List of Canon RF lenses
This page gathers all the lenses for the Canon RF mount, naturally including Canon RF lenses, but also the best known third-party brands. I will update this page as new releases come out. The Canon RF mount was released in 2018 with the introduction of Canon’s first mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor, the Canon EOS R. This mount is compatible, via an adapter ring, with the EF (1987) and EF-S (2003) mounts. However, it is not compatible with the EF-M mount dedicated to mirrorless cameras for an APS-C sensor.
All of these lenses can therefore be mounted on the full range of Canon full-frame large sensor bodies such as :
- The Canon R, 30.3 Million Pixels, released in October 2018,
- The Canon RP, 26.2 MP, released in March 2019,
- The Canon Ra, 30.3 MP, released in November 2019. It is almost identical to the Canon R but owns a IR cut-off filter to better capture the characteristic light for astrophotography (H-Alpha light). It is a “classic” camera but will be perfectly adapted to take pictures in low light, at night and in starry sky,
- The Canon R5, 44.8 MP, released in July 2020,
- The Canon R6, 20.1 MP, also released in July 2020 (at the same time as the R5).
I talk about these cameras briefly in the article on the best mirrorless cameras. Soon, I will present all the cameras in detail in a dedicated page, hoping to be able to guide you in your choice.
For information, the Canon R5 and R6 mentioned above are the first Canon full-frame mirrorless camera bodies to have a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system. The camera body’s stabilizer will work perfectly in addition to the lenses with stabilization.
For information, all the tables below are sortable. Simply click on the desired column if you wish to classify, for example, lenses according to their maximum aperture, the size of the filter or their focal length.
In short, choosing lenses has never really been easy, but I hope this list can help you, at least at first. I won’t necessarily talk about optical defaults (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations) here because many tests do this in a very precise way. The purpose of this guide is to simply provide you with a list of all the lenses that can be used with the Canon RF mount, while trying to maintain this page as up-to-date as possible. For the moment, the range is relatively new so the listing was rather easy but as soon as third-party brands will be able to produce lenses with autofocus for this RF mount, the range should expand very quickly.
Canon RF lenses
The Canon RF range is still new on the market, hence its limited choice, but should develop quickly. All Canon RF lenses are listed below. All these lenses have an autofocus. You will then have access at zoom lens, prime lens, telephoto lens, etc.
As usual, I have split all Canon RF-mount lenses into four categories for better visibility:
- Wide angle (WA) and ultra wide angle (UWA) lenses: focal lengths less than 20mm (UWA) and from 20mm to 35mm (WA),
- Standard focal length lenses: for focal lengths from 35mm to 75mm,
- Telephoto lenses: for focal lengths beyond 75mm,
- Macro type lenses: for macro photography (there is no 1:1 ratio lens available from Canon at the moment).
Wide angle and Ultra-wide angle Canon RF lenses
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stab. | Autofocus | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wide Angle | Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS | 15-35mm | f/2.8 | 82mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
As I write these few lines, there is only one ultra-wide angle lens, the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS. To take pictures of landscapes, architecture or wide shots indoors, this is a lens that will suit your needs perfectly. The constant aperture at f/2.8 will allow you to shoot in low light conditions. Even if the optical quality is considered as excellent, the price remains very high. For now, at the end of 2020, the range of wide angle and ultra-wide angle lenses for the RF mount is truly limited. Canon has already announced two new wide-angle lenses for 2021: the Canon RF 10-24mm f/4L USM and the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM. Let’s wait and see the prices.
To shoot very wide pictures, and without breaking the bank, you don’t have much choice at the moment. The only current alternative with autofocus will be the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 Canon RF, which is currently three times cheaper than the 15-35mm from Canon. There are different manual focus lenses available at Laowa, including 9mm, 11mm, 12mm, 14mm and 15mm.
