Canon announces four new RF lenses arriving just in time for the holidays

Christmas has come early for Canon RF users! The company has introduced four new RF lenses that will be arriving around the holidays.

Canon announced three new hybrid lenses in the RF70-200 F/2.8 L IS USM Z, RF24mm F/1.4 L VCM, and RF50mm F/1.4 L. The Canon RF-S7.8mm F/4 STM Dual Lens, a lens first teased during the Apple WWDC 2024 event, was also introduced at the event.

Two new prime lenses: RF24mm F/1.4 L VCM and RF50mm F/1.4 L VCM

The RF24mm F/1.4 L VCM and RF50mm F/1.4 L VCM expand Canon’s lineup of fast hybrid prime lenses for its mirrorless cameras. The two lenses are joining the RF35mm F/1.4 L VCM which was introduced several months ago.

Both lenses have been optimized for both stills and videos and are great additions to the camera setup of any photographer, filmmaker, journalist, and content creator. The large F/1.4 maximum aperture is perfect for shooting in low-light situations like concerts, weddings, and indoor events.

The fast primes use a dual-motor autofocus system featuring a voice coil motor (VCM) and Nano USM. The AF system is fast, silent, and very accurate. Being optimized for video, the lenses feature minimal focus breathing when switching from near to far subjects.

These lenses are compact with a length of just 3.9 inches and both are lightweight with the RF24mm weighing in at 513g while the RF50mm is at 578g. Both feature a customizable iris ring for controlling the aperture while shooting video. 

The RF24mm F/1.4 L VCM costs $1,499 while the RF50mm F/1.4 L VCM is priced at $1,399. The lenses are expected to arrive in December.

A new fast telephoto zoom: RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z

Canon is updating its 70-200mm lens offering with the RF70-200 F/2.8 L IS USM Z. The zoom lens is designed as a hybrid lens for use by both photographers and filmmakers.

The Z marking stands for zoom and indicates that the lens is compatible with Power Zoom adapters. It is only the second lens with the Z badge after the RF24-105 F/2.8 L IS USM Z which was introduced the previous year.

As a fast zoom, the RF70-200mm is perfect for low-light conditions like weddings, indoor events, and sports. The lens focuses fast and quietly thanks to the Dual Nano USM autofocus system. It also uses an internal zoom mechanism which is very useful when mounting the lens on a gimbal. The built-in image stabilization gives 5.5 stops of compensation and up to 7.6 stops when used in tandem with the in-body image stabilization.

Similar to the new prime lenses, the RF70-200mm has a customizable iris ring, alongside two custom function buttons. On the lens barrel, there are four switches: Focus Limiter, AF/MF, Stabilizer On/Off, and Stabilizer Mode selector.

The lens has a robust construction and is dust and weather-proof. The RF70-200 F/2.8 L IS USM Z will retail for $2,999 and will be available this month.

A new VR lens: RF-S7.8mm F/4 STM DUAL Lens

Canon adds the RF-S7.8mm F/4 STM DUAL Lens to its EOS VR System lineup. This new lens is compatible with the Canon EOS R7 camera and users can process the resulting footage via an EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro. The RF-S7.8mm has a 60-degree field of view is can capture immersive 3D visuals.

The lens design has two stereoscopic elements in a single lens barrel similar to a traditional 2D lens. The 3D lens has a maximum aperture of F/4, supports autofocus, and has a control wheel and button combo to adjust manual focus on the right or left lens.

RF-S7.8mm F/4 STM DUAL Lens provides an affordable solution for anyone who wants to explore VR and 3D content creation. The lens retails for $449.99 and will be available starting this month.