Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Review

Dustin Abbott

November 26th, 2021

The Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM holds a very unique place in my personal lens kit; it has lasted longer than any other lens. I have had dozens of lenses come and go since I purchased the 100L Macro back more than a decade ago. I’ve changed cameras a number of times, and even though I don’t even own a camera with a native EF mount any longer, the EF 100L Macro has stayed with me because it just keeps working so well. The lens that may finally bump it out of my kit may have arrived, however, and that is in the form of the excellent new Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM. This is an updated version of the lens designed specifically for Canon’s new RF mount (for the EOS R mirrorless system). The new RF100M (as I’ll call it for brevity) takes a lot of the things that made the EF lens special and ups the ante in several ways.

The the first and most obvious upgrade is that this is not just a 1:1 macro lens anymore, but now we have the ability to go as high as 1.4x magnification. Does that make a difference? It definitely does. Here’s the difference between a 1.0x magnification and a 1.4x magnification:

That’s getting you significantly closer, and the potential of more magnification is always very useful when you want to get in close!

Canon has also added a unique spherical aberration (SA) control to this lens, which allows you to play with the bokeh and focus in a creative way, which we’ll detail more later in the lens. For some people this will probably be more of a gimmick, but there are some who will squeeze some creativity out of it.

There’s a lot to love here, but as per usual, you’ll have to pay for it. The US price for the lens is $1399 USD, or about $1849 here in Canada. The general trend is that RF lenses have essentially all been priced higher than their EF equivalents (sometimes significantly so). What’s unique here is that the price of the EF 100mm F2.8L Macro has been creeping up over the past year. It’s currently priced at $1299 USD, which is the highest price I’ve ever seen for this lens. It debuted at $999 USD MSRP (I believe), and had trended down to $899 after a few years. It has steadily crept upwards since mid-2020, however, and now sits at this premium. I believe that supply chain issues have been cited, but it’s very odd for a lens that has been on the market for 11 years to have a price point over 30% higher than its launch. So, at the moment, that makes the price premium for the RF version more palatable, but only through a rather complicated backstory. So is it worth that premium price?

If you use a lens like this the way that it should (for general purpose, portraits, etc… along with macro), I suspect the correct answer for many the answer will be yes, but you can find my more detailed thoughts by watching my long format definitive or standard video review below…or just keep reading!

Thanks to Camera Canada for loaning me this lens for review. They are my personal source for my gear and have been great to work with. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Canon RF100M Build and Handling

I was unsurprised to find that the size of the new RF100M had grown relative to the EF version, as that seems to be par for the course. The size difference is pretty significant, though. The new lens is 148mm, which is about as long as the Tamron 70-180mm F2.8 zoom for Sony. That’s a 25mm growth over the EF version, and makes it roughly 60mm longer than the RF 85mm F2 Macro. The diameter is only slightly larger (81.5mm, leaving the same standard of 67mm for the filter thread), but the weight is up to 730g vs 625g for the EF version. You can see how the two compare here:

That length does have some real world consequences, namely that it will change the calculus about what bags you can use to carry the lens mounted on a camera. In my standard top-mount bag (Cecilia Tharpe 8L), the RF100M mounted on the EOS R5 leaves me unable to correctly close the bag, whereas I don’t have that problem with the EF lens. Then again, by the time I add an adapter to the EF lens (which I have to do these days), the difference in length is basically gone.

The RF110M is a professional grade lens, with a high quality build that features advanced weather sealing. It starts with a robust gasket at the lens mount, roughly 12 internal seals, and a fluorine coating on the front and rear elements to help resist moisture and fingerprints. This is clearly a very well built, high quality lens.

The maximum aperture here is F2.8, though it is important to recognize with all macro lenses that as you approach 1:1 macro (and, in this case, beyond), the laws of physics dictate that the effective aperture changes. The physical aperture does not (the physical opening will still be 1:2.8), but less light passes through that physical aperture, meaning that you’ll need something like 2 stops of additional light if you are shooting at macro levels relative to what you will need at a portrait distance. I’ve gotten many, many questions on my YouTube channel of people afraid that something is wrong with their lens because of this behavior. This is normal behavior.

The RF 100mm macro is an unusual prime lens due to having three separate rings on it. Typically a prime lens will have only ring (manual focus), though some will have an aperture ring. Canon’s RF lenses have a control ring (more on that in a moment), but in this case we’ve also got the SA Control ring, which is actually closest to the lens mount. I don’t love this position, actually, as I feel even though this ring is thinner than the focus ring, you do tend to reach for it instinctively because it comes first. If you don’t actually end up using the SA Control (and I’ll guess that the majority of users won’t), you will probably end up wishing that Canon had not included this feature. I’m afraid this is going to go the way of the touchbar from the original EOS R as something that seemed like a good idea but never really took off.

I’m also reminded of Canon’s Dual Pixel RAW tech that debuted with the 5D Mark IV, which seemed innovative on paper but I never could really find a use for. I owned the 5DIV for something like 4 years and never used DPRaw outside of initially testing it. It was a tech with potential that never realized, and I hear little about it today. From what I can see, SA Control is going to go a similar route.

Let’s pause and explain the idea. Canon says, “The RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM features Canon’s first adjustable Spherical Aberration (SA) control ring on the lens barrel that allows you to adjust the depiction of the image’s background bokeh. Used to add a unique emphasis to your imagery, the SA Control Ring allows the user to change the shape and character of the foreground and background bokeh. A minus setting creates a dreamy, soft-focused look, while a Plus setting creates a bubble-bokeh-type look.” There are four steps of control in either the minus or plus direction. The midpoint between the two is zero, which would typically just be called normal. Here’s what our test subject looks like at zero or normal:

If we go all the way to the (-) position, here’s what that same image looks like:

It’s hard to see why someone would choose the latter image. There is this “80s’ soft-focus look”, with some halation and light blooming. The subject is also smaller in the frame, which shows that there has been some shift of the optical path that diminishes magnification. The bokeh doesn’t look any more pleasing to me, but that’s because in this case it would work to improve foreground bokeh…though obviously at the cost of serious sharpness on your subject.

Now we’ll go all the way to the (+) extreme:

There’s that soft focus look again, though slightly less extreme, and in this case the subject has gotten larger. At least here there is some tangible benefit to the bokeh, which is larger and rounder…though also with more outlining, so that will have to be a look that you specifically want.

Obviously the three steps in between zero and the extremes will moderate that effect.

I did not enjoy the effect at all for portrait work, as I saw little benefit to the look of the bokeh (a little “faked” looking) while the cost to sharpness was palpable.

I also found that the “bubble bokeh” was quite distracting in this portrait shot (disregarding the soft focus look of the subject). It made the background look somewhat busy.

If you don’t mess with the SA ring, this is an amazing portrait lens (more on that in the IQ section), but I can’t perceive any reason to use the SA effect for portraits unless you REALLY loved the 80s!

My chief complaint about all of this, though, is that while there is a detent at the zero position, it isn’t a hard or strong one. Certainly not enough to really lock the lens into the zero position, so I’ve noticed a few times that the ring has gotten shifted a bit one way or the other, which obviously could have negative consequences to image sharpness. Fortunately this lens does have a locking switch on the far side of the barrel which I missed at first. This is obviously not to prevent zoom creep (no zoom!) but it does allow you to lock in the zero position to essentially keep the SA ring from moving at all. You can only lock it in the zero position, and I suspect that most people will lock the SA ring there and probably never use it.

My take: the liabilities of this new SA ring outweigh the potential benefits. This falls in the “gimmick” status for me, though your findings may vary.

The middle ring is the focus ring, which moves smoothly and with decent damping for a “focus-by-wire” lens. All mirrorless autofocusing lenses employ this manual focus method, which routes input on the focus ring through the focus motor. I thought I could detect the slightest amount of lag when moving quickly, but it was so faint that I couldn’t quite be sure. Like many photographers, I use manual focus quite often for macro work, as autofocus is a bit inconsistent and often too imprecise. Manual focus gives the best control, and I felt I quickly forgot about focus and just got the photos that I want, so that is really the standard that matters to me.

The final ring is the control ring, a feature unique to RF lenses. It utilizes a unique diamond texture pattern that allows you to easily find it by touch. You can choose what function to assign to that ring, and it does have faint detents (clicks) as you rotate it, which gives you tactile feedback so that you know the changes you are making. Canon says this, “For photographers and moviemakers who would prefer a silent control ring, the clicking mechanism can be removed at a Canon Factory Service Center location for a fee.”

The included lens hood is more shallow than the very deep hood found on the EF version, making the two lenses more comparable in length with the hoods attached (the EF version is actually slightly longer with the hood attached). The lens hood has a fairly matte finish that matches the rest of the lens, and includes a small locking button to keep it bayoneted in place until you want to remove it.

Like other RF lenses, the RF100M does employ the 12 pin communication that allows Canon to do more with the RF mount, which is part of what enables some of these new features.

The IS in the lens name refers to Canon’s Image Stabilization, and it is a highly effective application. The lens IS is rated up to 5 stops (which is very high!), but in theory you can reach as high as 8 stops when paired with the In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) of certain Canon cameras, like the EOS R5 I did this test on. I have found these claims personally a bit hyperbolic, as I’m certainly never been able to realize those kind of figures myself. That would mean being able to handhold a 2.5 second shot effectively, which I doubt anyone is pulling off. I don’t want to come off as negative, however, as I actually think this is a great IS system and works well in concert with my high resolution R5. This shot isn’t perfectly sharp at 1/4th of a second, but it is acceptably sharp, and that’s roughly 5 stops of handholding.

I don’t frankly see a lot applications for handholding slower shutter speeds than this, but what mattered more to me is that I was able to get very steady handheld video shots or reasonable macro shots. Canon says, “Equipped with the Hybrid IS technology, the Image Stabilizer of the RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM effectively reduces blurring in handheld macro photography by compensating for both angle and shift camera shake.” I’ve found the system in the EF lens (the first to utilize hybrid IS, I believe) to work very well over the years, and it does feel that the RF lens is more stable still. Video IS works very well for static shots or shots with small, controlled movements. Walking with the bare lens doesn’t have the same smoothness as gimbal footage, though it is much better than without stabilization! The stabilization is otherwise very mannerly and quiet. It gets the job done very nicely and adds to the usefulness of the lens in lower lighting conditions, like this shot where I was able to shoot at 1/40th second and keep my ISO at 800:

You can focus down as closely as 26cm (around 10″) which is only 4 cm closer than the EF version of the lens, but that version focus breathes more. The improved MFD combined with the lack of focus breathing is what allows for that higher degree of magnification. Here’s a look at the degree of magnification at MFD:

It’s worth noting that while some lenses give you higher magnification but at the cost of lower up close performance, the opposite is true here. I prefer the MFD performance of the new RF lens over the older EF lens, which I find has a little cleaner color rendition, better contrast, and slightly more detail:

All of this is very positive.

