LENS TEST
EXPERT OPINION ON THE LATEST KIT
A standard lens is reborn
www.canon.co.uk £3,440/$2,999
Is there a more unexciting lens than a standard zoom? For years, we’ve been limited to a 24-105mm f/4 or 24-70mm f/2.8, but with only marginal improvements to each new generation it’s hard to get too excited. Canon promised much when it launched the RF mount, with its RF 28-70mm f/2L USM being one of the few revolutionary standard zooms. Things then went quiet, but now we have the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 IS USM Z…
Key features
This is a 24-105mm lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture, which has been the dream of many photographers. There’s more to this lens, though; instead of being a photography lens that’s also good for video, Canon has made a true hybrid lens. The company says it’s intended to be the first in a new line of hybrid lenses, but also says these shouldn’t be referred to as Z-line or Z lenses. The Z in the name stands for ‘zoom’, or rather ‘power zoom’, but isn’t to be confused with other PZ or PTZ cameras. The lens doesn’t have power zoom built in, however, and requires a Power Zoom Adapter for any assisted zooming functions – and Canon has you covered here, also announcing the PZ-E2 (with USB-C input) and the PZ-E2B, with an extra 20-pin connector for additional accessories. It seems that this lens is trying to offer a lot, then– but is it a jack of all trades and master of none?
Build and handling
There’s no getting around the fact that the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 IS USM Z is a big lens, making the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM look almost compact in comparison. It’s designed as a hybrid lens to straddle the world of stills lenses and cine lenses, and stills-only photographers might find the length surprising. Shooting out and about with this lens, I couldn’t help feeling a little awkward when taking 24mm landscape shots – it may even be too big for photographers.
While the 24-105mm f/2.8 is long, it doesn’t have much more girth to it than Canon’s other lenses. Due to its extended length and intended hybrid use, the RF 24-105mm f/2.8 comes with a tripod foot as standard, which was perfectly balanced with the Canon EOS R5 in testing. The extra size is not only to accommodate the wider aperture but also to fit in the new focus and aperture rings. The focus ring on the
