LENS TEST
This lightweight variable-aperture zoom looks like a cheap and cheerful kit lens, but Rod Lawton thinks there’s more to it than that
The RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM is a kit lens option for fullframe Canon EOS R-series cameras. It’s commonly bundled with the EOS RP, EOS R6, and EOS R6 Mark II models, but is also sold separately.
Lenses of 24-105mm are popular as more versatile, longer-range standard zooms for full-frame cameras, and most camera makers offer them. In fact, Canon makes two. There is a more expensive and heavier constant-aperture RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens that’s similar to offerings from other camera brands. But the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM reviewed here is unusual in being a lot lighter and a lot cheaper, at £359. As such, it’s designed for users who want the same focal length range, but don’t want to pay professionallens money.
Features
There is one very obvious compromise in the design of the Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM to keep down the weight and the cost, and this is the variable maximum aperture, which shrinks from f/4 at the 24mm end of the zoom range to f/7.1 at 105mm.
This means you have less control over depth of field and background blur at longer zoom settings, and you may also have to use slower shutter speeds or higher ISO settings to compensate for the smaller available lens apertures. This isn’t necessarily a problem, especially in regular outdoor lighting, where you will often be shooting at smaller apertures anyway.
What you gain is a smaller and lighter lens that balances much better on compact Canon mirrorless bodies like the EOS RP and EOS R8. With a length of 88.8mm and a weight of just 395g, the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM is much easier to handle and carry around than a conventional 24-105mm zoom. In comparison, the F4 L version is 107mm long and weighs 700g.
Canon’s lower-end mirrorless bodies don’t have in-body stabilisation, but Canon typically incorporates optical stabilisation into its lenses, including this one. Canon says its IS mechanism offers up to 5 stops of shake compensation.
The RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM also has a customisable control ring, a standard feature on Canon RF lenses. This can be used either for focusing or to control one of several camera settings. I set it to control the aperture. There’s a sliding Focus/ Control switch on the side of the barrel to swap between the Focus and Control modes.
The front of the len