Like most other equivalent Canon zooms, there are nine rounded aperture blades in the aperture iris. This seems to keep a fairly circular shape as you stop the lens down.

The lens is made of a tough polycarbonate with a very fine flocking. It is not quite a matte finish, but close to it. My experience with these L series lenses is that they hold up very well over the long haul, and it’s not unusual for photographers to have used them for 10-20 years and they still look fairly good. The only other features on the lens is a small bank of three switches, starting with a three position focus limiter (useful in a macro lens), an AF/MF switch and a ON/OFF for the IS.

There are no IS modes here, but Canon’s IS systems are “smart” and detect when things like panning are happening and adjust accordingly.

All told, this is a nicely made lens that gives a lot of great features along with a highly professional build.

The primary negative in the build is the additional size and weight. As you can see above, once you mount that lens hood, this is not a small combination. The weight has proven heavy enough to call for a tripod collar in my use, but Canon does sell one that will work with an adapter. It’s not included, though, and is fairly pricey. You’ll probably want to learn to live without having one, and I haven’t personally found it an issue for anything.

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS Autofocus Performance

The RF100M employs my favorite Canon focus system – Nano USM. This is a focus motor similar to what Sony calls a Linear Motor, which drives the focus group of elements back and forth rather than rotating them. Macro lenses can be slow focusers because they have such long focus throws (many more focus possibilities in the macro range that most lenses don’t have), so Canon has gone a step further and employed dual Nano USM motors here to help keep focus snappy. There’s a huge difference between the quality of focus of the 100L Macro and the cheaper 85mm F2 Macro. I ended my review of that lens very conflicted, as while I loved the optical performance, the autofocus performance was very disappointing. If you are looking for the single most compelling reason to spend the extra money and get the RF100M, this may just be it.

Autofocus was generally excellent with only a few caveats. Everything was very positive with a person in the frame, and I got excellent focused results with casual shots:

Portrait results were excellent, with excellent focus results at a variety of focus distances, like up close:

And if further away.

I really loved this lens as a portrait lens, and I’ve felt that same about the EF version over the past decade.

The caveat I referred to is that I often found the lens reluctant to focus at a point closer to the camera even if I put a focus point right one the blurred out foreground object, like this:

This is, frankly, one area of Canon autofocus that seems to lag behind the better Sony cameras. I really like the AF of the EOS R5 overall, but it isn’t as good in this kind of situation. This was the focus point that I wanted:

Sometimes choosing a higher contrast area closer to your desired focus distance helps, or manually focusing enough to get you “in the zone” before reengaging autofocus. What’s interesting is that using the focus limiter doesn’t always help in this situation. It’s my only real complaint about the autofocus.

In general, however, autofocus worked well in terms of focus accuracy.

My video results were also good. Focus pulls were quiet and smooth, with a well damped feeling that wasn’t too fast or twitchy. I saw moderate focus breathing during focus (often not a strength for macro lenses) and heard next to no focus sound even in a quiet environment. The microphone didn’t really pick up anything, so this will be a non-issue in real world video work.

I didn’t utilize autofocus a lot at macro distances, as manual focus is preferred there, but I did use it for close focus results in the field, and autofocus was accurate even up close like that.

One other negative to report is that if you are stopped down, the lens does seem to exhibit some focus shift. I had a sequence where I was taking photos of Loki with the morning light on him, and I inadvertently still had the aperture at F5.6. I noticed that basically all the photos were backfocused a bit, like this:

You can see that though Eye AF easily locked onto the very visible eye, the focus is on the fur further back. I was also testing the new RF version of the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8, an inexpensive third party lens, and the focus results were perfect in the same sequence. I did a little research and found that Bryan Carnathan experienced something similar and confirmed the issue with Canon’s engineers.

So a bit of a mixed bag on the autofocus. Canon beefed up the autofocus system for this lens, and it shows. It’s definitely faster in focus than, say, the EF version, and quieter and smoother on top of that. But it also has a few issues, namely the focus shift problem and also a fairly typical Canon reluctance to grab focus on closer objects without some coaxing.

RF100M Optical Performance

Macro lenses are often very sharp lenses by necessity, as they need to have the acuity to accurately reproduce fine details. The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro has 17 elements in 13 groups, and this optical design is a winner. Center sharpness is excellent (resolving about 90% at the 30LP/mm level according the MTF chart below), but it also holds that performance well into the corners, where the lowest resolution score in the extreme corner is about 78%.

A quick look at the MTF charts for the EF version confirms what my real world results show – the difference is minimal in the center of the frame, but the advantage for the new RF lens grows the further you move out from the center. This adds up to a lens that packs a lot of punch, with great contrast, resolution, and color rendition.

There are not going to be many optical flaws to point to, but I’ll break down things for you anyway. Here’s a look at vignette and distortion:

There’s a negligible amount of pincushion distortion there (-2, which is not enough to mess up anything and just enough to make portraits a bit more flattering). Vignette is also fairly well controlled (a rarity among Canon RF lenses!) with only a +43 required to correct it. All good on this front.

There is a bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration, though it is exaggerated here by using a very shiny, metallic surface with a lot of light on it.

In this image there is still a lot of potential for LoCA, but I don’t really don’t see much of it.

I don’t think that this will often be a real world issue, but there is a bit more than, say, the Laowa 100mm F2.8 Macro due to that lens’ Apochromatic optical design.

I didn’t really see any evidence of lateral chromatic aberrations even in the bare branches along the edges of the frame here:

All told, we are off to a great start here. There are minimal optical flaws among these typical sore spots.

So how about the resolution? Here’s a look at the test chart we use for these tests:

Here are wide open crops from the center, mid-frame, and far right corner (all tests on the 45MP sensor of the EOS R5):

The results from across the frame are consistently good. If we compare to the EF lens, we find that contrast and detail advantage over much of the frame from the RF lens, though it does appear that EF image is a bit brighter. The EF lens seems to have a bit better light transmission (possibly due to having fewer elements).

There’s no question that this lens is sharp, though. Just take a look at this deep crop from an F2.8 portrait:

Stopping the RF100M down to F4 further improves contrast and allows the lens to eke out even more detail.

Unfortunately the focus shift does rob some of the apparent sharpness at F5.6 on my test chart. F5.6 looks a tiny bit softer at some points in the frame than F4, but I suspect that is due to focus shift rather than actual optical performance. In real world results, I found the RF100M slightly sharper at F5.6 than at F2.8 at infinity, for example, though by a tiny margin. Here’s a landscape shot with comparison crops from the center and edge:

If you are manually focusing (as with macro), the focus shift is not really a problem. My close macros looked great at F5.6:

Here’s another example:

I also feel like the quality of the bokeh is quite good from this lens (whether you are messing the SA Control or not!). Here’s a frosty image that I love:

Moving back a little also produced nice looking bokeh:

Here’s another example that has a lot of nice looking bokeh in it. This will be a great choice for wedding photographers:

The only image I didn’t love the bokeh in was this one with some foreground bokeh, where I felt things were just slightly busy.

Canon colors are generally pretty great, and you can usually trust them to take lovely photos right out of camera.

It’s not unusual for telephoto lenses to struggle with flare resistance, but I felt like that was another area of strength here. I shot this same scene with another telephoto, and it really fell apart by comparison. The “Super Spectra” coatings are obviously doing their job.

All told, there is a lot of optical strengths here and little negative to report outside of the bit of focus shift. This is a lens that takes the excellence of the EF version and raises it a few notches. Feel free to check out more images and draw your own conclusions by visiting the image gallery here.

Conclusion

The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is a (mostly) excellent upgrade to the outstanding Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS. It gives higher magnification, better resolution, and faster, quieter autofocus. The improvement to the 1.4x magnification is always welcome, as when you are doing macro work you want as much flexibility as possible.

There are a couple of misses here. The focus shift issue will impact image sharpness in some situations, and I feel like the SA Control feature is largely going to be a gimmick for most users. There’s also the reality that the lens has grown a fair bit in size relative to the EF version. It’s also the best macro option available on RF right now, and the images that it produces are genuinely gorgeous. Rich color, excellent contrast, and fabulous detail regardless of your distance to the subject.

The price hike is both unwelcome and expected, as this has been the case for almost all the L series RF lenses. You get what you pay for here ($1399 USD), as this is a lens with a lot of capabilities, a high grade build, and an autofocus system that is both fast and quiet. Where or not SA Control is for you, the RF100M is a macro lens with a lot of versatility and high performance, and is a welcome addition to the growing catalog of RF lenses.

Pros:

High grade of build
Professional grade of weather sealing
Magnification up to 1.4x
Dual Nano USM delivers fast, silent focus
Image Stabilizer works effectively
Excellent sharpness across the frame
Beautiful color and great contrast
Chromatic aberrations well controlled
Good flare resistance
Very nice bokeh and general rendering
Makes for an excellent portrait lens

Cons:

SA ring feels more like a gimmick (and thus liability to handling)
Focus shift is a serious problem
Some AF reluctance to focus on close objects at times

Gear Used:

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS @B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3HG7lPc | Amazon https://amzn.to/3nC0bnd | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/39jfr | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3nyjduF | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/32lVmX3 | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3kXBrUD | Ebay https://ebay.us/3b3GVf

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DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

November 24th, 2021

The Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM holds a very unique place in my personal lens kit; it has lasted longer than any other lens. I have had dozens of lenses come and go since I purchased the 100L Macro back more than a decade ago. I’ve changed cameras a number of times, and even though I don’t even own a camera with a native EF mount any longer, the EF 100L Macro has stayed with me because it just keeps working so well. The lens that may finally bump it out of my kit may have arrived, however, and that is in the form of the excellent new Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM. This is an updated version of the lens designed specifically for Canon’s new RF mount (for the EOS R mirrorless system). The new Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro takes a lot of the things that made the EF lens special and ups the ante in several ways.

The the first and most obvious upgrade is that this is not just a 1:1 macro lens anymore, but now we have the ability to go as high as 1.4x magnification. Does that make a difference? It definitely does. Here’s the difference between a 1.0x magnification and a 1.4x magnification:

That’s getting you significantly closer, and the potential of more magnification is always very useful when you want to get in close!

Canon has also added a unique spherical aberration (SA) control to this lens, which allows you to play with the bokeh and focus in a creative way, which we’ll detail more later in the lens. For some people this will probably be more of a gimmick, but there are some who will squeeze some creativity out of it.

