Here Come the Canon Mirrorless Lenses

Here Come the Canon Mirrorless Lenses

Canon's mirrorless lenses have been esoteric, exquisite, and... expensive. While they're certainly spectacular pieces of glass, some photographers have been waiting for the more standard workhorses to come along. The good news is that they are on their way quite soon. 

While the RF 28-70mm f/2L is undoubtedly an amazing lens, it's also quite expensive and large, two characteristics that might dissuade some photographers from picking one up. For photographers who are more used to the standard 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, you'll be pleased to hear that Canon launched exactly that lens, with availability in late September. One pleasant surprise is that the lens will have image stabilization, something Canon shooters have been clamoring for in the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for years. It also comes with three Ultra-Low Dispersion elements, three ashperical elements, and Air Sphere Coating as well as a customizable control ring. It will also feature nine aperture blades and 21 elements in 15 groups while coming in at a more manageable 1.98 lbs and $2,299. You can preorder yours here.

Along with the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM will come the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM, the wide angle component of the standard f/2.8 zoom holy trinity. This lens will feature image stabilization as well, along with nine aperture blades, 16 elements in 12 groups, and a weight of 1.85 lbs. It's expected to cost $2,299 and be available in late September as well. It also comes with two Ultra-Low Dispersion elements, three ashperical elements, and Air Sphere Coating as well as a customizable control ring. You can preorder yours here.

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Log in or register to post comments
10 Comments

So why are you guys so slow in writing up the announcements? Are you short staffed? Tomorrow for the Sony announcements? Or next week?

We actually have someone at the Sony event getting hands-on experience with the new equipment.

I own and often use the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS on my EOS R and am a big fan of how fast the auto-focus works and the general image quality (I shoot mostly video, a bit of stills). I haven't gotten a ton of use out of the extra control ring, but am curious how most people use it...Looking forward to giving the new RF glass a spin and I'm too looking forward to a cinema camera that expands the potential of these lenses. Thanks for the post Alex Cooke! -George

I use it for ISO control and think it works pretty well. It's nice to control ISO, AP, and TV without worrying about secondary menus.

Manufacturers making new cameras that require all new lenses .... or vice a versa ...
Priceless !!!

Canon has already released an adapter that lets you use EF lenses on their mirrorless bodies. If anything, they're releasing new lenses that require a new body.

I'm using a brace of EOS R cameras with control ring adapters, and I'm not planning on buying any RF lenses in the near future. The EF L lenses I have will do fine until they pass through their Canon maintenance windows.

Actually it's not priceless, it has hefty price tag :D

How has Canon managed to make the mirrorless 24-70 f2.8 R heavier than the DSLR version?