For Canon and EOS R series shooters, the wait is finally over. Canon is releasing an all-purpose powerhouse lens, and it looks to be one that will surely impress, with incredible features and characteristics that could make it a go-to long lens for the traveling photographer who values weight, versatility, performance, and reliability.
Let’s start with arguably the most impressive feature of this lens, the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens. With a focal length of 24-240mm, this lens has an incredible 10x zoom, which makes it highly versatile. However, weighing in at only 26.5 oz (or 750g), it is incredibly lightweight as well, making it the lightest 10x zoom ever built by Canon, for full-frame cameras. Pair the lightweight RF 24-240mm with an EOS R or EOS RP body, and you have a lightweight kit, perfect for travel, and ready to expand the possibilities of the entry-level or enthusiast photographer.
In addition to being lightweight and versatile, the new RF 24-240mm boasts a feature that no other Canon full-frame lenses have had before: Dynamic IS. Designed to counter against low-frequency shake during video recording, the Dynamic IS stabilizes the operation while you’re recording moving subjects. This feature, along with the versatile focal range, could make this an excellent go-to option for videographers, minimizing the need for lens changing, and allowing for greater smoothness, even when shooting hand-held.
The performance features of the RF 24-240mm lens don’t stop there. While not an L-series lens, Canon promises that this new extended-range zoom lens provides excellent image quality, with an aperture range of f/4-6.3 that is similar to competitive full-frame, 10x zoom range lenses on the market. Optically, the Canon RF 24-240mm is highlighted by one aspherical lens element, as well as two UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass elements, which fight back against chromatic aberrations and color fringing.
In addition to the Dynamic IS mentioned above, the new RF 24-240mm was developed with Optical Image Stabilization and up to 5 stops of Shake Correction, using the EOS R Mirrorless Cameras, at 240mm focal length. That means a photographer shooting hand-held can expect to see sharp images of their subject at 240mm, even when their shutter speed is a slow as 1/8th of a second. Add in the fact that the RF 24-240mm can focus at a minimum distance of 1.64 feet when shooting wide at 24mm and 2.56 feet when shooting tight at 240mm, and you have a lens that performs at a high level throughout the focal range, and is an extremely smart choice for many types of photographers looking for practicality and performance.
The new RF 24-240mm is not just a high-performing, versatile lens. It is also reliable and fast. Built with Canon’s industry-leading Ultrasonic Motor for fast, smooth autofocusing, but upgraded to the smaller Nano Ultrasonic Motor (Nano USM), the motor maintains the same speeds of the legendary USM, but adds increased smoothness and decreased noise, offering an effective recording experience for videographers, while still allowing for responsive AF for still images.
Like other RF lenses, built for the EOS R-system, the RF 24-240mm was built with a 12-pin communication system. This new 12-pin system allows for greater, more reliable communication between body and lens. Because more data is flowing and communicating through this 12-pin connection, more is possible between the camera’s viewfinder or LCD monitor, displaying more information that can better serve a photographer when shooting.
Finally, increased manual control has been an identifying feature of the RF lenses releases thus far, and that does not change with the new RF 24-240mm. The lens is built with the same adaptive Control Ring, making it effortless to adjust exposure settings like shutter speed, aperture, or ISO when shooting with EOS R-series cameras.
However, unlike previous Canon RF lenses in the past, the RF 24-240mm lens combines the Control Ring functionality with the ability to switch to manual focus, using the same ring. A sliding switch on the side of the lens allows for a quick change between manual focus and exposure adjustment control, allowing for ultimate adaptiveness and command of your lens.
Canon EOS R series shooters having been waiting for a versatile, telephoto RF lens, and now one is finally here. The RF 24-240mm lens looks to prove that good things come to those who wait, and seems built to succeed, with the weight, versatility, performance, and reliability needed to be a winner in this segment. Don’t be surprised if this lightweight, feature-packed, 10x zoom lens becomes a favorite among traveling photographers and videographers alike.
The Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens is available for preorder now for from Adorama, or as a kit with the EOS RP for .
