Canon To Soon Announce RF 85mm F/1.2 DS And RF 70-200 F/2.8L IS Lenses

Canon RF 85mm

Canon might soon announce the long awaited RF 85mm F/1.2 DS (DS = Defocus Smoothing) and RF 70-200 F/2.8L IS lenses. We are pretty confident that both lenses might be announced within the next weeks. Both lenses are for the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless system.

The full list of unreleased Canon gear that leaked through certification authorities:

  • RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS
  • RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM
  • ET-83F (W III) lens hood
  • DM-E100 Stereo microphone
  • HG100-TBR tripod grip
[via Nokishita]

Canon RF 85mm F/1.2L Review (highest quality standards, ePHOTOzine)

Canon RF 85mm F/1.2L Review

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L at a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
  • Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
  • One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L lens for the EOS R system is one of those lenses where Canon showcases their skills in lens making. And it showcases what you can do with Canon’s newly developed RF mount. A site notoriously not keen to love Canon gear stated the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L has a “jaw-dropping” performance.

ePHOTOzine posted their review of the RF 85mm f/1.2L. And it’s our interpretation they couldn’t find any serious flaw. The “cons” list the price, the lack of image stabilisation (it’s a f/1.2 lens), and the bulk of the lens. On the other hand, the list of positive features of the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L abound: incredible sharpness, no distortion, very low chromatic aberrations, bokeh, quick and precise autofocus, build quality, to name a few.

In the conclusion they write:

The quality of the lenses arriving on the market has arguably never been better. There are some amazing optics and the only downside seems to be that the prices can be equally amazing. The more adventurous the specification of course, the higher that price will be. Thankfully there are still plenty of lower-cost alternatives around, the usual trade-off is that they have more restricted apertures and maybe lighter construction.

But this is a high spec and expensive lens, and, as always, if the photographer can afford it and it fits the need, then buy with confidence as the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM absolutely delivers the goods. The highest quality standards and ease of use add up to a very attractive proposition.

Read the review…

You may want to check DPReview’s Canon RF 85mm f1.2L sample photo gallery. And here is a very interesting interview with the developers of the Canon RF 85mm. More Canon RF 85mm f1.2L coverage is listed here.

Canon RF 85mm f1.2L:

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 EOS R full frame mirrorless system:

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 85mm f/1.2L Sample Photos (jaw-dropping performance, DPReview)

Canon RF 85mm F/1.2L Review

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L at a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
  • Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
  • One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

DPReview posted a set of sample pictures shot with the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L lens for the EOS R system. It doesn’t happen every day to read a description like:

Shaped like a can of Campbell’s Chunky soup, it’s a tad large and awkward affixed to the the EOS R. Nonetheless, what it lacks in grace it makes up for with jaw-dropping performance.

Click here to see the Canon RF 85mm f1.2L sample photo gallery.

Here is a very interesting interview with the developers of the Canon RF 85mm. More Canon RF 85mm f1.2L coverage is listed here.

Canon RF 85mm f1.2L:

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 EOS R full frame mirrorless system:

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 85mm f/1.2L Developers Answer Questions (interview)

Canon RF 85mm F/1.2L Review

Canon RF 85mm at a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
  • Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
  • One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Canon Europe posted an interview where the developers of the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L lens for EOS R systems answer 10 questions.

Canon Europe spoke to product planning expert Kaishi Kawai of Canon’s Image Communication Business Operations (ICB) Optical Business Group; optical design pro Satoshi Maetaki, manager of Canon’s ICB Optical Products Development Center; electrical designer Masami Ichinose, senior engineer at the ICB Optical Products Development Center; mechanical designer Yasushi Murakami of the ICB Optical Products Development Center; and BR Optical Element and DS Coating Design expert Tomohiko Ishibashi of the Optics Technology R&D Center.

Some excerpts from the interview:

Can the bokeh get any creamier?

Tomohiko: “The strong bokeh produced by the large aperture of the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM is one feature of the lens. However, lenses with significant chromatic aberration suppression tend to have slightly clearer bokeh contours.

[…]

Is the autofocus up to the L-series lens standard?

Masami: “The Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM lens uses the same ring-type ultrasonic motor (USM) as on the super telephoto lenses, which has the most powerful torque of any Canon lens, making focusing extremely fast despite the large optics.”

Why is the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM longer than its EF mount counterpart?

Satoshi: “In terms of optical design, the total length is measured from the focal plane (the position of the imaging sensor or film). If you compare the EF and RF mounts, the lens mount is closer to the sensor on the RF mount than is the case with the EF mount. Because of this the EF version of some lenses can be shorter as the extra distance is taken up by the longer distance between the lens mount and the sensor in a DSLR camera. This naturally makes the RF version longer in total length to compensate for the difference in sensor-to-mount distance.

Read the interview….

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L:

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 EOS R full frame mirrorless system:

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

Here Is The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L Lens With Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics

Canon RF 85mm

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
  • Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
  • One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Customizable Control Ring

Announced time ago, leaked a few days ago, here is the latest optic for your Canon EOS R mirrorless system, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L. Pre-order it for $2,699 at B&H Photo (save on sale taxes with Payboo)| Adorama. Shipping starts in June 2019.

World-wide pre-order:

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

Press release:

The Go-To RF-Mount Portrait Lens: Canon U.S.A. Announces The RF 85mm F1.2 L USM

The New L-Series Lens is Canon’s First RF Lens to Feature Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Helping to Greatly Reduce Chromatic Aberration

MELVILLE, NY, May 8, 2019 – Continuing the company’s commitment to providing photographers with core focal-length lenses for the EOS R Full-Frame mirrorless camera system, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the RF 85mm F1.2 L USM standard prime lens. The fifth lens in the RF family, the RF 85mm lens provides another vital tool for photographers using the EOS R or EOS RP cameras, in particular, those shooting portrait photography.

“Optics is at the core of Canon’s heritage. It is engrained in our DNA and the top priority when developing the EOS R Camera System around the RF mount and accompanying lenses,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Canon is very enthused to now bring the lenses we shared in the RF lens development announcement, starting with the RF 85mm F1.2 L USM. We envision this product as being the quintessential workhorse lens for portrait photographers of all skill levels.”

The new lens features a bright f/1.2 aperture which, along with the 85mm focal length, encompasses an ideal lens for portrait photographers. 85mm is often the preferred focal length selected by photographers when shooting portraits because it provides an appropriate depth and perspective of the subject relative to the background, helping to capture high-quality imagery with beautiful and desirable bokeh. The focal length also allows for the photographer and subject to maintain optimum distance apart to support strong communication, while not being too close.

The most unique feature of the RF 85mm F1.2 L USM lens is Canon’s proprietary optical technology, Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) Optics that helps to greatly reduce chromatic aberrations that could occur with large aperture lenses. The BR optical element, first introduced in the EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM, is inserted into the lens and refracts blue light between the concave and convex lenses. This enables the convergence of the entire wavelength of light to one point, resulting in higher image quality from the center to the edges of an image. 

Additional Features of The Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM Include: 

  • Minimum focusing distance of 2.79 feet/0.85 meters
  • Customizable control ring that allows photographers to adjust exposure compensation, shutter speed, aperture or ISO
  • One Aspheric and one UD Lens, along with BR optics help to reduce chromatic aberration
  • 12-pin communication system
  • L-Series dust and weather resistant build with fluorine coating
  • Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps minimize lens flare and ghosting

Pricing and Availability 

The Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM lens is scheduled to be available June 2019 for an estimated retail price of $2699.00*. For additional information, please visit, usa.canon.com.