Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z
World's First f/2.8 24~105mm lens
Power Zoom & Remote Zoom
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
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Bodies Compared RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z (82mm filters, 50.1 oz./1,419g w/foot, 46.6 oz./1,320g w/o foot, 1.5'/0.45m close focus, 0.29× macro ratio, $2,999). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
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Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji & OM SYSTEM Menu Systems Compared
Canon EOS R, RP, R5 & R6 compared
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Sharpness, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL (▟ stairstep icon) JPGs; no tripods, FINE (quarter circle) JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.
Friends, Pacific Sunset, California, 7:42 PM, Wednesday, 10 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 31mm wide-open at f/2.8 at 1/20 hand-held at Auto ISO 125, -1.7 stops exposure compensation to keep from blowing-out the bright red (LV 7.0), processed in Skylum Luminar Neo software to wake it up and then I used a layer in Photoshop CC to enlarge the lunar crescent as I wasn't thinking enough to walk back and zoom in to do the same thing optically, which also would have enlarged the panachromatic background. bigger or camera-original 24MP © LARGE NORMAL JPG file (1.8 MB).
Bubble Man, Pacific Sunset, California, 7:04 PM, Wednesday, 10 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 105mm at f/8 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 16.0), cropped to a square and otherwise as shot. bigger or camera-original 24MP © LARGE NORMAL JPG file (3.3 MB).
Berries, Farmers' Market, California, 11:00 AM, Sunday, 14 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 41mm at f/5 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.2), as shot. bigger or camera-original 24MP © LARGE NORMAL JPG file (9 MB).
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z is the world's first 24-105mm f/2.8 zoom. It's a huge step ahead of the old 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms because 105mm is 50% longer — and 200% more useful — than just 70mm. I've never liked being limited to just 70mm in a midrange zoom, which is why I usually use Canon's RF 24-240mm IS USM or even my old EF 28-135mm IS USM: because 105mm is so much more useful for everything than just 70mm.
This is a larger lens and it feels great to shoot because it never changes size as focused or zoomed. Better, it zooms with just the gentle glide of a single fingertip, and glides just as easily even if pointed straight up or down. Its weight doesn't shift as zoomed. It feels great shooting, not balky like other lenses that pump in and out when zoomed, like almost every other Canon RF zoom.
Of course it's ultra sharp and it easily focuses super close at every focal length so close you probably won't need a dedicated macro lens. With a total of four control rings it's a joy to shoot. It autofocuses faster than my own eyes, immediately and silently popping between macro and infinity without pause or hesitation.
It's intended just as much for video shooting; the gear trains on the aperture and zoom rings are for follow-focus cine rigs — although the focus ring is only electronic so I'm unsure how well this lens can follow-focus. The aperture ring only works while shooting video, and adjusts in 32nds of a stop.
It's a solid lens, and I have no problem holding this rig with just my right hand:
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z on EOS R6 Mark II. bigger.
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than new; it's this good and in demand.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
New intro top
World's first 24-105mm f/2.8 zoom.
World's broadest-ratio f/2.8 zoom: 4.375:1.
Internal zoom: size and balance unchanged as zoomed (uncommon in Canon RF lenses).
Gear teeth on zoom ring for remote & video rig control.
Aperture ring, first on any electronic Canon lens for a still camera — but it only works for video.
Aperture ring works in 1/32 stops — but only for video.
Gear teeth on aperture ring for remote video rig control.
Good intro top
Zooms internally; nothing moves or changes size externally (except the zoom ring) as zoomed.
Zooms with just one fingertip!
Two programmable focus lock buttons.
AF/MF switch.
Stabilizer switch.
Made in Japan.
100% U.S.A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
Soft plastic filter threads are shallow and easy to cross thread, typical of consumer lenses in 2024.
Plastic exterior.
Missing intro top
Oddly the tripod collar's rotation index marks aren't painted; they're just indented black into black and almost always invisible — so why bother?
No 90º clicks in tripod collar.
If you lose the tripod foot, the tripod collar's stub has NO THREAD.