There’s a lot to love here, but as per usual, you’ll have to pay for it. The US price for the lens is $1399 USD, or about $1849 here in Canada. The general trend is that RF lenses have essentially all been priced higher than their EF equivalents (sometimes significantly so). What’s unique here is that the price of the EF 100mm F2.8L Macro has been creeping up over the past year. It’s currently priced at $1299 USD, which is the highest price I’ve ever seen for this lens. It debuted at $999 USD MSRP (I believe), and had trended down to $899 after a few years. It has steadily crept upwards since mid-2020, however, and now sits at this premium. I believe that supply chain issues have been cited, but it’s very odd for a lens that has been on the market for 11 years to have a price point over 30% higher than its launch. So, at the moment, that makes the price premium for the RF version more palatable, but only through a rather complicated backstory. So is it worth that premium price?

If you use a lens like this the way that it should (for general purpose, portraits, etc… along with macro), I suspect the correct answer for many the answer will be yes, but you can find my more detailed thoughts by watching my video review or reading the text review here…or just enjoy the photos below.

Thanks to Camera Canada for loaning me this lens for review. They are my personal source for my gear and have been great to work with. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Images of the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS

Images taken with the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS

Gear Used:

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Keywords: Canon RF 100mm F2.8L IS, Canon RF 100mm F2.8L IS Review, Canon RF 100L Macro Review, Canon 100L Macro, 100mm, RF 100L, Macro, 1.4x, F2.8L, IS, USM, Review, RF 100L Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mp, EF 100L Macro, Canon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Review

Dustin Abbott

November 22nd, 2021

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly common for what I call “Boutique Third Party” brands (small lens startups) to deliver some really interesting budget lenses. Many of the early lenses were designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, but recently I’ve seen more of them tackle the more challenging full frame image circle. That’s the case here, where lens company Brightin Star has released the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 lens for Canon RF (reviewed here), Fuji X-mount, Nikon Z mount, Sony FE mount, and Sigma L mount. The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 has a massive maximum aperture (a lot of glass in there!) and costs under $400. It is (like similar lenses) a manual everything lens, with a manual focus and aperture ring and no electronic contacts. This makes it easy for the company to sell for a variety of lens mounts, and the features of modern cameras help make up for the limitations and deficiencies of lenses like these. The lens metered well on my Canon EOS R5 which I used for this test, I was able to program the IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) for the proper focal length so that I received stabilization for my shots, and the ability to use focus overlays and magnify the image in the viewfinder allowed me to get accurate focus results even the extremely shallow depth of field that a lens with a maximum aperture of F0.95 produces.

There are always huge challenges when engineering extreme lenses (and any lens with a maximum aperture of F0.95 qualifies as extreme). The lens is often fairly large and heavy due to the large and heavy glass elements inside. Contrast near that maximum aperture is typically somewhat poor, and such a lens is often flare prone due to so much glass. The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 suffers from some of those shortcomings, to be sure, though there are also some huge redeeming qualities. There is something very special about the rendering from large aperture glass which makes images more than the sum of their technical parts. Being able to produce incredibly shallow depth of field shots like this is that draws people in!

Anytime you use a “manual everything” lens, you do for one of two primary reasons. One is if you can’t afford the equivalent autofocus lens, which typically will cost a LOT more. But the second reason that some of us will use manual focus lenses is for the love of the organic process of shooting slowly, more deliberately, and with a lot of thought into the art of making images.

The last lens with a massive maximum aperture like this that I tested was the Laowa 35mm F0.95 Argus lens; another extreme instrument. There are definitely some similarities, though the Laowa is the more expensive lens and has a few more premium features. That lens was clearly not for everyone, and neither is this 50mm F0.95, though the price point of about $390 USD makes this a far more accessible choice. But is the right choice for you? You can watch my definitive review here to find out…or just keep reading!

Thanks to Brightin Star for sending me this lens for review. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Build, Handling, and Features

It really isn’t possible to build a full frame lens with an aperture this large and also get a small lens, though the 50mm F0.95 isn’t particularly large. It is only 70mm in diameter (leaving a 62mm front filter thread) and 90mm in length. That’s what makes the heft so surprising; this relatively compact lens weighs a whopping 750g!

In many ways this Brightin Star lens resembles a classic Zeiss lenses in construction, and that’s never been more apt than on this more premium Argus lens. Everything is all metal and glass, and that contributes to that uniquely dense sense of heft that reminds me of a Zeiss lens.

The focus ring is made of ribbed metal and is nicely damped (though a bit on the heavy side), but it moves smoothly and precisely along its roughly 170° of rotation. I wouldn’t have minded just a bit more focus throw, and you can quickly move out of focus when shooting at F0.95.

This is an all manual lens without any electronics, which does mean that both focus and aperture must be controlled manually. The aperture ring moves reasonably well, but the “clicks” feel a little too aggressive, which does make the ring feel a little less smooth in operation. There is no option to declick the aperture. There are only full aperture markings on the lens, and unfortunately the detents are only at the full stops. Worse still is that the aperture ring goes right from F0.95 to F1.4, which is more than a full stop. I would have liked to at least be able to select F1.2 as an option.

The aperture iris itself features ten aperture blades, but unfortunately those blades aren’t rounded at all, so as soon as the blades show (F1.4), you can see the aperture shape, and that becomes more obvious still at F2.

In some situations you will get a bit of a “swirl” effect to the bokeh due to the geometric deformation on the edges of the frame, but this is actually a fairly popular effect, and it looks very cool on certain images:

With the aperture blades retracted, however, you can see a LOT of glass in the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95:

As a fully manual lens, there are no switches or controls other than the rings and the aperture click control. The lens does have nicely etched distance markings along with a hyperfocal guide.

The lens has a built in lens hood, one that slides into place by just pulling it forward, or pushing it back when not in use. It’s a good idea in theory, but I often find with these lens hoods that they rarely stay put in either position. I would prefer it locked into place in some way. As we will see, however, the hood is definitely needed!

There isn’t anything like weather sealing, image stabilization, or any kind of electronics built into the lens. If you’re not familiar with how lenses like this work, they do function largely as normal save you have to control focus and aperture. The camera will still meter properly and takes photos as normal, though you will have to turn ON a setting in the camera to release the shutter without a lens attached. This seems counterintuitive, since a lens IS attached, but since there are no electronics, the camera doesn’t know a lens is there. What isn’t as normal, however, is that no electronic information is submitted to the camera, so the camera won’t know the focal length or lens designation nor the selected aperture for the shot. There will be no automatic distortion or vignette correction; this will all have to be dealt with in post. The EXIF data only contains what the camera provides, like ISO and shutter speed. If you have a camera with IBIS (in body image stabilization) you will have to manually set the focal length on the lens, but then the image stabilization will work normally.

The 50mm F0.95 feels nice in the hands and operates fine, though obviously there are some drawbacks to the operation as detailed.

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Optical Performance

As I noted in the introduction, developing an F0.95 lens for full frame is a big achievement for any company. As you increase the maximum aperture size you all also increase the risk of many optical aberrations. The most typical are low contrast, high chromatic aberrations, heavy vignette, and being extremely flare prone. You can pretty much guarantee that all of these will happen to some degree; the question is how much these aberrations can be minimized. All of these were present in the supremely expensive Canon EF F1.0L lens that I tested. Some (but not all) of these aberrations can be part of the “look” or charm of the rendering from the lens, so I have to revise my filter for approaching a lens like this. It isn’t really about supreme sharpness; it’s about creating a unique, shallow depth of field look. I still need to run my tests to determine what we are dealing with, but I also want to balance this with some real world results. Lenses like this rarely chart well, but that doesn’t mean they can’t create compelling images.

The optical formula is 10 elements in 9 groups. A quick look at the MTF (the green lines represent the typical 30 LP/mm standard) shows fairly low sharpness and contrast in the center and mid-frame (abut 45% resolved) with even less sharpness in the corners of the frame (down to like 6%) at F0.95:

That’s really going to show up on a 45MP camera like my EOS R5, but more on that in a moment. First, let’s look at a few contributing causes to the unique look of images here.

Here’s a look at vignette and distortion.

There’s a moderate amount of barrel distortion that required a +9 to correct for, and at F0.95 there’s a LOT of heavy vignette. I used a +88 to correct for it, but that still leaves a bit of darkening in the corners. Correcting further ends up in an overcorrection elsewhere, so I elected to live with that result. My correction information is going to be a little more important than usual, as it is unlikely you’ll see an automatic correction profile for this lens in any software, nor will it receive any correction in camera.

In some settings that vignette will look terrible (a winter scene with snow, for example), but there are also a lot of scenes where the vignette is part of the look (charm) of an image, like this:

I once had a conversation with a Zeiss executive, and he told me that the heavy vignette on a certain Zeiss lens was a feature, not a bug. It was part of the unique look, and I did see his point. In some images the heavy vignette really draws your eye towards the center of the frame, though this obviously works best with a center composition. In other images, however, it just looks terrible.

Vignette improves at smaller apertures, and I didn’t see anything negative in a landscape image like this:

Heavy vignette is one of the expected optical weaknesses of a large aperture lens, and it is on full display here.

How about chromatic aberrations? There are some chromatic aberrations (you’ll see them most often if you miss focus), but I didn’t find them to be particularly pronounced, even in a potentially difficult image like this:

There’s a lot of shiny surfaces there, but the CA really isn’t too bad.

Lateral CA (LaCA) also isn’t bad. I saw a bit of fringing in these bare branches at the edge, but nothing serious.

What I did see, however, was a lot some surface or spherical aberrations that have the primary effect of reducing contrast at large apertures. You can see at a pixel level in this shot how there seems to be a bit of a “smear” on textures due to these aberrations.

This is very common for ultra-wide aperture lenses, and will be pretty obvious on our sharpness and contrast chart tests. Here’s a look at that chart for reference:

If we look at crops at F0.95 from across the frame, my results are a little random. You can definitely see the low contrast, but also that results do have some sharpness there behind the textures. I say the results are random mostly because it seemed like at this distance (roughly 1.7 meters/5.5 feet), I could get sharp focus in either the center or the corner, but not both at the same time. There’s definitely some field curvature.

A real world F0.95 shot shows the lower contrast but also that there is some usable resolution in the center of the frame.

What I found in general is that microcontrast for the lens is not great (textures don’t have great acuity at a pixel level), but the global contrast results from the lens look fairly good. That shot of Bella was a case in point; you can see the spherical aberrations at a pixel level, but the overall image looks fairly crisp and high contrast. If you’re someone who cares more about the latter than the former, you might just be a fan of this lens.

Close up is not really a strength for the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 in general. It can only focus as close half a meter (50cm) and has a rather low 0.12x(ish) magnification, which is a little less than the standard of 0.15x for 50mm lenses. Here’s what that magnification looks like, and you can probably also see that contrast is lower still at this focus distance.

