It is close to universally accepted that the greatest strength of Canon’s new full frame mirrorless system has been the RF mount. Canon’s new RF mount has unleashed Canon’s creativity and ability to do things they couldn’t before.  I would argue that the new EOS R5 (my review here) and EOS R6 (my review here) are also great strengths, with the EOS R5 serving as my new favorite camera.  But there is no question that many (not all!) of Canon’s new RF mount lenses bring either new innovation or higher performance than what we’ve previously seen. In the past, for example, one had to choose between wider maximum aperture (EF 24-70mm F2.8L II) or having an image stabilizer (EF 24-70mm F4L IS), but the new mount mount along with superior communication ability has allowed Canon to give us the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS, a lens that has both the wider maximum aperture (F2.8) and the Image Stabilizer (an effective 5 stop stabilizer).  In fact, if you pair the RF 24-70mm with the new EOS R5 or EOS R6, you can actually get an rated 8 stops of stabilization (according to Canon).  There’s certainly enough stability there to make handholding video and getting decent VLOG results easy, though movement in video (walking, for example) will always work a little better when utilizing a gimbal.  There are few lenses more useful than a good quality standard zoom, and that definitely applies to the RF 24-70L (as we’ll refer to it for brevity in this review). 

The RF 24-70L is the “standard” member of the “trinity” of wide aperture, professional-grade zooms for Canon’s relatively new full frame mirrorless ecosystem built around the RF mount.  It’s not by accident that some of the earliest lenses to come in the RF mount were the 24-70mm, the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, and the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS, as these constitute the common tools of the trade that many photographers who actually earn a living by photography will use.  A standard zoom that covers wide angle to short telephoto like the 24-70mm is one of the most useful lenses available for wedding or event photographers. It also is going to be a very important lens for landscape photographers and even for journalists.  Canon’s EF 24-70L II was an excellent lens (my review here), and Canon has built upon that foundation by giving us an even more useful lens with a bit more image sharpness, excellent IS and autofocus, and even a higher magnification figure for close up work.

As has been commonly the case with Canon’s RF mount lenses, the price tag is not cheap, nor is the lens small.  Canon has taken the “Sigma route” with a lot of their major RF lenses and have focused on performance with little regard for size and weight.  The RF 24-70L is the heaviest lens in the class and will will set you back $2300 USD, which is expensive no matter how you slice it.  The RF 24-70L is an excellent lens and is extremely useful, but, at the end of the day, that price is going to be the greatest limiting factor for many potential buyers, though, at this stage, there are few alternatives available in a native RF mount.  So should you take the plunge on this big, expensive lens? Check out my written review of the lens or watch the reviews on my YouTube Channel…or you can just check out photos in the galleries below and enjoy the winter scenes from the warmth of your home!

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Thanks to Camera Canada for getting me a loaner of the RF 24-70mm.  If you’re in Canada, check them out for a reliable online retailer.

Photos of the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM

Photos Taken with the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS

Gear Used:

Purchase a Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Canon EOS R5 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Canon EOS R6 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Peak Design Slide Lite:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK
BenQ SW271 4K Photo Editing Monitor – B&H Photo  | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK
Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X5 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

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Purchase a Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS @ https://bhpho.to/2Lv9XH4 | Amazon https://amzn.to/37hvOKG | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/2ogfj | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/2WegUhU | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3ac2erI | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/384JibY | Ebay https://bit.ly/RF24_70L

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