Canon RF standard focal length lenses
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stab. | Autofocus | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard zoom | Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM | 24-105mm | f/4-7.1 | 67mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard zoom | Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | 24-105mm | f/4 | 77mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard zoom | Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS | 24-70mm | f/2.8 | 82mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard zoom | Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM | 28-70mm | f/2 | 95mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard | Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM | 35mm | f/1.8 | 55mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard | Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM | 50mm | f/1.2 | 72mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Standard | Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM | 50mm | f/1.8 | 43mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama
|
Canon offers several standard focal length lenses. Here is what I can tell you to help you in your choice:
- If you art starting out with a Canon R or RP camera (the cheapest Canon full frame mirrorless camera to begin with), you will very often find the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM as a kit, which remains a very good lens for traveling, for landscape, portrait and street photography. I shot quite a lot with the DSLR version during my trip to Asia. As a kit with the Canon R or RP, you can also found the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS, which remains a versatile zoom lens, offering a very wide focal length range, perfect also for everyday and travel photography (see the table in the “telephoto lenses” section). I have also seen the Canon full frame R / RP with the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM on several occasions. This is a perfect and compact combo offering a field of view of the human eye more or less, perfect for street photography or environmental portraits. The first feedbacks of this 35mm are good and the image quality is known to be excellent at full aperture.
- For those on a smaller budget, you may consider buying the camera body and choosing the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. The latter offers good image quality and is quite affordable, under 500€. Even if obviously, the lens is not bright, it offers very good image quality in easy lighting conditions. The constant aperture version at f/4 is obviously better and offers more photographic possibilities, but it costs more than twice the price,
- If you want standard lenses of better quality, brighter and thus offering better artistic possibilities, you can look at the following two beautiful optics: Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS (a classic zoom lens with a large fixed aperture) or the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM, which is still an exceptional lens but at a very high price, and certainly not for all budgets. From the tests I have been able to get, the image quality would be identical to the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM at 50mm and f/2.8, which shows the excellence of this lens,
- Finally, for those on a small budget, Canon has just released an entry-level lens perfect to get started, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. For less than 250€, a very reduced size and weight, this is clearly a lens that everyone who has chosen the Canon RF mount should have in their camera bag!
Canon RF telephoto lenses
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stab. | Autofocus | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephoto | Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM | 85mm | f/1.2 | 82mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Telephoto | Canon RF 85 mm f/1.2L USM DS | 85mm | f/1.2 | 82mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Telephoto | Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM | 85mm | f/2 | 67mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama
|
| Telephoto | Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS | 24-240mm | f/4-6.3 | 72mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Telephoto | Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM | 70-200mm | f/4 | 77mm | YES | YES | Coming soon |
| Telephoto | Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM | 70-200mm | f/2.8 | 77mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Super Telephoto | Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L US USM | 100-500mm | f/4.5-7.1 | 77mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Super Telephoto | Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM | 600mm | f/11 | 82mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Super Telephoto | Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM | 800mm | f/11 | 95mm | YES | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
Regarding telephoto lenses for the Canon RF mount, here’s what you can keep in mind:
- There are three 85mm fixed Canon RF lenses, particularly useful for portrait photography outdoors and indoors if you have enough distance. Let’s face it, the two 85mm f/1.2 L lenses are extremely expensive and only professionals or wealthy amateurs will fall for this kind of bright lens. The “DS” version of the 85mm (for “Defocus Smmothing”) is adapted to create an even more beautiful background blur, with 9 aperture blades. For the moment, you will have to expect around 3000€ for these beautiful lenses. Feedbacks have been really good for this tropicalized lens, offering a simply sublime image quality. For those who want to experiment with portrait photography (and why not macro), Canon offers the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, a stabilized lens offering a very good image quality for a relatively low price, less than 700€. An ideal lens for portrait and macro photography at a low cost;
- For telephoto lenses with a longer focal length, the choice is for the moment rather limited. However, you can get access to :
- The Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM obviously offers exceptional image quality with a large f/2.8 fixed aperture. However, the price remains very expensive for the moment. An f/4 version has already been announced by Canon for 2021;
- The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L US USM will allow you to zoom much further, perfect for sports or wildlife photography, if the light is good. The price is still very high for the moment too;
- Finally, for those who want to try their hand at shooting distant subjects and even for sports/wildlife photography (with good light), Canon has made a lot of noise by releasing special telephoto lenses since only one aperture (f/11) is available. The Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM remain very affordable telephoto lenses (around 1000€ however) and will be very well suited for people who don’t have the budget to buy the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L US USM. These are stabilized lenses, offering very long focusing distances of 4.5m (for the 600mm) and 6m (for the 800mm) respectively. The sharpness remains good for “low-cost” lenses allowing you to access focal lengths unthinkable on an DSLR camera.