Interestingly, though, if you stop down to F2, contrast will skyrocket up close.

Stopping down to F1.4 increases contrast slightly, but acuity doesn’t take a big jump anywhere. Corners show the largest improvement.

Stopping down to F2 shows a big jump in contrast and thus apparent sharpness, much like we saw up close.

By F2.8 the sharpness extends mostly to the corners (the last 3-4% is still soft), but, as noted, the sharpness profile is a little uneven still. Centering is not exceptional for the lens.

Here’s a great case in point at F4. Note that the center is good and the extreme corner is good, but if you look at the left side of the corner crop, the area about 10% into the frame is softer than the extreme corner.

Weird.

At most landscape apertures the midframe is arguably better than the center, but at F5.6-F8 you’ve got very good sharpness across the frame.

I like F8 the best as a landscape aperture with this lens for consistency across the frame, but F5.6 is a close second. Here’s a real world landscape at F5.6, and it shows excellent detail across the frame in the crops:

Even at wider apertures like F1.4 to F2, you can get very useful sharpness while still retaining pleasant bokeh:

In some ways the lens reminds me a lot of the Voigtländer 40mm F1.2 that I tested on Sony. It follows a similar pattern of lower contrast results at wide apertures but becomes very crisp at smaller apertures. The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 is capable of producing some lovely landscape images, like this:

But you can also use depth of field to creatively draw the eye even in a landscape type scene. I find this almost has a bit of a “tilt” effect.

In mid-November (when I’m working on this review), a lot of the colors have started to leach out of the world as a lot of foliage dies back. The glass in this lens doesn’t have Zeiss’ “special sauce” that makes colors so amazing (Voigtländer lenses are similar), but where I found a few pops of color out in the nature I thought that the images looked fairly good:

One of the best applications for the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 is to allow the lens to produce that lovely subject isolation. Even if you stop down a bit (this image is F1.4, I believe), you keep a really shallow depth of field along with a nice three-dimensional pop to your subject:

Here’s another image that shows off that amazingly shallow depth of field.

This is obviously a lens capable of producing a great amount of bokeh, and so shots that use that to advantage are obviously going to really work with this lens:

I also think that this is a lens that has a lot of appeal for video work (particularly if you are on a budget). You can really go for some shallow depth of field looks, and so that is obviously really intriguing.

Don’t hesitate to shoot through foreground objects, too, as the very shallow depth of field allows you to create unique, visual interesting points in an image.

This is the kind of lens that opens up a lot of creative options for the right kind of photographer.

So let’s talk about portraiture… A lens like this has some unique portrait applications. One of my favorites is to use the shallow depth of field to create natural frames and depth to an image, like this:

You can see the two different looks created by playing with the aperture. On the left, at F0.95, you can see the softer, low contrast, “dreamy” look that has a bit of color fringing. Stopping down to F2 (on the right), really boosts contrast and clarity, though the background isn’t as soft. You have multiple options for how to approach a scene.

I found this an enjoyable lens to use in a portrait session because of images that were creatively fun. I could really do a lot of editing and enjoy up with something very vintage and unique.

There’s one final area of weakness to cover, however, and that is that (unsurprisingly), the lens is a quite flare-prone. The lens hood is very shallow, and that’s a LOT of glass for the sun to be hitting and bouncing around in. I found that the severity of the flare effects depended a lot on how I composed the shot, but, at its worst, I saw a lot of veiling (loss of contrast) and some ghosting artifacts (blobs of color):

Now some will find these unique flare patterns artful, but that won’t be true for everyone. It’s important for you as a consumer to decide what does and doesn’t work for you.

Overall, the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 is about what I expect from this kind of lens. This is not a highly corrected lens without any optical flaws, but the byproduct is that it is also a lens with a lot of character…the kind of character that certain photographers will love because it feels vintage and analog rather than modern and clinical. Others will consider it soft and not particularly useful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I hope this section has helped you determine your own feelings about the optical performance of the lens. Feel free to check out more images by visiting the image gallery here.

Conclusion

The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 is not a lens for everyone. We knew that from the outset, however, because it is a manual everything lens. The huge maximum aperture will be the headline getter, however, and I expect there will be some definitely interested in the lens due to that. It helps that this lens has a variety of lens mounts, so it can potentially intrigue some buyers whether they have a Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony FE, Sigma/Leica L, or Fuji X-mount cameras. Platforms like Canon RF and Nikon Z have relatively few inexpensive options, so to get a lens like this in a native mount will be somewhat intriguing. This is a lens designed for a certain kind of photographer. That photographer tends to be creative and deliberate, one who treasures unique rendering over technical perfection and who isn’t afraid to move a little slower in the capture process in order to get the right shot.

I know that there are plenty of photographers who feel that a lens that gives dreamy images at very wide apertures and crisper, more modern results when stopped down a bit is almost like having two lenses. They give two different ways to approach a scene. I stopped down to F2 for this shot of Loki, and the detail shows a pretty modern looking amount of detail even on a demanding 45MP sensor:

But can also create the shallow depth of field, more artsy shots that some photographers love. Portrait photographers in particular will enjoy the ability to shoot unique images with foreground objects blurred out, like here:

If the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 isn’t for you, that’s perfectly okay. No lens with a massive aperture like this is going to be mainstream because, frankly, it takes more skill to use, and that’s doubly true when you are talking about a fully manual lens. But I am convinced that there is an audience for this lens, one that’s intrigued with the idea of using the ultimate big aperture and seeing what they can create. That lens is here, and with a price tag of roughly $400, it is also a lens that is attainable for many photographers. If your creative style tends towards the artistic and dreamy, this might just the lens that gets your creative juices flowing again!

Pros:

Nicely built lens
Budget Price
Focus Ring and Aperture ring move nicely
Relatively compact
Nice, soft bokeh rendering
Creates really creamy foreground bokeh when layering images
Quite sharp when stopped down
Has good global contrast even though micro-contrast isn’t great
Comes in variety of popular mounts

Cons:

Very flare prone
Low contrast at F0.95
Lens hood design
Aperture blades can be seen by F1.4
Uneven sharpness profile at times

Gear Used:

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon https://amzn.to/3ccVI3O | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3cbDsIk | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cbJLvj

Keywords: Brightin Star 50mm F0.95, F/0.95, Brightin Star, 50mm, Bright Star 50mm Review, Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Review, F0.95, 0.95, Manual Focus, Bokeh, Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Astro, Astrophotography, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mp, Sony, Fuji, Nikon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

November 21st, 2021

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly common for what I call “Boutique Third Party” brands (small lens startups) to deliver some really interesting budget lenses. Many of the early lenses were designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, but recently I’ve seen more of them tackle the more challenging full frame image circle. That’s the case here, where lens company Brightin Star has released the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 lens for Canon RF (reviewed here), Fuji X-mount, Nikon Z mount, Sony FE mount, and Sigma L mount. The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 has a massive maximum aperture (a lot of glass in there!) and costs under $400. It is (like similar lenses) a manual everything lens, with a manual focus and aperture ring and no electronic contacts. This makes it easy for the company to sell for a variety of lens mounts, and the features of modern cameras help make up for the limitations and deficiencies of lenses like these. The lens metered well on my Canon EOS R5 which I used for this test, I was able to program the IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) for the proper focal length so that I received stabilization for my shots, and the ability to use focus overlays and magnify the image in the viewfinder allowed me to get accurate focus results even the extremely shallow depth of field that a lens with a maximum aperture of F0.95 produces.

There are always huge challenges when engineering extreme lenses (and any lens with a maximum aperture of F0.95 qualifies as extreme). The lens is often fairly large and heavy due to the large and heavy glass elements inside. Contrast near that maximum aperture is typically somewhat poor, and such a lens is often flare prone due to so much glass. The Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 suffers from some of those shortcomings, to be sure, though there are also some huge redeeming qualities. There is something very special about the rendering from large aperture glass which makes images more than the sum of their technical parts. Being able to produce incredibly shallow depth of field shots like this is that draws people in!

Anytime you use a “manual everything” lens, you do for one of two primary reasons. One is if you can’t afford the equivalent autofocus lens, which typically will cost a LOT more. But the second reason that some of us will use manual focus lenses is for the love of the organic process of shooting slowly, more deliberately, and with a lot of thought into the art of making images.

The last lens with a massive maximum aperture like this that I tested was the Laowa 35mm F0.95 Argus lens; another extreme instrument. There are definitely some similarities, though the Laowa is the more expensive lens and has a few more premium features. That lens was clearly not for everyone, and neither is this 50mm F0.95, though the price point of about $390 USD makes this a far more accessible choice. But is the right choice for you? You can watch my definitive review or read the text review to get my conclusions…or just enjoy the photos below.

Thanks to Brightin Star for sending me this lens for review. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Images of the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95

Image from the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95

Gear Used:

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon https://amzn.to/3ccVI3O | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3cbDsIk | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cbJLvj

Keywords: Brightin Star 50mm F0.95, F/0.95, Brightin Star, 50mm, Bright Star 50mm Review, Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Review, F0.95, 0.95, Manual Focus, Bokeh, Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Astro, Astrophotography, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mp, Sony, Fuji, Nikon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM Review

Dustin Abbott

October 27th, 2021

Back in 2014 I reviewed the then new Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM and found it a serious breakthrough for Canon wide angle zooms. Both the EF 17-40mm F4L and EF 16-35mm F2.8L II had serious shortcomings, and the EF 16-35mm F4L IS solved most of them. It was also the first time that Canon put a stabilizer in a wide angle zoom like. Fast forward to 2021 where Canon’s EOS R mirrorless system is about three years old, and many of us had been wondering when a successor to the 16-35L IS would arrive for the RF mount. The answer is “now”, and that successor (the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM) has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, mostly notably a much wider angle of view at 14mm vs 16mm (114° vs 108°) and a much higher potential magnification factor of 0.38x vs 0.23x, though the former advantage will have to be take with a grain of salt (as we’ll see in a moment). Going as wide as 14mm is a zoom is a very big deal, though when you dive into the details of how Canon got there, you realize that there were a few compromises to accomplish it. One thing that wasn’t compromised (surprisingly) is the ability to use traditional screw in filters in a standard 77mm filter size. That enabled me to easily get some nice long exposures.