Mounting index dot not raised so it can't be found by feel in the dark.
No always-active manual-focus override, although sometimes it works.
Will not work with any teleconverters.
No multiple exposures with the EOS R, RP, Ra, R5, R5C or R6.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
Compatibility specifications top
This lens only works on Canon's EOS-R series of mirrorless cameras.
It won't work with any teleconverters or extenders; its rear element gets too close to the mount so there's no room for the extenders' protuberances.
It won't fit on, and cannot be adapted to, any DSLR because a DSLR has too much distance between its sensor and its lens mount flange.
Name specifications top
Canon calls this the RF24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z:
RF: Works only on Canon's EOS-R Mirrorless cameras.
L: Expensive as L.
IS: Image Stabilization.
USM: UltraSonic (autofocus) Motor.
Z: Gear teeth in the mechanical zoom ring for power zoom with either the PZ-E2 or PZ-E2B Power Zoom Adapters for cine use.
Optics specifications top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical and UD elements. IS section.
23 elements in 18 groups.
4 UD extra-low dispersion elements, which help reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
3 aspherical elements.
Internal zoom: no pumping!
Air Sphere variable-refractive index coating (ASC).
Fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.
Diaphragm specifications top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at 105mm and about f/8. bigger.
11 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22.
Filters specifications top
Soft plastic 82mm filter thread.
Angles of View (Full Frame) specifications top
84º ～ 23⅓º diagonal.
74º ～ 19⅓º horizontal.
53º ～ 13º vertical.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
1.5 feet (0.45 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:3.4 (0.29×) at 105mm.
(1:12.5 (0.08×) at 105mm.)
Minimum Subject Fields specifications top
4.76 × 3.15 inches (121 × 80 mm) at 105mm.
16.06 × 10.71 inches (408 × 272 mm) at 24 mm.
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
Rated 5.5 stops improvement.
Rated 8 stops improvement with a body with internal stabilization.
Actually gives about 4 - 5 stops of real-world improvement even on a stabilized camera, which is typical.
Caps specifications top
E-82II Front Cap, included.
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001), included.
Hood specifications top
Canon EW-88E Hood for RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
EW-88E Hood, included.
Case specifications top
Canon LZ1326 case, in black. bigger.
LZ1326 case, included.
Tripod Collar specifications top
The tripod collar is permanently attached, while the foot can come off.
The foot has steel inserts for both ¼″ × 20" TPI and ⅜″ × 16" TPI threads.
Size specifications top
3.48" ø maximum diameter × 7.83" extension from flange.
88.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 199 mm extension from flange.
0.94" (24mm) longer if you include both caps.
Weight specifications top
50.055 oz. (1,419.0 g) actual measured weight with foot.
46.575 oz. (1,320.3 g) actual measured weight, no foot.
3.480 oz. (98.7 g) actual measured weight, foot only.
Rated 46.9 oz. (1,330 g), no foot.
Quality specifications top
Made in Japan.
Announced specifications top
Thursday, 02 November 2023.
Promised for specifications top
December 2023, but still very hard to get in April 2024.
Included specifications top
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001).
Packaging specifications top
Corrugated outer box.
Top and bottom polypropylene caps to keep the case centered, and the lens and hood are held inside that case.
There's a top folded corrugated cardboard piece to take up slack, and the manual and warranty card are at the top as well.
24-105mm f/2.8L IS box, shown with EOS R6 Mk II for scale. bigger.
Box End, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
Canon's Model Numbers specifications top
Product code: 6347C002 (6347C001 in Japan).
Model number: RF24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z.
JAN code: 4549292223156.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
April 2024
$2,999 new at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll have to pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand. (How to Win at eBay).
495,000 yen in Japan.
November 2023 (Introduction)
$2,999 new at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
495,000 yen in Japan.
Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
PZ-E2 Power Zoom Adapter, also at Adorama.
PZ-E2B Power Zoom Adapter w/20-pin remote connector, also at Adorama.
LH-E1 Rig Mount, also at Adorama.
