canon is closing a gap in the professional video sector. The 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z offers a lot of what videographers want for their content production. For example, the telephoto zoom lens is equipped with a parfocal focus, which enables zooming without having to reposition the focus.

The zoom also behaves linearly, whereas this is often not the case with many other Lens or can be optionally switched. Focus breathing has also been further optimized, which means that Canon's focus on video is also clearly evident here.

In terms of the size of the lens, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z is based on the Canon RF 24-105mm L IS USM Z to make it easier to convert on set. Particularly worth mentioning here is the aperture ring, which can be used by photographers on the R1 and R5 II in photo mode as well as in video mode. Canon has also thought about designing the lens to be compatible with the RF extenders (1.4x +amp; 2x).

A small detail that Canon has considered in the design of their new 70-200 Lens is the color. The Lens is available in white or black; the black color was chosen for videographers, as this color ensures fewer reflections. However, the color has no influence on the functions or construction of the lens. The white color is aimed at sports photographers who are exposed to the sun on the edge of the pitch, as the white color reduces the heat generated on the Lens.

With IBIS switched on, the Canon RF 70-200mm L IS USM Z provides stabilization of 7.5 stops in the center and 7 stops at the edges. The weight is also only slightly heavier than the comparative weight of the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM.

Due to the identical construction to the 24-105mm, the zoom adapter and accessories are also compatible, which will please handheld videographers in particular. The adapter with the 20 pins will also please broadcast videographers!

Also new: RF-S 7.8mm f4 STM Dual

Last but not least, Canon has also introduced another lens for virtual reality or stereoscopic 3D. The advantage of this lens is that it is aimed at APS-C cameras and requires less processing power than the other two lenses. The sweet spot of this Lens for its 3D effect is between 15 and 50cm and is therefore perfect for interesting shots around food, model making or macros.

Conclusion

Canon is celebrating a firework display of new lenses, which inspire with many details in the image. Sharper, faster, with almost the same form factor and weight, Canon is on the right track towards the perfect hybrid Lens for photographers and videographers. We also like the new design of the RF 70-200 mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z, which corresponds to the form factor of the RF 24-105 mm L IS USM Z. So these two Lens are also a perfect kit.

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