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New Canon RF Lenses RF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens And RF 85mm f/1.2 DS Lens

CANON RF 70-200MM F/2.8 IS LENS
Completing that trinity of zoom lenses is a big deal for the RF eco system and provides some great options for photographers. The new RF 70-200 is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the EF version, about 27% shorter and about 28% lighter. This is perfect for the smaller form factor of the EOS R and the RP.

Part of what makes the RF lenses great is that Canon are able to achieve great image quality while being able to reduce the number of elements in the lenses. This is what makes them smaller and lighter and while this isn’t true for every lens, it’s certainly the case here. There’s also a sub wave coating which reduces flaring and ghosting. For the first time ever, Canon have included dual nano USM motoros in the lens making it faster, more accurate, quieter and more efficient with its power. It’s still a push/pull zoom but to combat dust getting into the lens, Canon have included a filter that sits between the barrels of the lens to stop dust from being sucked inside when you use the zoom.

Much like the 15-35mm and the 24-70mm, this lens is image stabilised giving you 5 stops of image stabilisation. I use the EF version a lot for handheld video so having the IS in this lens is a massive plus for things like that.

CANON RF 85MM F/1.2 DS
This is a very interesting lens, you might already be familiar with the RF 85mm f/1.2 but the big difference here is the DS which stands for defocused smoothing. This gives a very different look to the image and in particular the bokeh in the image.

It makes the bokeh appear much softer, more diffused and almost gives a feather effect to bokeh balls in the background as opposed to harsher, crisper bokeh balls that we’re used to from more traditional lenses. This look isn’t going to be for everyone but it does make for quite a dreamy look to the images. It’s achieved with a special coating inside the lens which does mean that even though the lens is a f/1.2 lens, you lose about a stop of light by the time it reaches the sensor. Personally, I don’t think that’s a particularly big deal, the EOS R is one of the best camera s I have ever used for low light photography so losing one stop of light is not the end of the world. With that said, this lens is going to be great for controlled light situations.

Otherwise, the lens feels great, it’s pretty big but you’d probably expect that from a f/1.2 lens. It feels good in the hands and it still has decent weather sealing.

Like I mentioned before, this lens isn’t going to be for everyone, it’s a fairly unique look that some people are going to absolutely love but apart from anything else, it’s great to see something a little different.

You can check out the full specs and pricing for both lenses over on our website here:

Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 DS Lens

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By Park Cameras on 24/10/2019