Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS Review (the lens is a winner, D. Abbott)

Here is a new Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review. The Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS is getting quite popular with people on budget, or simply trying to safe some bucks.

At a glance:

• RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/4 to f/32
• Four Ultra-Low Dispersion Elements
• Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
• Dual Nano USM AF System
• Optical Image Stabilizer
• Customizable Control Ring
• Weather-Sealed Construction

Dustin Abbott posted his exhaustive Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review. From his conclusion:

The Canon RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM is a winner.  It is incredibly compact, which opens up a whole new way to use the lens and a whole new market of those who wouldn’t mind the premium optics, build, and autofocus of an L series telephoto, but who were unwilling to deal with the bulk and weight of such a lens.  But Canon also has not compromised on the autofocus or image quality performance of this lens […]

The only area to criticize in this new design is that you have to give up the use of teleconverters, which is unfortunate when one considers that the amazing focus systems of the EOS R bodies (particularly the R5 and R6 at the moment) theoretically should make using TCs more seamless than ever before. This is a lens that must be used solely as the bare lens, though one could enable the 1.6x crop on a camera like the EOS R5 if you wanted more crop in camera.

[…] Autofocus performance is excellent. I really like Canon’s Nano USM tech, as it delivers fast, quiet, smooth, and accurate autofocus results. The image stabilizer is also effective even with a higher megapixel body like my EOS R5. I appreciate the solid image quality as well. But what really sets the RF 70-200 F4L apart is the incredibly compact, lightweight nature of the lens that will allow you to treat it like a 24-105mm F4 lens for transport and storage.

Read Dustin Abbott’s review here…

As usual Dustin’s reviews come with a huge set of sample pictures, comparison charts, and all the information you might want to know. Dustin’s reviews are what I look for when I am about to purchase new gear. And for those who prefer to watch their reviews, Dustin Abbott provides a comprehensive video-review.

For those in a hurry there is also a shorter version of the video review:

More Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review stuff is listed here.

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS description after the break.

Popular for its reach and flexibility, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM is a fresh take on this well-regarded focal length, featuring an impressively sleek and lightweight form factor perfect for their full-frame mirrorless cameras. The constant f/4 maximum aperture strikes a balance between being bright enough for available light shooting while also contributing to the especially portable, handholdable design. Complementing this is an apt Optical Image Stabilizer, which compensates for up to 5 stops of camera shake, or up to an impressive 7.5 stops of shake correction when paired with an EOS R-type body with IBIS.

Optically, this lens incorporates four UD elements, which suppress a variety of aberrations throughout the zoom range for high clarity, and an Air Sphere Coating is also featured to reduce flare and ghosting. Balancing the distinguished optical system is a Dual Nano USM focus system, which delivers fast, nearly silent autofocus performance with full-time manual focus override. Additionally, this 70-200mm is weather-sealed and has a fluorine coating to protect the front and rear elements.

• Versatile telephoto zoom lens is designed for use with full-frame Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras.
• Constant f/4 maximum aperture affords consistent performance throughout the zoom range and also contributes to the relatively lightweight design and compact form factor.
• Four UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion) elements help to minimize chromatic aberrations and color fringing in order to provide greater clarity and color accuracy.
• An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) has been applied to lens elements to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting for maintained light transmission and high contrast in strong lighting conditions.
• An Optical Image Stabilizer helps to minimize the appearance of camera shake by 5 stops to better enable working in low-light conditions and with slower shutter speeds. Also, when working with select cameras, up to 7.5 stops of stabilization may be available with the Coordinated Optical Image Stabilizer and In-Body Image Stabilizer.
• Dual Nano USM system utilizes both a ring type USM and an STM mechanism to realize quick and accurate focusing that is also smooth and nearly silent to suit both photography and video applications. This focusing system also affords full-time manual focus control when working in the one-shot AF mode.
• Configurable Control Ring can be used to adjust a variety of exposure settings, including aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation.
• Protective fluorine coating has been applied to the front and rear element to resist fingerprints and smudges and to make cleaning these elements significantly easier.
• As a member of the esteemed L-series, this lens has a weather-resistant design that protects against dust and moisture to enable its use in inclement conditions.