Canon RF-mount lenses

RF mount launched in 2018 with the EOS R and is now Canon’s only line of new full-frame cameras. The short flange distance let Canon build optics that were not practical on EF, which is why lenses like the RF 28-70mm f/2 exist at all.

First-party first

For several years Canon licensed RF to almost no one, so the line-up was entirely Canon’s own. That has started to change for APS-C, and Sigma and Tamron now offer RF-S lenses, but full-frame RF is still overwhelmingly Canon. Expect fewer budget alternatives than on Sony E, and check the L-series versus non-L split carefully — the gap in price is large and so is the gap in weight.

RF and RF-S

RF-S lenses are designed for APS-C bodies such as the R10 and R7. They mount on full-frame RF bodies but crop the frame. Third-party APS-C lenses are usually badged as plain RF even though they only cover APS-C, so check the format column rather than the name.

Coming from EF

Canon’s EF-to-RF adapter works well and keeps autofocus and stabilization, which makes the enormous EF used market directly useful to RF shooters. If you want a specific focal length cheaply, an adapted EF lens is often a third of the price of the RF equivalent. The trade-offs are length and, on the newest bodies, slower autofocus in some modes.