Canon RF macro lenses
At the time of writing this, there is no real Canon RF macro lens. Two lenses are labeled “macro” but incorrectly, since the reproduction ratio of the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM and the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM is only 1:2 (and not 1:1). However, these lenses already allow to shoot proxiphotography. The minimum focusing distances are respectively 17cm (for the 35mm) and 35cm (for the 85mm). For the moment, in order to shoot “real macro”, you will have to use LAOWA lenses mentioned below. Beware for those who are not comfortable, they are manual focus.
Canon Roadmap 2021
During October and November 2020, Canon rumors announced several lenses that should arrive in 2021, certainly with possible delays, but the list is attractive in any case. On the program therefore :
- Canon RF zooms
- Canon RF 10-24mm f/4L USM (a light ultra wide angle which is expected, the widest angle of view for the moment)
- Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM (a long-awaited wide angle, lighter and probably cheaper than 15-35mm opening at f/2.8)
- Canon RF 18-45mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (a focal range for a rather versatile lens)
- Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM (officially announced, already in the table above)
- Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-7.1 IS USM (a perfect focal length to shoot wildlife or sports)
- Canon RF fixed focal lengths
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.2L USM (fixed focal length lens offering a very short depth of field)
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM (already officially announced and therefore in the table)
- Canon RF 135mm f/1.4L USM (a wide aperture lens perfect for outdoor portraits for example to create beautiful background blur)
- Canon RF telephoto lenses
This is a series of lenses perfect for wildlife or sports photography, from Canon’s L series, all with a built-in optical Image Stabilisation.
-
- Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
- Canon RF 500mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM
- Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM
- Canon RF Macro lenses
Here is the first lenses entirely dedicated to macrophotography, offering most certainly a reproduction ratio of 1:1.
-
- Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro
- Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
- Canon RF Tilt-shift lenses
- Canon TS-R 14mm f/4L
- Canon TS-R 24mm f/3.5L
Adapter rings for the Canon RF mount
For owners of Canon EF-mount (DSLR) lenses, there are 4 adapter rings available to use your EF lenses on a Canon full-frame RF-mount body, i.e.:
Extender for Canon RF Mount
If you’re looking to extend your focal length without buying a new lens, you can use an extender. There are two of them:
- Canon RF x 1.4: multiplies the focal length by 1.4 (Amazon)
- Canon RF x 2: multiplies the focal length by 2 (Amazon)
Be careful though, because extenders have a lot of drawbacks too: impact on image sharpness and contrast, increase in chromatic aberrations, loss of one notch (on x1.5) or 2 notches (on x2) at the maximum aperture, impacted and slower autofocus, increased weight/length. The two extenders mentioned above only work for the moment with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM / RF 600mm f/11 IS STM / RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lenses.
Canon RF third-party lenses
To my knowledge, several 3rd-party brands currently offer lenses designed for the Canon RF mount, with manual focus most of the times (except the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 Canon RF and the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 Canon RF).
As I write this, Sigma and Tamron, two of the major third-party brands, announced that they are taking a close interest in producing lenses for Canon’s RF mount. Nothing in the near future though.
Samyang / Rokinon lenses for Canon RF
Samyang / Rokinon decided to release several lenses for the Canon RF mount. There is currently an 85mm with manual focus and a more recent version offering an autofocus. Samyang has also just announced a very nice (and much cheaper) alternative as an ultra wide angle lens, the 14mm f/2.8 Canon RF, with autofocus. There was already a manual focus version of this 14mm (cheaper).
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stabilization | Autofocus | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wide Angle | Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 Canon RF | 14mm | f/2.8 | - | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
| Ultra Wide Angle | Samyang MF 14mm f/2.8 Canon RF | 14mm | f/2.8 | - | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Telephoto | Samyang MF 85mm f/1.4 Canon RF | 85mm | f/1.4 | 72mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Telephoto | Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 Canon RF | 85mm | f/1.4 | 77mm | NO | YES | Amazon / Adorama |
About the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 for Canon RF with AF, it is not possible to screw standard screw filters. However, Rokinon offers the possibility to install gelatin filters at the back of the lens. It is also possible to use a filter holder system from Wonderpana 145mm (see model here).
For both autofocus lenses offered from Samyang, there is a “lens station” allowing to follow the evolution of Canon. You can thus update the micro software and calibrate your Samyang AF lenses for the Canon RF connection. You could, for example, make individual adjustments of the auto focus or adjust the sensitivity of the manual focus ring.