The RF 14-35L (as we’ll call it for brevity) has the capacity to deliver a lot of beautiful images, but those extra bells and whistles come at a price. Literally. The EF 16-35mm F4L IS was lauded for coming in at a reasonable price point of $1199 USD, but I’ve heard a fair bit of grumbling about the fact that the new RF 14-35L comes in at a much steeper $1699 USD. The problem, of course, is that if you want the F2.8 version (the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, which I reviewed here) you’ll have to shell out an even more breathtaking $2399 USD! Unfortunately that makes the RF 14-35L is the “value play” (unless you consider the Samyang/Rokinon AF 14mm F2.8, which I reviewed here). I’ve come to accept the reality that, at least for now, Canon shooters are going to have to be prepared to pay a premium for RF lenses. Essentially every RF mount L-series lens has come at a significant premium over its EF counterpart. You’ll have to pay that premium to get the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM, but there’s no question you will get a very sharp, versatile zoom that can give you some amazing photos.

We’ll break down both the strengths and weaknesses in this review, as my feelings on the RF 14-35L are a little more complicated and nuanced than my coverage of the EF predecessor years ago.

There’s a lot to love here, but also some serious remaining questions as well. You can watch my long format definitive or standard video review below…or just keep reading!

Thanks to Camera Canada for loaning me this lens for review. They are my personal source for my gear and have been great to work with. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Canon RF 14-35L Build and Handling

I was surprised when I looked up comparisons and discovered that the RF 14-35L was actually smaller and lighter than the older EF lens. This is impressive when you consider that the new RF lens goes significantly wider. At 84mm in diameter and 99mm in length, this is a reasonably compact zoom lens. It’s weight (544g) is moderate as well, making this lens significantly smaller and lighter than the F2.8 version (840g). You can see how the two compare here:

The RF 14-35L is a professional grade lens, with a high quality build that features advanced weather sealing. It starts with a robust gasket at the lens mount, roughly 11 internal seals, and a fluorine coating on the front element to help resist moisture and fingerprints. Wide angle lenses are frequently used outdoors, which makes quality weather sealing very important.

This is a lens with a constant maximum aperture of F4, and, while that isn’t a particularly large maximum aperture, I am more tolerant of slow apertures in wide angle lenses than in other focal lengths (save long telephoto, where F4 becomes a “fast” aperture). Many applications for wider focal lengths involve using smaller apertures anyway (landscapes, architecture, etc…) and only wedding photographers and photojournalists are likely to actually need a faster F2.8 lens. There’s a reason that the EF lens was so popular; most landscape photographers were perfectly happy with an F4 lens that was lighter to take into the field and lighter on their wallets as well. I suspect that feeling will hold true here as well.

Like other RF mount zooms, the RF 14-35L has three distinct rings on it. Closest to the lens mount is the zoom ring. It is the widest of the three and has an ergonomic bevel to it that makes it easy to find by feel. The zoom action has nice weight and smoothness, though it has another design element that I don’t love. It isn’t an internally zooming lens, so the lens barrel extends slightly (about 1 cm). That in itself isn’t a big deal, but what I don’t love is that the zoom action is “rocker style”, where the fully retracted position is in the middle of the zoom range (about 22mm), with the lens roughly equally zoomed out at either the wide or telephoto ends. My instinct is to retract the lens to the 14mm position (the traditional spot), but that ends up with the lens slightly extended. A minor thing, perhaps, but not a design element I enjoy.

The middle ring is the focus ring, which moves smoothly and with decent damping for a “focus-by-wire” lens. All mirrorless autofocusing lenses employ this manual focus method, which routes input on the focus ring through the focus motor. I thought I could detect the slightest amount of lag when moving quickly, but it was so faint that I couldn’t quite be sure. The focus ring does end up getting squeezed between the two other rings, so it is the least easy to find by touch because there is very little distance between it and the other rings (the zoom ring in particular).

The final ring is the control ring, a feature unique to RF lenses. It utilizes a unique diamond texture pattern that allows you to easily find it by touch. You can choose what function to assign to that ring, and it does have faint detents (clicks) as you rotate it, which gives you tactile feedback so that you know the changes you are making. Canon says this, “For photographers and moviemakers who would prefer a silent control ring, the clicking mechanism can be removed at a Canon Factory Service Center location for a fee.”

Like other RF lenses, the RF 14-35L does employ the 12 pin communication that allows Canon to do more with the RF mount, which is part of what enables the existence of this lens.

This lens does have Canon’s IS (Image Stabilization), and it is a highly effective application. The lens IS is rated up to 5.5 stops (which is very high!), but in theory you can reach as high as 7 stops when paired with the In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) of certain Canon cameras, like the EOS R5 I did this test on. I’ve never been able to realize those kind of figures myself, though I was able to get about a 40% keeper rate on this shot at 0.6 seconds and 35mm, which is between 4 and 5 stops of stabilization.

I don’t frankly see a lot applications for handholding slower shutter speeds than this, but what mattered more to me is that I was able to get very steady handheld video shots. That’s primarily static shots or shots with small, controlled movements. Walking with the bare lens doesn’t have the same smoothness as gimbal footage, though it is much better than without stabilization! The stabilization is otherwise very mannerly and quiet. It gets the job done very nicely and adds to the usefulness of the lens in lower lighting conditions, like this:

You can focus down as closely as 20cm (right under 8″) and can get a class leading 0.38x magnification at 35mm. This is mostly due to being about to get about 8cm closer than previous Canon wide angle zooms. That’s a very useful figure, though 35mm is the not the strong end of the focal range optically, so closeups lack a little contrast. Here’s a look at the degree of magnification at MFD:

That’s definitely close enough to allow you some extra creativity.

If you back up a little more, you can still get nice magnification along with improved contrast, like this shot:

Definitely a useful addition to the lens, and it easily surpasses the 0.21x of the RF 15-35mm F2.8L or the 0.23x of the older EF 16-35mm F4L IS.

Like most other equivalent Canon zooms, there are nine rounded aperture blades in the aperture iris. This seems to keep a fairly circular shape as you stop the lens down, though that maybe isn’t as important on a wide angle lens. Arguably more important is if you can produce nice sunbursts with the lens stopped down to smaller apertures, and fortunately I think the answer is yes. I quite like the look the sunbursts even if they are a bit busy:

The lens is made of a tough polycarbonate with a very fine flocking. It is not quite a matte finish, but close to it. My experience with these L series lenses is that they hold up very well over the long haul, and it’s not unusual for photographers to have used them for 10-20 years and they still look fairly good. The only other features on the lens is a small bank of two switches, an AF/MF switch and a ON/OFF for the IS.

There are no modes here, but Canon does say that the IS will automatically detect panning action and adjust accordingly.

All told, this is a nicely made lens that does a great job of mixing professional grade build quality with reasonable size and weight. This will undoubtedly continue to be a major selling feature for those who want to travel, hike, or go on safari with a wide angle lens.

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS Autofocus Performance

The RF 14-35L employs my favorite Canon focus system – Nano USM. This is a focus motor similar to what Sony calls a Linear Motor, which drives the focus group of elements back and forth rather than rotating them. This is a great application here, as focus is very fast, very quiet, and accurate. I screwed on a ten-stop ND1000 filter and focus was still essentially instantaneous for this shot.

I can definitely remember the days when autofocus simply wasn’t an option in this kind of situation, but those days are long gone.

I was able to easily get accurate focus results in my various adventures with the lens, including close focus situations.

As is sometimes the case with wide angle lenses, Eye AF is a bit of a mixed bag. Often the eye doesn’t occupy a large enough portion of the frame to get real time tracking, though often the depth of field is deep enough that it renders this a moot point. Still, I wasn’t always happy with the performance with humans in the frame. This shot of my sons and I turned out fine:

…but this shot of my daughter and I a few minutes later is clearly front focused despite having two sets of eyes clearly facing the camera:

This shot of our dog was very nicely focused as well.

My video results were also good. Focus pulls were quiet and smooth, with a well damped feeling that wasn’t too fast or twitchy. I saw minimal focus breathing and heard only the faintest of sounds in a perfectly quiet environment during major focus changes. The microphone didn’t really pick up anything, so this will be a non-issue in real world video work.

Overall my experience with autofocus was very positive, but I did have a few misses with humans in the frame (beyond what I’ve shown here). That surprised me, frankly, as eye detection seems to be pretty much the most reliable autofocus method these days. I suspect that autofocus will typically work very well for you, however, and often with wide angle lenses so much is in focus that it’s hard to miss!

RF 14-35L Optical Performance

As I noted in the introduction, my feelings about the optical performance here are a little nuanced. The optical formula is 16 elements in 12 groups, with three of those being UD-glass elements along with three Aspherical elements (Includes one UD Aspherical lens element). Ironically, my biggest complaint about the EF lens was that it was so good that it was almost boring. It was particularly exotic or exciting. Because the RF 14-35L goes as wide as 14mm, it does deliver a more exotic optical performance…but that comes with some risks. Canon has overcome some but not all of those obstacles as we will see. What’s not up for debate, however, is the sharpness of the lens. It is a very sharp lens and really delivers highly detailed images.

In fact, when I compared my results from the 15-35mm F2.8L IS that I reviewed last year, I found that the 14-35mm results were clearly better at equivalent apertures. That made me curious, so I looked up Canon’s MTF charts for the two lenses and found that yes, the RF 14-35L is the sharper lens of the two, and bests the EF 16-35mm F4L IS pretty handily, too.

That’s very impressive considering that Canon A) increased the zoom range and B) didn’t increase the lens size.

In many ways I’m impressed with the image quality, but there are a few obvious places where Canon’s engineers cut corners, too. The first and most obvious became very apparent to me because A) I’m a RAW shooter and B) there isn’t yet an automatic profile for RAW files in Lightroom. Profile or not, I always test lenses without profile corrections to determine what is optical performance and what is software corrections. In this case, at 14mm, there is a LOT of software assistance to get the final image. I was very surprised to see this in real world images:

Note those corners? That is actually mechanical vignetting, or a place where the lens actually doesn’t quite cover the full frame image circle. What you are are seeing is part of a lens’ circular opening iris that didn’t quite cover the rectangular sensor, so only the corners show dark. This isn’t lens vignetting in the traditional sense, as something physical is actually blocking light from reaching that portion of the sensor. Unlike typical vignette, this mechanical vignette will be there regardless of what aperture you choose; it is just as strong at F8 as it is at F4. I’ve seen this with superzoom or cheaper lenses, but I can’t recall seeing this on a professional grade zoom.

So let’s dive in a see what’s going on. Below is a sequence of three images, though this is actually all the same image. The first is the RAW file as it arrived in Lightroom (though with a white balance correction; the R5 is [for some reason] really terrible with the auto white balance on my test chart), the second is my attempt at manually correction the image, and the final is the JPEG image as it was corrected in camera.

Of the three, the JPEG is clearly the cleanest, though if you compare it to the previous images, you will see just how much of the frame is lost to achieve that final correction. What you see in the JPEG was how I framed the chart in camera, but the resulting RAW file was very loose in the frame because of how much space Canon is leaving for correction of both the heavy distortion and the various vignette issues. The distortion is extremely heavy; it required a +34 to achieve this manual correction, and it is also is not linear, so that results in a “mustache” pattern left behind. The standard correction profile obviously does a much cleaner job on the JPEG, and will on RAW images as well when that profile arrives.