Here are the contacts and mounting holes for these accessories:
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
E-82II Front Cap (included).
Rear Lens Dust Cap RF (p/n 2962C001, included).
EW-88E Hood (included).
LZ1326 Case (included).
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
Canon 24-105mm f/2.8L U. S. A. Warranty Card. bigger.
Your lens must include a U. S. A. warranty card like the one shown above from Canon U.S.A., Inc. It should be on top inside your box as you open it. The serial number on the card must match the serial number on the bottom of your lens.
If you have no card or the serial number doesn't match, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. This is why I never buy from any place other than my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store where strangers have probably opened your completely unsealed box and played with your camera, because non-U. S. A. versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you probably won't be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Shifty dealers may include color copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
The serial number on the box doesn't have to match, but it should. It will be hidden someplace on the sticker with all the bar codes. If not, it means a shady dealer took things out of boxes and was too sloppy to put them back correctly — and that means you got a used lens if anyone other than you took it out of the box.
If a gray market version saves you $800 the risk might be worth it, but for $500 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Always be sure to check yours while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources and never at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed. Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Distortion
Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts
Hood Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections
Macro Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Teleconverters Tripod Collar
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
Overall performance top
This 24-105mm f/2.8L is a joy to shoot and gives great images. If you don't mind the expense, by all means get one.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is almost silent, with just a little rattling as it starts and stops.
It autofocuses faster than my own eyes, immediately and silently popping between macro and infinity without pause or hesitation.
Bravo!
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
How to Get Manual-Focus Override.
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
The image from this lens gets smaller as focussed more closely.
The effect is somewhat visible at 24mm, much less at 50mm and almost none at 105mm.
I double anyone will see it at 50mm and longer, and most cameras offer electronic correction for this if it bothers you.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
The focused distance is recorded in the EXIF data.
I read this in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is mediocre at the wide end (where it doens't matter because things never get that far out of focus) and very good at 105mm where it's more important.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 16 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II at Auto ISO 100 at 1/3,200, 1/4,000 and 1/5,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.6, 15.0 and 15.4), Radiant Photo software used to lighten the shadows. Click any for the camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at 105mm at f/2.8 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
The RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z has no visible distortion — but that's because Canon's mirrorless cameras won't let us turn off the in-camera correction.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera with JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
While Canon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images. No, I have no idea why my EOS R6 Mk II doesn't correct the distortion completely.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON |
24mm |
+0.90 |
35mm |
+0.30 |
50mm |
+0.60 |
70mm |
+1.00 |
85mm |
+0.60 |
105mm |
+0.60 |
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
|
|
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger. |
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger. |
Ergonomics are great; there are rings and controls for everything
I love not having the lens pump in and out as I zoom.
Oddly Canon didn't bother to paint the alignment marks on the lens and tripod collar, so in actual use they are completely invisible. There are no 90º clicks.
There's no always-responsive instant manual-focus override unless you enable this in a menu.
Falloff performance top
Falloff is invisible because by default it's corrected in-camera.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction at its default of ON:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction or collect raw data rather than shoot actual pictures and your software doesn't correct it, this is what you get:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction turned OFF:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters. I can use a fat rotating polarizer or grad filter at any setting without vignetting (wow, I'm a poet and don't know it).
At 24mm on full frame there's only enough room for one filter. If you want to stack several filters you'll want to be zoomed-out to 50mm or more.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
There are more flare and ghosts than most lenses, but it's not excessive. No big deal; you're not going to see any in normal photography unless you go out of your way to cause them.
See examples at Sunstars.
Hood specifications top
Like most hoods used on zoom lenses, the tiny included hood is mostly useless. I use my hand to block the sun if it matters.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes when shot as JPG with the default Chromatic Aberration Correction left ON.
If you go out of your way to turn this OFF at MENU > CAMERA > Lens Aberration Correction > Digital Lens Optimizer > Disable and > Chromatic aberr cor > OFF, then there is some minor green/red fringing at 24mm and minor red/green fringing at 105mm. It goes away at 50mm as expected.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images you may — or may not — be responsible to correct this on your own regardless of how you set your camera.
