Canon RF Lenses for the EOS R5
The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS shown on the Canon EOS R5
First Impression of Four Canon RF Lenses for the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R3 Introduction
Canon’s Roadshow made a stop in Vancouver last week and it gave me a chance for a second round with the Canon EOS R5. The EOS R5 was my favorite camera in a recent comparison test with the Sony A7R IV and Nikon Z7 II.
The friendly Canon Roadshow staff kindly let me go way over my allotted time as I had a long list of RF lenses I was interested in. For my Canon EOS R5 review, I had the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L and Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L lenses. This time around I was aiming for slightly smaller lenses (except for the RF 600mm f/11 IS STM).
Testing the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM
A Second Look at the Canon EOS R5
While it was great to have another hands-on with the Canon EOS R5, this post will be more about the Canon RF lenses than the camera itself. The EOS R5 was as nice as I recalled it to be. A real slick picture-making machine if you will.
My initial time slot was only 30 minutes and it was a tad hectic getting the camera set up to my liking. I gave up on some of the settings as I still don’t know the menu system that well.
Again it became evident to me that the EOS R5 has a very deep feature set and spending time getting it set up to liking will be a well-worth investment.
It was not the best day for testing cameras and lenses. It was pouring rain for the entire test period but in hindsight maybe it was good to see how the gear handled the rain.
I do want to apologize for the somewhat dreary sample images as they are all captured in the rain, in the same vicinity, and in a very short period of time.
Sunset Beach, Vancovuer, Canon EOS R5, RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM @ f/1.8
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM
At $1699.00, the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM is an affordable, compact, and lighter alternative to the $2,399.00 RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM. The RF 14-35mm feels great in the hand and is just about perfectly sized and balanced on the EOS R5.
The RF 14-35mm f/4 takes 77 mm filters and weighs a mere 19.2 oz, 544 g. The zoom ring is very smooth and the lens delivers a versatile zoom range for a variety of topics from landscapes to architecture or interior photography.
I used Canon's EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM and EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS for a number of years for these applications.
I tried the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM last year when I took a brief look a the Canon EOS R6 but found it very big. This new RF 14-35mm f/4L IS would be more in line with what I would opt for if I was looking for an ultra-wide-angle zoom.
Given the short amount of time, I cannot pass any final judgment on the image quality but I did notice heavy vignetting at 14mm which can be cleaned up using the lens profile in post-processing.
Lightroom has not been updated with the proper profile. The two photos below at 14mm are shot at f/6.3. The first shot is from a RAW file and the second is the corrected JPEG from the camera. Notice the correction of barrel distortion and vignetting.
The RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM has 16 elements in 12 groups including 3 UD and 3 aspherical, 9 rounded aperture blades, and a minimum focusing distance is 7.9", 20.1 cm.
I know Canon is always pushing the envelope with lenses for which I guess they should be applauded but I wonder if this lens wouldn’t have been even more compact and affordable as an RF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM. Below I have a couple more sample images. One at 35mm and one at 14mm.
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM
Next was the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM. I am not a macro shooter so the close-up features of this lens may be wasted on me. I do, however, favor the 35mm focal length, and with a reasonably fast max f-stop of 1.8, low weight of 10.76 oz, 305 g, and affordable price of $499.99, I wanted to give this one a try.
The RF 35mm f/1.8 features an STM stepping AF motor and I wish it had been USM as it is quieter when focusing. The lens has 1:2 max. magnification and the minimum focusing distance is 6.7", 17 cm.
The Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM shown on the Canon EOS R5
It is hard to beat the RF 35mm f/1.8 for compactness and the filter size is a manageable 52 mm. The lens would work great as a walk-around lightweight option. The lens-to-camera balance is great also.
I only had a few minutes with the RF 35mm f/1.8 and again it is not fair to pass final judgment but as you will read below some of the lenses felt good from the get-go but the RF 35mm f/1.8 was not one of them. While images may look sharp, I do think they lack some character.
Again there is noticeable vignetting when shooting wide open. Please see the sample images below. The first two photos will show the vignetting.
Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
When I first started digital photography in 2004 it was the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L non-IS that won me over, more so than the Canon D60 camera. It was an awesome lens even if it didn’t have IS. Fast forward to 2021 and I get the exact same feeling when handling the new RF 70-200mm f/4L IS.
The design of this lens is so elegant and the feel is top-notch. The zoom ring is butter smooth with just the right amount of friction and the lens is well-balanced on the EOS R5.
At $1,599.00 the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS certainly isn’t inexpensive but it is priced $1,200.00 lower than the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS.
The Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM shown on a Canon EOS R5
The RF 70-200mm f/4L IS weighs 1.5 lb, 695 g, in comparison to 2.35 lb, 1070 g, for the f/2.8 version. It has four UD elements, optical image stabilization, a minimum focusing distance of 2' / 60 cm, and takes 77 mm filters. Unlike the f/2.8 version, it does not have a tripod collar.
As a travel lens, I find the RF 70-200mm f/4 quite intriguing and if I was choosing, I would pick it over the f/2.8 version due to the lower weight and price.
With the excellent high ISO performance of cameras today, having the max. f/2.8 f-stop becomes less important. With that said if I was shooting sports or looking for a dedicated zoom for pro fashion or portrait photography, the choice would be harder.
For a closer look at the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS please see my review here:
Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS - Review
Below are four sample images from the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS.
Canon RF 85mm F/2 Macro IS STM
Canon 85mm lenses have been a big part of my photography journey over the years. Decades ago, I had a Canon FD 85mm f/1.8 for my film camera and when autofocus was introduced I had the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM. The EF 85mm f/1.8 lasted for years and even after I dropped it in Sydney Harbour, Australia, I continued to use it although saltwater go it and it was stuck at f/1.8.
For the longest time, I used a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II with various Canon EOS 5D cameras and it was a stellar lens.
Going into this test I didn’t know what to expect. I liked the size, weight of 17.64 oz, 500 g, affordable price point at $599.99, and the max. f-stop of f/2 would be a compromise I would be willing to make despite having used faster lenses in the past.
The Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM shown on the Canon EOS R5
As with the RF 35mm f/1.8, the RF features a 1:2 macro reproduction ratio. Further to this it has 9 rounded diaphragm blades that should ensure nice bokeh, 12 elements in 11 groups with one being a UD element, a minimum focusing distance of 1.15', 35.05 cm, and it takes 67mm filters.
The size, weight, and balance ratio to the EOS R5 are perfect but again I was not a big fan of the buzzy STM stepping motor autofocus. Images produced in my very limited test looked decent.
Please see four sample images below from the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM.
Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM
Going to the Canon event I had no intentions of trying out this lens but there it was and I figured, why not take it for a quick spin? I had briefly seen the announcement of this along with the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM but it is not my usual cup of tea and had largely ignored it.
But hang on! What a concept. At an affordable price point of $699.99, we now have 600mm prime, albeit with a slow f/11 aperture. The lens has IS, image stabilization, making handhold photos a possibility and from my brief experience it focuses fast, and I won’t snicker at the image quality.
The Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM shown on the Canon EOS R5
The RF 600mm f/11 IS STM features a retractable design. You unlock the rubber ring on the lens and simply pull it out to the full length. That is it, and you are ready to shoot. The lens weighs 2.05 lb, 930 g, with dimensions of 3.66 x 10.61", 93 x 269.5 mm, and takes 82mm filters.
For a lens this size, it did not feel heavy on the EOS R5. Obviously the max. f-stop of f/11 will limit the conditions you can use the lens in. I bumped the ISO up to 1600 and shot the below sample images hand-held.
As a fair-weather lens, this is an awesome alternative to the much more expensive super-telephoto lens options from Canon and would be a great way to start out with wildlife photography. Especially with cameras handling higher ISO values better and better.
The Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM in comparison retails for $899.99.
Please see four sample images below from the RF 600mm f/11 IS STM.
Canon EOS R3 Introduction
September 14th was also the day Canon announced the brand new Canon EOS R3, a camera that is meant to fit the slot between the Canon EOS R5 and Canon 1DX Mark III. I asked at the Canon event if they had an EOS R3 I could try but unfortunately, they did not.
I had a Canon EOS 1D Mark III for a couple of years and used it extensively for soccer, cross-country skiing, and for everything else where a high frame rate combined with the need for good autofocus tracking was needed.
The EOS R3 promises a new eye-tracking feature, where the autofocus is initiated by looking at your target and the AF system will take over from there. Pretty cool. Here is a first impressions video from the guys at DP Review.
The $5,999.00 EOS R3 will not only have AI autofocus algorithms for people and animals but also for vehicles, notably race cars and motorcycles. If I was still shooting sports and wildlife I think I would have been drooling over this release. The camera will feature a BSI 24-megapixel stacked CMOS sensor.
The Canon EOS R3
The Canon EOS R3, top view
Canon is certainly on fire these days with a slew of new lenses and now the EOS R3. I do have another Canon review coming up and wanted to keep it separate as I have way more sample images from the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM than any of the above-mentioned lenses. It will also be a case of “saving the best for last”. Stay tuned.
Update: You can now see my Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L review here:
Canon Reviews
Canon EOS R5
Canon EOS R6
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS
Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
Sony A7R IV vs. Canon EOS R5 vs. Nikon Z7 II
See all of my reviews at a glance: Camera Reviews - Archives