I said “various vignette issues” as there are actually two separate issues here. The mechanical vignette issue can only be solved via cropping, as there is no picture information under that pure black in the corners. The traditional distortion is also very heavy, however, requiring me to max out the vignette slider at +100 and sliding the midpoint to zero. We are talking at least 3 stops of vignette, perhaps a bit more.

The heavy need for corrections also plays a bit of havoc with the focal length. On paper, the 14-35L is actually bit wider than the Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 prime lens which I used for comparison as it is the only other RF mount 14mm lens I had on hand. I put both lenses on a tripod and shot a brick wall scene to test width. Sure enough, the uncorrected image from the RF 14-35L is wider, though with some major problems, as you can see.

But I grabbed the corrected JPEGs from both lenses, and found, unsurprisingly, that now the Samyang’s image was actually wider. There are blocks showing on Samyang image (right) that are completely clipped off on the Canon’s image. I would say the corrected image from the Canon probably behaves more like a 15mm lens. I have to confess that all of this definitely bugged me on lens priced at $1700 in the US and $2250 here in Canada.

This will diminish the effectiveness of the 14-35L for things like real estate or architecture.

The good news is that things really improve as soon as you zoom in a bit. By 24mm there is next to no distortion, though the natural vignette remains extremely high (a feature of all Canon wide angle zooms since the EF 16-35L III). I needed a +91 to correct, so still near 4 stops in the corners.

Distortion remains mild at 35mm, with a bit of pincushion distortion. I corrected it with a -5. Vignette is milder, so a +49 corrected things fine. I still needed to pull the midpoint all the way to zero as the vignette increases very deep into the frame.

So a bit of rough start here, though things start looking much rosier after this. Incidentally, it was obvious in my Samyang/Canon comparison above that the Canon result was MUCH sharper. Sharpness in a landscape oriented lens is a big deal.

There is a bit of fringing at close distances on high contrast subjects, and the surface aberrations do come at the cost of a bit of sharpness.

This image in less extreme situations looks great, however.

Longitudinal CA in wide angle lenses is rarely a big deal, however, as you typically won’t have much out of focus anyway. Lateral chromatic aberrations are typically the weak point for wide angle lenses, but I didn’t see any issue with this in either my chart tests or real world shots.

You might have noticed in that crop that even on the very edge of the frame this lens is incredibly sharp. Love it! Let’s move on to testing that sharpness. Here’s a look at my test chart that the subsequent crops will from.

Here are 14mm crops from the center, mid-frame, and corner at F4 (all tests on the 45MP sensor of the EOS R5):

Obviously that’s an amazing result, and one that the more-expensive 15-35mm F2.8L can’t match.

There’s a bit more contrast on detail on tap at F5.6, but the RF 14-35L is sharp enough that you can use aperture for depth of field; there’s not really any need to stop down for increased sharpness.

I love the fabulous detail in my images.

Minimum aperture is F22, though diffraction will really soften images due to the high resolution of the EOS R5’s sensor. It will be a little less obvious on the EOS R6, but I would avoid F22 where possible.

The 20mm range on the RF 14-35L is great. The extreme distortion has disappeared but the stunning sharpness remains. Look at how sharp the lens even on the edge of the frame…and at 200% magnification:

Very impressive!

Real world images are stunning in this range:

24mm remains excellent, with arguably even more sharpness in the center but with a tiny bit less sharpness in the corners.

Stopping down will give you a bit more, and real world images are incredibly sharp.

28mm looks very similar to 24mm in terms of performance, which is to say very good.

The reign of excellence ends at 35mm, however, which (at least on the copy I tested) is considerably worse than the rest of the zoom range. You can see significantly reduced contrast when comparing to 28mm:

Stopping down doesn’t produce radically better results in the corner in terms of acuity, though contrast does improve a bit. Here’s a real world shot at F6.3, and you can see that while the center is pretty good (and the image overall is credibly sharp), the edge crop shows significant softness.

An F4 lens is never going to be a top pick for shooting astrophotography, but the RF 14-35L does a good job for what it has (though that vignette is a pain!). Coma is well controlled, and star points are nice and crisp across the frame.

A wide angle lens with a maximum aperture of F4 isn’t going to be a big “bokeh lens”, but you might be surprised. The close focus abilities allow you to get pretty nice bokeh results when you’re up close.

If you are backed up a bit from your subject, depth of field will get deep quickly, so bokeh simply won’t exist. Still, I felt like my up close shots looked nice.

Canon colors are generally pretty great, and I think that’s the case here. I generally liked the images I got with the lens.

I didn’t really see any issues with flare during the course of my review. I put the sun in the frame a number of times and never saw anything that turned me off.

Here’s another example:

As noted, this is a more complicated optical performance than the EF version. It is both better and worse. It’s sharper and more dynamic due to the wider focal range, but it also has more flaws (distortion and vignette). If you are shooting landscapes, you probably won’t have any problem, but I can’t really recommend the lens for architecture or interiors. Feel free to check out more images and draw your own conclusions by visiting the image gallery here.

Conclusion

My review of the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM has been more complicated that I expected. I fully expected this one to be extremely straightforward, much like my review of the EF 16-35mm F4L IS. What I found is a more flawed lens that remains very intriguing nonetheless. The first bit of controversy is the price tag, which at $1699 USD is a significant premium over the EF version’s $1199 USD. If you’ve been paying attention to Canon’s RF pricing, this probably isn’t all that shocking, however, as the premium lenses thus far have all been priced significantly higher than their EF equivalents. Not shocking, then, but still disappointing. I’ve heard some negative rumblings from my audience over this price point. Also controversial is the way that they handled the wide end, as it might have been safer to just produce a 15mm wide end without the mechanical vignette and extreme distortion. But I do commend Canon for taking risks, and for landscape photography these things aren’t necessarily deal breakers.

But there’s a lot on the positive end of the scale, too. This is an incredibly sharp wide angle lens essentially everywhere but at 35mm. It handles the 45Mp of resolution on my EOS R5 with aplomb and delivers wonderfully detailed images with great contrast and color. Flare resistance is excellent, and even coma is well handled. It is fairly compact and lightweight and the image stabilization is very effective as well.

I also really liked the images I got, and once the profile for RAW files arrives, the main defects of the lens will be nicely masked. I still think this is going to be a great option for those looking for a lightweight, versatile, and sharp wide angle zoom to take on hikes, trips, and into all kinds of shooting environments due to having great weather sealing. Canon took on a very ambitious zoom range here, and while they didn’t overcome every single obstacle, they have managed to give us a dynamic lens that is good at a lot of things. The Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM is a welcome addition to the RF lineup…warts and all.

Pros:

High grade of build
Reasonably compact and light
Professional grade of weather sealing
Goes to 14mm!
Retains ability to use screw-in filters
Image Stabilizer works effectively
Canon’s sharpest wide angle zoom yet
Beautiful color and great contrast (save at 35mm)
Chromatic aberrations well controlled
Good flare resistance
Good coma control
High level of magnification

Cons:

Price hike from the EF version
Fully retracted position in the middle of the zoom range
Focus ring hard to find by feel
Mechanical vignette at 14mm
Heavy vignette through a lot of the range
Heavy distortion at 14mm

Gear Used:

Purchase the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Purchase the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS @ B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3aUl8Tl | Amazon https://amzn.to/2ZiaByS | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/37o6x | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3G8oMXW | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3Gh5pfF | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3vx7Oh3

Keywords: Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS, Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS Review, Canon RF 14-35 Review, Canon 14-35, 14-35mm, RF 14-35, 14-35L, 14-35mm, F4L, IS, USM, Review, RF 14-35L Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Astro, Astrophotography, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mp, RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, Canon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

October 27th, 2021

Back in 2014 I reviewed the then new Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM and found it a serious breakthrough for Canon wide angle zooms. Both the EF 17-40mm F4L and EF 16-35mm F2.8L II had serious shortcomings, and the EF 16-35mm F4L IS solved most of them. It was also the first time that Canon put a stabilizer in a wide angle zoom like. Fast forward to 2021 where Canon’s EOS R mirrorless system is about three years old, and many of us had been wondering when a successor to the 16-35L IS would arrive for the RF mount. The answer is “now”, and that successor (the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM) has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, mostly notably a much wider angle of view at 14mm vs 16mm (114° vs 108°) and a much higher potential magnification factor of 0.38x vs 0.23x, though the former advantage will have to be take with a grain of salt (as we’ll see in a moment). Going as wide as 14mm is a zoom is a very big deal, though when you dive into the details of how Canon got there, you realize that there were a few compromises to accomplish it. One thing that wasn’t compromised (surprisingly) is the ability to use traditional screw in filters in a standard 77mm filter size. That enabled me to easily get some nice long exposures.

The RF 14-35L (as we’ll call it for brevity) has the capacity to deliver a lot of beautiful images, but those extra bells and whistles come at a price. Literally. The EF 16-35mm F4L IS was lauded for coming in at a reasonable price point of $1199 USD, but I’ve heard a fair bit of grumbling about the fact that the new RF 14-35L comes in at a much steeper $1699 USD. The problem, of course, is that if you want the F2.8 version (the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, which I reviewed here) you’ll have to shell out an even more breathtaking $2399 USD! Unfortunately that makes the RF 14-35L is the “value play” (unless you consider the Samyang/Rokinon AF 14mm F2.8, which I reviewed here). I’ve come to accept the reality that, at least for now, Canon shooters are going to have to be prepared to pay a premium for RF lenses. Essentially every RF mount L-series lens has come at a significant premium over its EF counterpart. You’ll have to pay that premium to get the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM, but there’s no question you will get a very sharp, versatile zoom that can give you some amazing photos.

We’ll break down both the strengths and weaknesses in this review, as my feelings on the RF 14-35mm F4L are a little more complicated and nuanced than my coverage of the EF predecessor years ago.

There’s a lot to love here, but also some serious remaining questions as well. You can see my thoughts either in my video or text review…or just check out the photos in the gallery below.

Thanks to Camera Canada for loaning me this lens for review. They are my personal source for my gear and have been great to work with. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and the photos shown in this review have been taken on my 45 MP Canon EOS R5.

