Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM review

The EOS R's long-awaited standard zoom is here. Is the Canon RF 24-70mm good enough to win over the naysayers?

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM review
(Image: © Future)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Canon’s most important RF mount trinity lens is here to prosthelytize the benefits of the EOS R system – and it will have most users singing 'Hallelujah' all the way to the nearest camera store. It’s snappy, it’s sharp, it’s stabilized and it even suppresses focus breathing… but it's a little rough around the edges, and at this price point that's enough to stop it short of greatness.

Pros

  • +

    5-stop Image Stabilizer

  • +

    Improved minimum focus

  • +

    No focus breathing

Cons

  • -

    Hefty price tag

  • -

    Average edge sharpness

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Much has been written and more has been said, good and bad, about Canon’s full-frame mirrorless camera since its release in October 2018, but one criticism went unanswered for almost the first 12 months: ‘there are no proper lenses’.

It’s been a familiar refrain from early adopters and system skeptics alike; the Canon EOS R has relied almost exclusively on the crutch of EF-mount lenses since its launch. While the company has done an admirable job of fleshing out the Canon RF lens roadmap, the lack of the three ‘trinity’ zoom lenses has been a hard one to pave over.

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.