It’s been awhile since Canon (or any major camera and lens manufacturer) has been able to really move the needle so much without releasing a new groundbreaking camera.
Yet, despite no official announcement of a new R1 camera (or even a confirmation of a digital retro-style camera remake), Canon made major industry waves with the simultaneous announcements of some major firmware updates as well as three new RF lenses. While we’ll probably still have more to say about the firmware updates and Canon’s sneaky addition of their new multi-camera iPhone app, there was almost too much news dropped all at once.
Not wanting anything to get lost in the newscycle though, we felt the need to highlight one of the new lenses Canon announced yesterday. Canon’s new RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z zoom lens is a major lens release that we think you should at least hear about.
Let’s check out this new full-frame zoom and explore how it's Canon’s first of its kind at this focal length and aperture.
The Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z
As we mentioned in our initial write-up on this lens, Canon’s latest lineup of RF zoom lenses cover a wide range of focal lengths. With new options ranging from 10mm to 800mm, you could potentially just purchase these three lenses and never have to worry about coverage ever again.
Designed to be a powerful multiuse zoom for both photo and video, the RF 24-105mm features a constant f/2.8 aperture which should allow for some of the best low light performances ever seen on a zoom lens of this caliber. It should also be able to provide some absolutely stunning bokeh for portraits at any focal length with this low aperture.
Like all of these new Canon lenses, it’s also of course going to include plenty of great in-lens optical stabilization and sharpness with its four ultra-low dispersion elements and three aspherical elements.
The Best Full-Frame Zoom Option?
Still, the greatest strengths associated with this new zoom lens is really just its simplicity and wide-ranging useability. Similar to the kit zoom lens you might find on pretty much any new interchangeable lens Canon camera, this RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z zoom will most undoubtedly be a major upgrade.
Plus, with its full-frame coverage it will literally be able to zoom past the traditional 70mm road-blocks and unlock true portrait-length 105mm for some rarely seen, yet very beautiful, compositions. It’s also a great working-person’s camera with its wide coverage range and great low-light capabilities.
Speaking from experience having shot my fair share of wedding and event videos over the years, having a versatile full-frame zoom lens that can handle both the bright outdoors and the dark dance floors over a long-working weekend, a zoom with this focal length and aperture combo should be a breath of fresh air.
Price and Availability
While just announced, Canon has confirmed that the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z (along with its concurrent other lenses) will be available to ship starting in mid-December. This full-frame zoom is available to pre-order now and is launching at a $2,999.00 price point.
Now, to some, this may indeed seem high. But as we’ve seen with other similar lenses with such a low aperture, these capabilities often come at a price. And in reality, while you should obviously check your own budgets and plan accordingly, lenses like these should be better investments than your similarly-priced cameras as they’ll honestly last longer — both from a durability perspective as as well as a less-likely to become outdated by the next year.
Still, any purchases are up to you. But if you are interested, you can check out the specs below, as well as I’m sure keep your eyes online as there will undoubtedly be plenty of review videos and case studies coming out soon.
- Full-Frame | f/2.8 to f/22
- Two Nano USM Motors
- 11-Blade Diaphragm
- Optical Image Stabilizer
- 3 Aspherical Elements, 4 UD Elements
- SSC, ASC & Fluorine Coating
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens (Canon RF)
A powerful multiuse zoom for photo and video, the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens from Canon is the first of its kind at this focal length and aperture. By utilizing dual Nano USM motors, this lens achieves fast and nearly silent autofocusing.
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