Photos of the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS

Photos taken with the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS

Gear Used:

Purchase the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Keywords: Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS, Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS Review, Canon RF 14-35 Review, Canon 14-35, 14-35mm, RF 14-35, 14-35L, 14-35mm, F4L, IS, USM, Review, RF 14-35L Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Astro, Astrophotography, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mp, RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, Canon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS Review

Dustin Abbott

October 26th, 2020

Canon’s new RF mount has unleashed Canon’s creativity and ability to do things they couldn’t before. In the past, one had to choose between wider maximum aperture (EF 16-35mm F2.8L III) or having an image stabilizer (EF 16-35mm F4L IS), but the wider diameter mount along with superior communication ability has allowed Canon to give us the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, a lens that goes wider (110° vs 108°) and has both the wider maximum aperture (F2.8) and the Image Stabilizer (an effective 5 stop stabilizer). In fact, if you pair the RF 15-35mm with the new EOS R5 or EOS R6, you can actually get an effective 7 stops of stabilization (according to Canon). There’s certainly enough stability there to make handholding video and getting decent VLOG results easy. Canon has also managed to retain the ability to use traditional screw on filters at a large but relatively common 82mm size, which extends the usefulness of the RF15-35L (as we’ll refer to it for brevity in this review).

The RF15-35L is the wide angle 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 15-35mm, the RF 24-70mm 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. The wide angle member of the trio might get used a little less for weddings for photography, but it will definitely get a lot of play for wedding videographers as well as real estate walk-throughs, vlogging, and more. It also is going to be a very important lens for landscape photographers and even for journalists. This is an important lens for Canon to get right, and, for the most part, I think that’s just what they did, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few lingering questions…and perhaps the biggest one will be price.

As has been commonly the case with Canon’s RF mount lenses, the price tag is not cheap. The RF15-35L will set you back $2300 USD, which is expensive no matter how you slice it. There are two ways to look at this price, however, as if you consider how much more it has to offer than the EF 16-35mm F2.8L III, it is a relative bargain, adding image stabilization and a wider zoom range for only $100. At the end of the day, however, 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. For some (particularly hobbyists), the answer might be to wait until less expensive alternatives appear. It is my hope that this review will help to answer the questions you might have about this lens and help you make an informed decision as to whether the RF 15-35mm is the lens for you.

Want to watch your reviews instead? Check out either my long format definitive review or shorter standard video reviews.

Thanks to Camera Canada for getting me a loaner of the RF 15-35mm. If you’re in Canada, check them out for a reliable online retailer.

Canon RF15-35L Build, Handling, and Features

My first impression of the RF15-35L upon taking it out of the box was, “That is a big lens!”. I got a loaner of the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS in at the same time, and it didn’t feel like the two lenses were radically different in size. Some of this, however, is perceptual. My most recent wide angle zoom lenses that I’ve tested were the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DN and the Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 RXD, both for Sony FE. And they are both considerably smaller lenses, though, to be fair, they also have a smaller zoom ratio and neither has built-in stabilization. I was actually surprised to discover that the RF15-35L was actually very similar in size to the EF 16-35mm F2.8L III and considerably smaller than the Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 VC G2 lens. This chart shows how the lens compares to these alternatives.

The RF15-35L is actually fractionally shorter (126.8 vs 127.5mm) while being equal in diameter (88.5mm) to the EF 16-35L III, though the RF lens is 50g heavier at 840g. That definitely makes it fairly large and heavy, though the Tamron 15-30 G2 is considerably longer (145mm) and heavier (1110g). What stood out as most impressive to me is that Canon managed to avoid the bulbous front element of the Tamron and retained traditional filter threads in a large but common 82mm. This is huge, as it allows photographers to use traditional, widely available screw-on filters rather than an expensive and unwieldy square filter kit or some kind of rear filters.

One interesting observation from the comparison chart is that all three lenses focus down to an identical 28cm, though they each deliver slightly different magnification results. The RF15-35L falls mid-pack, slightly better than the Tamron’s 0.20x and slightly behind the EF lens’ 0.22x. The 0.21x figure of the RF lens is definitely a useful one:

I will note, however, that I wasn’t blown away by the close focus performance of the lens. Microcontrast and close focus resolution fell a little short of my expectations.

What didn’t fall short of my expectations, however, is the build. While Canon does utilize engineered plastics rather than metal in the shell of its lenses, the 15-35L feels dense and well made. It is engineered with Canon’s Vibration Shock Resistance, a technology I first started seeing on their high end RF lenses. The lens is engineered with the recognition that it will take some shocks and bumps in the course of professional use, and is designed to take those bumps without the lens elements becoming decentered. I know firsthand that Canon L series lenses are tough and hold up well over the long haul. I’ve owned some for over a decade that still look and function like new.

Also helping the lens to be professional grade is a thorough degree of weather sealing. Here is Canon’s language, “For reliable performance even when weather conditions get difficult, the RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens features a dust- and weather-resistant construction in the lens mount, switch panel and all rings. Sealing is applied to lens joining sections, and switch panels to help prevent water and dust from entering into the lens.” This is further augmented by having fluorine coatings on both the front and rear elements, which is resistant to dust sticking and also makes it easy to clean off fingerprints or moisture.

The lens is not internally zooming like the alternatives I’ve mentioned here. The length does extend by a couple of centimeters when at the 15mm position. Somewhere near 28mm the lens becomes fully retracted.

The lens has three rings on it, starting with a wide, tapered zoom ring, which flows into a thinner manual focus ring. The feel of the manual focus ring is mostly distinguished by not being wide and tapered nor having the diamond pattern finish of the control ring near the front of the lens. Canon has wisely maintained the unique texture of the control ring across various lenses, which helps because its location varies from lens to lens.

The control ring can have a variety of functions assigned to it from the camera body. You can use it as an aperture ring, exposure compensation dial, or any number of other functions. It is “clicked”, but Canon will “declick” it for video work for a fee.

There are two switches on the side of the barrel. One is a simple AF/MF switch, while the other is an ON/OFF for the stabilizer.

The RF15-35L does ship with a lens pouch and the lens hood. The lens hood (like those of Canon’s other wide angle zooms) is too narrow to have much shading value, though it does provide some additional protection for bumps to the front element.

It does reverse nice and tight for storage, however, so you might as well bring it along!

All told, the RF15-35L met my expectations for the build and handling of one of Canon’s L (Luxury) lenses. The zoom ring extends smoothly, the lens feels tough and robust, and, while large and heavy, Canon has managed to add more functionality to its wide angle formula without adding a lot of additional size and weight. It manages to do more than the Tamron lens with a smaller, lighter size…though that may not be all that comforting if you’re packing the lens around all day!

Finally, a note on the IS. This is a very effective image stabilizer, and, since I tested it primarily on the new Canon EOS R5, I had the benefit of the combined stability of both the lens and camera stabilizing systems working in harmony. In theory, one should be able to handhold ridiculously low shutter speeds, but I’ve always found that there is a practical limit to that. I’ve never, for example, really been able to handhold one second exposures with any kind of real consistency. There’s too much movement when the shutter is released, though the electronic shutter on the R5/6 helps. To me the true value is on the video front, where I can do everything from vlogging and walking to doing moving shots with some success. Not quite gimbal good, but a whole lot more convenient! The image stabilization works very well on this lens, and that definitely extends its usefulness.

Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM Autofocus Performance

Canon has given the RF15-35L their Nano-USM focus system. I’m a fan of Nano-USM, as it is typically fast and quiet. It doesn’t work with all lenses (it doesn’t seem to have enough torque for lenses with very large elements like the 50mm or 85mm F1.2L RF lenses), but a wide angle lens like this has easier demands of a focus system. The good news is that focus here is very fast, very quiet, and, in my tests, very accurate. I’ve sometimes seen an issue with some wide angle Sony lenses where there was some pulsing of focus in AF-C (continuous AF) mode, but I’ve not seen any of that here.

Standard focus changes happen near instantaneously, and I heard next to no sound in normal focus operation. When I did my standard focus pull test for video, I could hear some slight whirring during major focus changes, but I didn’t really hear anything during normal clips with less focus changes and a little more environmental sound.

In many situations when shooting at the wider end of the zoom range, you will mostly find that pretty much everything is in focus, so it was more at 35mm and close focus distances where I felt the focus system was challenged at all, but my focus accuracy in these situations is very good.

I’ll also note that I was able to focus perfectly fine with a ten-stop ND filter attached when shooting long exposures. In time past, it wouldn’t be unusual to not be able to autofocus in that kind of situation, but improved focus systems have helped considerably in this area. I suspect that you will get good autofocus results even in dimly lit churches or other venues.

I have no criticisms about the autofocus here. It is quieter in operation than, say, the ring-type USM found in the EF 16-35L III while also giving us very fast focus speeds.

Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS Video Performance

It is obviously very difficult to illustrate video performance in a text review, but the RF15-35L is a very important video lens for a few reasons. In some ways those reasons are a little less imperative after the release of the EOS5/6 bodies, but they are still worth discussing.

Canon’s early EOS R series cameras (EOS R, RP, etc…) had two significant liabilities when it came to video that the RF15-35L addressed. The first was a lack of IBIS, and stabilization is imperative to getting decent video footage. The RF15-35L has an effective lens image stabilizer, which helped address that problem. The second limitation was a very large 1.7x crop factor when shooting 4K, which makes getting wide angle footage difficult. The extremely wide focal length of the 15-35mm allowed one to overcome that shortcoming and still get a focal length equivalent of 25.5mm, very close to the popular 24mm focal length.

The newer EOS R5/6 bodies solve both of these problems, but that just means that video shooters have better image stabilization and more flexibility with the focal length.

The RF15-35L is a popular lens for wedding video, real estate walkthroughs, and vlogging for obvious reasons. It has a great zoom range and delivers crisp footage with great detail.

The only potential downside is that it is a big, heavy lens that won’t work as well on most gimbals as a smaller, lighter lens.

Canon RF15-35L Image Quality

This is the critical area, to me, as when I review a lens with a premium price tag, I expect a premium optical performance. Is the RF-15-35L able to deliver?

For the most part, I think the answer is yes, though I wasn’t uniformly impressed. My principle criticism is a familiar one after reviewing the EF 16-35L III; like that lens, the RF15-35L suffers from a severe amount of vignette on the wide end…and I mean severe.

As you can see, the vignette in the corners approaches 5 stops, which puts it outside my ability to manually correct for it in Lightroom. I’ve maxed out the sliders on the corrected image on the right, but you can see that some vignette persists in the corners. A similar degree of vignette remains after the correction profile is applied, so this could be a problem in certain situations. If you are shooting at higher ISO values, it is possible that you could introduce some noise into the corners after correction. I’ve praised Canon’s ability to avoid a curved front element, but I believe that this is the consequence. The Tamron 15-30mm has that curved front element, but it also has less than half the vignette we see here.

In camera profiles will correct JPEG and video, but expect those same limitations in some situations (for me the most difficult scenario is shooting in winter, as snowy corners really show vignette). Neither does the problem just “go away” as you stop the lens down; nearly three stops of vignette persist in the extreme corners even at F11.