There is some spherochromatism, which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus at large apertures. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
Lens Corrections performance top
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct these as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Other cameras may vary as the years roll on, but my EOS R3, R5, R5C, R6 II, R6, R, R8, RP, R7, R10, R50 and R100 all have options to correct for falloff (Peripheral Illumination Correction), Distortion and a Digital Lens Optimizer which corrects for a suite of other aberrations.
These are all ON by default.
This lens uses distortion correction as part of its design, so Distortion correction is always ON and the setting is grayed-out because it can't be turned off.
If you turn off the Digital Lens Optimizer, you are then offered à la carte ON/OFF options for Chromatic Aberration Correction and Diffraction Correction.
Macro Performance performance top
Macro performance is superb.
For many uses you won't need a dedicated macro lens.
It gets close, and it's sharp even wide open.
Wide-Open at f/2.8
It's sharp and gets super close. Spherochromatism is the biggest limitation at f/2.8:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 16 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 105mm at f/2.8 at 1/2,500 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 14.4). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is on the watch face.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
At f/8
Like all lenses, it gets even sharper at f/8, mostly because much more is in focus. Pro tip: at macro distances, if you hope to get much of anything in focus for anything that isn't flat like a watch face, you really want to shoot at f/22.
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 16 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 105mm at f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 14.4). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
The texture you're seeing is on the watch face.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
This is a very well made lens, seeming to be all metal inside and for the tripod collar and foot, with a plastic exterior and controls.
Finish
Dull black.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Soft plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Clicked Front Control Ring
Hard plastic.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
The gear teeth are also plastic.
Aperture Ring
Plastic.
The gear teeth are also plastic.
Slide Switches
Plastic.
Tripod Collar
All metal, except for the friction lock knob, which is plastic.
The collar doesn't come off the lens, but the foot does come off from the collar.
If you forget the foot, the collar's stub has NO THREAD so you're stuck using the camera's tripod socket.
Tripod Foot
Metal.
The foot's release button is metal, while the knob for the foot's friction lock is plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens just behind the filter threads, also a small plate on top of barrel.
Internals
Seem like mostly metal!
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved.
Serial Number
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
Laser engraved in black-on-black on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Moderate clattering.
Made in
Lens made in Japan.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is super sharp corner-to corner at every aperture, limited of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures. It might be just a hair softer in the corners at f/2.8 compared to f/4, but it's hard to see. If you can't get a spectacularly sharp image with this lens at any aperture, you're doing something wrong. I usually set my sharpening to 7,1,1, and with this lens that's often too sharp!
Avoid f/16 and smaller unless you really need it for extreme depth of field because diffraction takes its toll. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 MTF wide-open at 10 cyc/mm (black) and 30 cyc/mm (blue). Sagittal (solid) and meridional (dashed).
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has some typical spherochromatism:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 16 April 2024. Canon EOS R6 II, Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM at 105mm at f/2.8 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Stabilization performance top
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) works well, giving me 4-5 real-world stops of improvement, giving me perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness handheld between 1/4 and 1/8 depending on focal length.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
At 24mm on my EOS R6 Mk II
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
29 |
67 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
33 |
100 |
100 |
I see a 5 stop real-world improvement.
At 50mm on my EOS R6 Mk II
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 43 |
0 |
33 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
75 |
100 |
I see a 4⅓ stop real-world improvement.
Yes, quite a few of my hand-held shots at two seconds were perfectly sharp, but I wouldn't count on it. Of course at normal image sizes you can shoot at much slower speeds than these tables, which tabulated for perfect sharpness.
At 105mm on my EOS R6 Mk II
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
14 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
17 |
67 |
100 |
I see a 4 stop real-world improvement.
Sunstars performance top
With a 11-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get great 22-point sunstars on brilliant points of light, but only at the smallest apertures.
Ignore the vertical smear at large apertures. This is a sensor artifact called interline transfer smear and is a camera, not a lens, defect.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Teleconverters performance top
Not compatible.
The rear element goes too far back to accommodate the protuberance from either of the 1.4× or 2× extenders.
Tripod Collar performance top
The tripod collar doesn't come off the lens, but the foot does come off the collar.
The foot has steel inserts for both ¼″ × 20" TPI and ⅜″ × 16" TPI threads.
It's all metal, except for the friction lock knob, which is plastic.
Oddly Canon didn't bother to paint the alignment marks on the lens and tripod collar, so in actual use they are completely invisible.
There are no 90º clicks.
If you forget the foot, the collar's stub has NO THREAD so you're stuck using the camera's tripod socket.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
Nothing compares because this is the only 24-105mm f/2.8 on earth.
Compared to 24-70mm lenses, this lens zooms long enough to be useful for portraits and car photos and many more things than the pathetic 70mm ends of the other f/2.8 lenses. Personally I prefer the RF 24-240mm IS STM or even my ancient EF 28-135mm IS USM for their longer ranges, but if you need f/2.8, you need this lens.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
See also Canon's own user manual.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z. bigger.
Full / 1m - ∞ Switch user's guide top
This is a focus limiter.
Leave it in FULL.
The 1m - ∞ position prevents the lens from autofocusing closer than 1 meter (3 feet). Use this setting only if you're having a problem with the lens attempting to focus on irrelevant close items, or if for some reason the lens is "hunting" from near to far looking for distant subjects.
AF - MF Switch user's guide top
AF: Auto Focus. You have instant manual focus override by turning the focus ring at any time. It will try to ignore minor accidental bumps.
AF: Auto Focus, with instant manual focus override in ONE SHOT if set.
MF: Manual Focus only.
Manual-Focus Override user's guide top
By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.
EOS R cameras need a menu setting changed for manual-focus override, otherwise the focus ring is often ignored in AF.
Find the "Lens electronic AF" or "Electronic full-time MF" option in your AF menu (AF 6 in R6 II, R7, R8 and R10, AF 4 in EOS R5 and EOS R6 or CAMERA 8 in EOS RP), and set it to either "One‑Shot‑> enabled," "One‑Shot‑> enabled (magnify)" or ON.
Canon should have it set this way by default, but they don't. No big deal now that I figured it out.
In ONE SHOT mode, manual focus now takes over and stays wherever you set the focus manually, however in SERVO mode this setting lets the lens focus manually as you turn the ring, but as soon as you stop turning the ring the AF system takes back over and keeps tracking focus! Oh well.
Stabilizer user's guide top
ON / OFF
Leave it ON unless you're on a very sturdy tripod, or if you're making exposures longer than a second on any kind of tripod.
Stabilizer Mode
MODE 1 (Still Subjects): Corrects vibrations in all directions.
MODE 2 (Panning on smooth motion like trains and airplanes): When panning, corrects camera shake perpendicular to the direction of panning.
MODE 3 (Sports & Animals): Same as MODE 2, but only compensates during exposure, not as you're viewing. It saves energy and is better for random motion.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
It's pretty obvious who needs this. If you need f/2.8 and need to get to a real 105mm rather than just 70mm in your midrange zoom, this is the world's only option. It's easy to carry and shoot; I was concerned about the size, but in-hand I love this lens. It handles and focuses super-fast and close, and the results are always beautiful.
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the 82mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints. The Nikon NC 82mm is also an excellent choice, but not as resistant to the environment, fingerprints and physical abuse as the HD3 UV.
For much less money, the Hoya multicoated 82mm UV is also optically superb, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest.
Any of these filters protects as well and gives ultrasharp images, but since filters last a lifetime, you may as well get the best since the Hoya HD3 is tougher and stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.
The Nikon 82mm Polarizer is superb.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
I got my RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
It's hard to get; order yours and be patient as I did otherwise you'll pay about $3,100 used at eBay. Yes, that's more than the new price; it's this good and in demand.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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