LAOWA lenses for Canon RF
Laowa offers high quality lenses for the Canon RF mount. All its lenses are manual focus. Note in particular the great alternatives for wide angle and ultra wide angle lenses, but also, the only brand to offer macro lenses for this mount.
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stabilization | Autofocus | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wide Angle | Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL | 9mm | f/5.6 | - | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Ultra Wide Angle | Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL | 11mm | f/4.5 | 52mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Ultra Wide Angle | Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D | 12mm | f/2.8 | 95mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Ultra Wide Angle | Laowa 14mm f/4 FF RL Zero-D | 14mm | f/4 | 52mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama
|
| Ultra Wide Angle | Laowa 15mm f/2 RF Zero-D | 15mm | f/2 | 72mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Tilt Shift | Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift lens | 15mm | f/4.5 | - | NO | NO | Coming soon |
| Macro | Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro | 25mm | f/2.8 | - | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
| Macro | Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO | 100mm | f/2.8 | 67mm | NO | NO | Amazon / Adorama |
Meike lenses for Canon RF
There are currently three Meike lenses for Canon RF mount. They all are with manual focus. For photographers who want to shoot in low light conditions and/or to get nice background blurs (bokeh), the Meike 50mm f/1.2 offers a nice alternative for a rather soft price (about 400$). At f/1.2, you will be able to get a very shallow depth of field for sure. Plus, the Meike 50mm f/1.7 is a very cheap 50mm lens offering good quality for less than 100$ (great for everyday pictures, portrait photography, street photography, etc.).
For those interested in the field of macro photography, Meike offers a set of two macro extension tubes to increase the reproduction ratio, the Meike MK-RF-AF1 tubes. You can for example use them on the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM or the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM which only offer a reproduction ratio of 1:2.
As always, these extension tubes are attached between the camera and the lens. The set consists of two extension tubes (11mm and 18mm) that you can use in combination or individually. The tubes made with metal contacts are compatible with Canon EOS R and EOS RP cameras.
7artisans lenses for Canon RF
The 7Artisans offers only one lens for the Canon RF mount, its 7Artisans 60mm f2.8 Macro lens.It’s far from the quality of Canon lenses, but considering the price, it’s an interesting alternative for those who want to experiment macro photography without breaking the bank.
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stabilization | Autofocus | Best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisheye | 7Artisans 11mm ED f/2.8 Fisheye | 11mm | f/2.8 | - | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Standard | 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 | 35mm | f/1.4 | 46mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Standard | 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 RF | 50mm | f/1.05 | ? | NO | NO | Coming soon |
| Macro | 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro | 60mm | f/2.8 | 39mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
Kipon lenses for Canon RF
KIPON offers a set of manual focus lenses for the Canon RF mount. However, the lenses are not widely available to buy.
| Type of lens | Lens | Focal length | Max. Aperture | Ø filter | Stabilization | Autofocus | Best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide angle | Kipon Elegant 24mm f/2.4 | 24mm | f/2.4 | 49mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Standard | Kipon Elegant 35mm f/2.4 | 35mm | f/2.4 | 49mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Standard | Kipon Elegant 50mm f/2.4 | 50mm | f/2.4 | 49mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Telephoto | Kipon Elegant 75mm f/2.4 | 75mm | f/2.4 | 49mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
| Telephoto | Kipon Elegant 90mm f/2.4 | 90mm | f/2.4 | 49mm | NO | NO | Amazon |
Zhong Yi lenses for Canon RF
For those looking for a “more affordable” portrait lens, for environmental shots at 50mm for example, or for close-up portraits with a longer focal length (at 85mm for example), Zhong Yi offers two lenses dedicated to portraits (but not only of course), a 50mm f/0.95 and an 85mm f/1.2. Both lenses have very large apertures that will allow you to highlight your subject from the background. The brand’s 50mm is a very nice alternative to the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2, costing more than double the price. Similarly, if your budget is more limited and you are looking for a very bright 85mm, the 85mm f/1.2 from Zhong Yi is a good choice, three times less expensive than the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM. Nevertheless, these two fixed focal length lenses cost between 900 and 1000€!
If you’re still hesitating about which camera to choose, I invite you to take a look at all the lenses of the Nikon Z mount.