There is also a considerable amount of barrel distortion at 15mm, though the standard profiles have an easier job in correcting that. The distortion turns to mild pincushion distortion by 35mm, and the vignette is still heavy, but about a stop less and thus falls more in the typical range for correction.

How impactful the heavy vignette is will depend on your shooting environments. For someone like me who shoots in snowy environments nearly half the year, this is a real issue, but your shooting environments may be less demanding. Here’s what that vignette looked like in a standard shot of my living room.

This is without correction, and, while the vignette is obvious, I don’t think it ruins the image. But a snowy scene would be a different matter (though thankfully there is no snow on the ground at the moment!!)

Fortunately this is my biggest complaint. This is a great zoom range, giving you a lot of framing options with each scene. You can go from this:

…to this:

The primary optical strength of the lens is that it provides fairly even sharpness across the frame and a fairly even performance across the zoom range. There’s a bit of a dip at 20mm, and I found the strongest performance to fall somewhere around 24mm.

First of all, however, at 15mm. Here’s my test chart that I will show crops from:

Here are the crops from the center, midframe, and then far corner.

What I see is fairly good sharpness with only moderately good contrast.

I don’t like to test lenses in a vacuum, as I prefer to see how they compare to rival or comparable products. There are relatively few wide angle options available in the RF mount thus far, but I did happen to have the Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 in an RF mount. I tested them both, side by side, on the 45Mpx sensor of the EOS R5. Here’s a look at how those comparisons from the center, mid-frame, and top left corner compare:

My observations were that the center performance was similar, though with a slight contrast edge to the Samyang. The mid-frame result strongly favors the Samyang, but the corner result goes to the Canon. One minor issue for the Canon that you can also see in that corner crop is that there is a bit of lateral chromatic aberrations on either side of the black lines whereas the prime is essentially free of those. I’ll also note that I had to add one third stop of exposure to the Canon zoom to get equal exposure.

The Canon lens has more potential for sharpening, however, and when stopped down to F5.6, the Canon lens was sharper everywhere save the mid-frame where the Samyang is particularly strong.

F8 proved to be the strongest aperture for across the frame sharpness and contrast and should be the preferred aperture for landscapes. Real world images at smaller apertures are sharp and contrasty:

At 20mm, the F2.8 performance is the weakest of the zoom range. Contrast levels weren’t exceptional, but there was a LOT of potential for improving sharpness and contrast by stopping down to F5.6 other than in the extreme corners, which remain a bit soft.

Real world images at 5.6 look pretty good, though obviously the corners aren’t razer sharp.

I was more impressed at 24mm, where wide open performance was strong and got even better when stopped down to F5.6. Even corners got impressively sharp at F5.6 at 24mm.

At 35mm is where the RF lens shows the greatest improvement over the EF 16-35LIII. It isn’t pin-sharp at F2.8, but when stopped down to F5.6 it delivers very strong sharpness across the frame.

Real world 35mm results look generally excellent:

My one complaint about sharpness and contrast is at close focus distances, where contrast and detail aren’t particularly impressive. Take a look at the crop from this image:

That was fairly representative of what I saw, and I didn’t have any close up images where I was impressed with the results. One could stop down, of course, to improve sharpness, but that also means you have even less opportunity to create background blur. Speaking of that blur (bokeh), this is the one area where the older EF 16-35L and LII lenses were superior. They didn’t have amazing sharpness or contrast, but they did deliver surprisingly soft and smooth backgrounds when put in the right situation. I found the bokeh a little on the busy side with the RF15-35L, though bokeh is a subjective measure and you can decide for yourself:

My findings on flare were a bit of a mixed bag. I thought the lens had a nice sunburst (18 pointed due to the 9 aperture blades), and when I controlled the positioning of the sun I got fairly good results for stills:

I was less impressed when panning across the sun for video, however. The flare pattern (ghosting) was fairly strong and could certainly negatively impact footage unless you 1) want that look or 2) aren’t careful in the way you position the sun.

Another positive is that the RF15-35L delivered very nice results for shooting the night sky (astrophotography). Star shapes become mildly distorted along the edge of the frame, but not in a significant way. I was able to get beautiful star results:

The great zoom range gives you a lot of choices for framing scenes and getting some dramatic stretch of stars to compliment your foreground.

I got a lot of great images with the RF15-35L, and you can check out the image gallery if you want to see more of them. I think that Canon has delivered a strong image quality performance that will make most photographers happy, but at the same time I picked up on a few areas where the engineers compromised to deliver everything they did in this lens.

Conclusion

The Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM is a very important lens for Canon’s full frame mirrorless ecosystem. It’s the kind of the lens that working professionals need, be they wedding photographers, journalists, or landscape photographers. Canon has managed to increase the functionality of their “last generation” wide angle zooms by increasing the zoom range and giving both a wide maximum aperture and image stabilization all in one package. They impressively did this while managing to retain the ability to use traditional screw-in filters, which makes the lens more accessible and easier to use.

A lens like the RF15-35L makes it easy to get beautiful landscapes or dramatic wedding shots, though it is a lens designed around professionals. It’s large and heavy, and thus requires that extra level of commitment to use.

It isn’t a perfect lens. It is expensive ($2299 USD), which will be the chief obstacle to many potentially interested customers. It has an obscene amount of vignette and a fair amount of distortion at 15mm. But it has great autofocus, an excellent image stabilizer, and delivers sharp images with good color and contrast. I doubt many will be put off by its performance, but there may be a few that are unwilling or unable to pay the price of entry. That leaves room for Canon to do what it is has always done, though, and give us an F4 alternative at about 60% of the price. But if you want it all, the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM is the wide angle zoom to get.

Pros:

Strong, robust build quality
Quality weather resistance
Quiet and quick autofocus
Effective image stabilization
Ability to use traditional filters
Excellent focal range
Consistent performance across frame and zoom range

Cons:

Very heavy vignette
Some vulnerability to flare
Close up image quality a little soft
Expensive

Gear Used:

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 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 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

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Use Code “DUSTINHDR” to get $10 off ($15 CDN) any Skylum product: Luminar, Aurora, or AirMagic

Purchase a Canon EOS R6 @ B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3dCt9g3 | Amazon https://amzn.to/3o0T4Tm | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/2k730 | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3424pLc | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2H9e6yj | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/2T0BkJJ | Ebay http://bit.ly/EOSR6dla

Keywords: Canon 15-35, 15-35mm, RF 15-35, 15-35L, 15-35mm, F2.8L, IS, USM, Review, RF 15-35L Review, Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon EOS R5 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Dynamic Range, Tracking, Focus, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Astro, 45Mpx, RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, Canon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

October 21st, 2020

Canon’s new RF mount has unleashed Canon’s creativity and ability to do things they couldn’t before. In the past, one had to choose between wider maximum aperture (EF 16-35mm F2.8L III) or having an image stabilizer (EF 16-35mm F4L IS), but the wider diameter mount along with superior communication ability has allowed Canon to give us the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, a lens that goes wider (110° vs 108°) and has both the wider maximum aperture (F2.8) and the Image Stabilizer (an effective 5 stop stabilizer). In fact, if you pair the RF 15-35mm with the new EOS R5 or EOS R6, you can actually get an effective 7 stops of stabilization (according to Canon). There’s certainly enough stability there to make handholding video and getting decent VLOG results easy. Canon has also managed to retain the ability to use traditional screw on filters at a large but relatively common 82mm size.

As has been commonly the case with Canon’s RF mount lenses, the price tag is not cheap. The RF 15-35mm will set you back $2300 USD, which is expensive no matter how you slice it. There are two ways to look at this price, however, as if you consider how much more it has to offer than the EF 16-35mm F2.8L III, it is a relative bargain, adding image stabilization and a wider zoom range for only $100. At the end of the day, however, 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.

The photo galleries below will give you a closer look at the lens along with photos taken with it on the Canon EOS R5 camera. Stay tuned for my upcoming reviews!

Thanks to Camera Canada for getting me a loaner of the RF 15-35mm. If you’re in Canada, check them out for a reliable online retailer.

Photos of the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS

Photos taken with the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS

Gear Used:

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 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 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

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like. Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Use Code “DUSTINHDR” to get $10 off ($15 CDN) any Skylum product: Luminar, Aurora, or AirMagic

Purchase a Canon EOS R6 @ B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3dCt9g3 | Amazon https://amzn.to/3o0T4Tm | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/2k730 | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3424pLc | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2H9e6yj | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/2T0BkJJ | Ebay http://bit.ly/EOSR6dla

Keywords: Canon RF 70-200, Canon RF 70-200mm, 70-200, 70-200mm, RF, 70-200L, L, IS, USM Canon EOS R5, EOS, R5, EOS R5, EOS R6, mirrorless, full frame, EOS R5 Review, Canon R5 Review, Canon 70-200 Review, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Tracking, Focus, Burst Rate, Tracking, Sports, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Dogs, Ergonomics, 45Mpx, Sony a9, RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS, RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS, Canon

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Review

Dustin Abbott

November 26th, 2021

Canon RF100M Build and Handling

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS Autofocus Performance

RF100M Optical Performance

Conclusion

Pros:

Cons:

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS @B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3HG7lPc | Amazon https://amzn.to/3nC0bnd | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/39jfr | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3nyjduF | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/32lVmX3 | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3kXBrUD | Ebay https://ebay.us/3b3GVf

Related Articles at DustinAbbott.net

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

November 24th, 2021

Images of the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS

Images taken with the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS

Purchase the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Related Articles at DustinAbbott.net

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Review

Dustin Abbott

November 22nd, 2021

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Build, Handling, and Features

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Optical Performance

Conclusion

Pros:

Cons:

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon https://amzn.to/3ccVI3O | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3cbDsIk | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cbJLvj

Related Articles at DustinAbbott.net

Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

November 21st, 2021

Images of the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95

Image from the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Purchase the Brightin Star 50mm F0.95 @ Amazon https://amzn.to/3ccVI3O | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3cbDsIk | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cbJLvj

Related Articles at DustinAbbott.net

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM Review

Dustin Abbott

October 27th, 2021

Canon RF 14-35L Build and Handling

Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS Autofocus Performance

RF 14-35L Optical Performance

Conclusion

Pros:

Cons:

Purchase the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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 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

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Peak Design Leash Strap: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK

Purchase the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS @ B&H Photo https://bhpho.to/3aUl8Tl | Amazon https://amzn.to/2ZiaByS | Camera Canada https://shrsl.com/37o6x | Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3G8oMXW | Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3Gh5pfF | Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3vx7Oh3

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Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM Image Gallery

Dustin Abbott

October 27th, 2021

Photos of the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS